Moody's ABCP rating actions for the seven-day period ended March 26, 2007
New York, March 29, 2007 -- MOODY'S RATED THE FOLLOWING ABCP PROGRAMS PRIME-1 DURING THE PERIOD
MARCH 20, 2007 THROUGH MARCH 26, 2007:
MOODY'S ASSIGNS PROVISIONAL RATINGS TO THE DEBT PROGRAMMES OF AXON FINANCIAL
FUNDING
In London, Moody's has assigned ratings to the debt programmes of
Axon Financial Funding Ltd. ("Axon") and Axon Financial Funding
LLC as follows:
(i) a provisional short-term credit rating of (P)Prime-1
to the Euro commercial paper programme;
(ii) a provisional long-term credit rating of (P)Aaa and a provisional
short-term credit rating of (P)Prime-1 to the Euro Medium
Term Note programme;
(iii) a provisional short-term credit rating of (P)Prime-1
to the U.S. commercial paper program;
(iv) a provisional long-term credit rating of (P)Aaa and a provisional
short-term credit rating of (P)Prime-1 to the U.S.
Medium Term Note program; and
(v) a provisional long-term credit rating of (P)A1 to the U.S.
Mezzanine Note program.
Axon is a structured investment vehicle for the purpose of investing in
a diversified portfolio of eligible investment grade assets with the proceeds
of the Senior Notes. The Mezzanine Notes and Capital Notes issued
by Axon provide additional funds for investment and credit enhancement
for investors. The structure relies on the ability of Axon to sell
or restructure the portfolio of assets, should it prove necessary
to restrict the vehicle's investment and funding activities and allow
for the repayment of Senior Notes. Axon can issue up to USD 20
billion of debt securities.
Axon Financial Funding LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axon,
incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA.
The sole business of Axon Financial Funding LLC is the co-issuance
with Axon of U.S. Medium Term Notes and U.S.
Commercial Paper.
For further details, please see Moody's press release dated
March 23, 2007. The New Issue Report for Axon Financial Funding
Ltd. and Axon Financial Funding LLC is available on
Moody's website, http://www.moodys.com.
MOODY'S ASSIGNS PRIME-1 RATING TO LIBERTY HAMPSHIRE'S
STONY POINT CAPITAL, LLC ABCP PROGRAM
Moody's has assigned a Prime-1 rating to the asset-backed
commercial paper, callable notes and extendible notes (collectively,
the "Notes") issued by Stony Point Capital Company, LLC ("Stony
Point"). Stony Point is an asset-backed note program sponsored
by The Liberty Hampshire Company, LLC.
Stony Point manages a portfolio of financial assets and from time to time
enters into additional transactions with originators of assets.
The Notes issued by Stony Point to fund these transactions are supported
by liquidity facilities provided by Prime-1-rated institutions
and credit enhancement, if any. Therefore, Note holders
are insulated from risks associated with the underlying transactions financed
through Stony Point.
The Prime-1 rating assigned to Stony Point's Notes is based
primarily on the full liquidity support provided by Prime-1-rated
institutions and structural protections which ensure the bankruptcy-remoteness
of Stony Point.
The Liberty Hampshire Company, LLC is the manager and Deutsche Bank
Trust Company Americas (A1/Prime-1/C) is the issuing and paying
agent for Stony Point.
For further details, please see Moody's press release dated
March 22, 2007.
THE RATINGS OF THE FOLLOWING ABCP PROGRAMS WERE AFFIRMED BY MOODY'S AT
PRIME-1 DURING THE PERIOD MARCH 20, 2007 THROUGH MARCH 26,
2007:
WESTLB'S COMPASS ADDS EURO 1.0 BILLION AUTO LOAN FACILITY
Compass Securitisation Limited and Compass Securitisation LLC (together,
"Compass"), a partially supported, multiseller ABCP conduit
administered by WestLB AG (A1/Prime-1/D-), has added
a pool of auto loan receivables to its portfolio, in the amount
of Euro 1.0 billion. The receivables are originated by a
leading European consumer finance bank located in Germany. The
underlying borrowers are individual residents of Germany and the portfolio
shows a broad diversification.
Transaction-specific credit enhancement is provided in the form
of excess spread, which amounts to 2.91% based on
the weighted average portfolio yield of 6.89% less protection
through an interest rate swap fixed at 3.98% between the
purchasing company and WestLB. Furthermore, there is a second
loss reserve of 2.3% in place, namely a reserve that
is funded by a subordinated loan provided from a third party and a default
guarantee provided by the seller. This transaction is partially
supported by a liquidity facility provided by WestLB.
The transaction benefits from 8% programme-level credit
enhancement. With this transaction, Compass is authorized
to issue up to USD 8.2 billion of ABCP.
ABN AMRO'S ORCHID PURCHASES USD 150 MILLION NOTES BACKED BY DIVERSIFIED
PAYMENT RIGHTS
Orchid Funding Corp. ("Orchid"), a partially supported,
multiseller ABCP conduit administered by ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
("ABN AMRO," rated Aa1/Prime-1/B-), has purchased
USD 150 million of Baa2-rated floating-rate notes.
The purchase was made through Orchid Asset Securitization Investment Services
("OASIS"). Orchid issues ABCP and uses the proceeds to acquire
the notes issued by OASIS, which in turn uses the proceeds to purchase
the underlying floating-rate notes.
The notes are backed by diversified payment rights flows originated by
one of the major Turkish financial institutions. The Baa2-rated
tranche is partially supported by a separate liquidity facility provided
by ABN AMRO to OASIS. The structural protection in the underlying
diversified payment rights transaction together with the partially supported
liquidity facility allows the Baa2-rated notes to benefit from
a draw on the liquidity facility under different scenarios.
With this transaction, Orchid may issue up to approximately USD
2 billion of ABCP.
FORTIS BANK'S SCALDIS ADDS EURO 600 MILLION AUTO LOAN AND LEASE TRANSACTION
Scaldis Capital Limited and Scaldis Capital LLC (together, "Scaldis"),
a partially supported, hybrid ABCP conduit sponsored by Fortis Bank
S.A./N.V. (Aaa/Prime-1/B-),
has added a Euro 600 million auto loan and lease warehouse transaction
to its portfolio. In this transaction, Scaldis is acquiring
revolving pools of auto loans and leases originated by the financing subsidiary
of a German car manufacturer. The transaction has a facility limit
of Euro 600 million and is fully supported by a liquidity facility sized
at 102% of the facility limit.
With this transaction, Scaldis' programme-level credit enhancement
was increased by 5% of the facility limit. Scaldis is authorized
to issue up to USD 27 billion of ABCP.
ABN AMRO'S TULIP ADDS USD 50 MILLION INVENTORY FINANCING TRANSACTION
Tulip Funding Corp. and Tulip Euro Funding Corp. (together,
"Tulip"), a partially supported, multiseller ABCP programme
sponsored by ABN AMRO Bank N.V. (Aa1/Prime-1/B-),
has added a USD 50 million diamond inventory financing transaction to
its portfolio. In this transaction, Tulip lends the CP proceeds
to the purchaser to finance the purchase of an unrated revolving note
issued by a special purpose vehicle based in Luxembourg. The transaction
is backed by diamond inventory, receivables and cash.
Transaction-specific credit enhancement is in the form of over-collateralisation
and subordination. The transaction is partially supported by a
liquidity facility provided by Prime-1-rated ABN AMRO.
Tulip added 8% programme-level credit enhancement in respect
of this transaction. Tulip is authorised to issue up to USD 14.6
billion of ABCP.
For a more detailed description of these ABCP programs, see Moody's
website at http://www.moodys.com.
New York
Everett Rutan
Senior Vice President
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
New York
Wanda Lee
Associate Analyst
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653