Approximately $1.06 Billion of Structured Securities Affected
New York, April 29, 2016 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the ratings on twelve classes in
WFRBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 2014-C20 as follows:
Cl. A-1, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
Cl. A-2, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
Cl. A-3, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
Cl. A-4, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
Cl. A-5, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
Cl. A-S, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
Cl. A-SB, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
Cl. A-SFL, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
Cl. A-SFX, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
Cl. B, Affirmed Aa3 (sf); previously on May 1,
2015 Affirmed Aa3 (sf)
Cl. C, Affirmed A3 (sf); previously on May 1,
2015 Affirmed A3 (sf)
Cl. X-A, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on May
1, 2015 Affirmed Aaa (sf)
RATINGS RATIONALE
The ratings on the P&I classes were affirmed because the transaction's
key metrics, including Moody's loan-to-value (LTV)
ratio, Moody's stressed debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) and the
transaction's Herfindahl Index (Herf), are within acceptable
ranges.
The rating on the IO class was affirmed based on the credit performance
(or the weighted average rating factor or WARF) of its referenced classes.
Moody's rating action reflects a base expected loss of 4.2%
of the current balance. Moody's provides a current list of
base expected losses for conduit and fusion CMBS transactions on moodys.com
at
http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBS_SF215255.
FACTORS THAT WOULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATING:
The performance expectations for a given variable indicate Moody's forward-looking
view of the likely range of performance over the medium term. Performance
that falls outside the given range can indicate that the collateral's
credit quality is stronger or weaker than Moody's had previously expected.
Factors that could lead to an upgrade of the ratings include a significant
amount of loan paydowns or amortization, an increase in the pool's
share of defeasance or an improvement in pool performance.
Factors that could lead to a downgrade of the ratings include a decline
in the performance of the pool, loan concentration, an increase
in realized and expected losses from specially serviced and troubled loans
or interest shortfalls.
METHODOLOGY UNDERLYING THE RATING ACTION
The principal methodology used in these ratings was "Approach to Rating
US and Canadian Conduit/Fusion CMBS" published in December 2014.
Please see the Ratings Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
DESCRIPTION OF MODELS USED
Moody's review used the excel-based CMBS Conduit Model,
which it uses for both conduit and fusion transactions. Credit
enhancement levels for conduit loans are driven by property type,
Moody's actual and stressed DSCR, and Moody's property
quality grade (which reflects the capitalization rate Moody's uses
to estimate Moody's value). Moody's fuses the conduit
results with the results of its analysis of investment grade structured
credit assessed loans and any conduit loan that represents 10%
or greater of the current pool balance.
Moody's uses a variation of Herf to measure the diversity of loan
sizes, where a higher number represents greater diversity.
Loan concentration has an important bearing on potential rating volatility,
including the risk of multiple notch downgrades under adverse circumstances.
The credit neutral Herf score is 40. The pool has a Herf of 30,
the same as at Moody's last review.
DEAL PERFORMANCE
As of the April 15, 2016 distribution date, the transaction's
aggregate certificate balance has decreased by 1% to $1.23
billion from $1.25 billion at securitization. The
certificates are collateralized by 98 mortgage loans ranging in size from
less than 1% to 11% of the pool, with the top ten
loans constituting 48% of the pool. The pool contains eleven
cooperative loans, constituting 3.5% of the pool,
that are too small to receive a structured credit assessment, but
received investment grade quality treatment.
Eleven loans, constituting 9% of the pool, are on the
master servicer's watchlist. The watchlist includes loans
that meet certain portfolio review guidelines established as part of the
CRE Finance Council (CREFC) monthly reporting package. As part
of Moody's ongoing monitoring of a transaction, the agency
reviews the watchlist to assess which loans have material issues that
could affect performance.
No loans are in special servicing. No loans have been liquidated
from the pool. Moody's received full year 2014 operating results
for 100% of the pool. Moody's weighted average conduit
LTV is 110%, and remains unchanged since Moody's last
review. Moody's conduit component excludes loans with structured
credit assessments, defeased and CTL loans, and specially
serviced and troubled loans. Moody's net cash flow (NCF)
reflects a weighted average haircut of 15% to the most recently
available net operating income (NOI). Moody's value reflects
a weighted average capitalization rate of 10.1%.
Moody's actual and stressed conduit DSCRs are 1.46X and 1.00X,
respectively, compared to 1.41X and 1.01X at securitization.
Moody's actual DSCR is based on Moody's NCF and the loan's
actual debt service. Moody's stressed DSCR is based on Moody's
NCF and a 9.25% stress rate the agency applied to the loan
balance.
There are eleven loans ($43 million -- 3.5%
of the pool), which are secured by cooperative properties located
in New York. Nine of the properties are in New York City,
one is in Long Island, and the other in White Plains.
The top three conduit loans represent 23% of the pool balance.
The largest loan is the Woodbridge Center Loan ($130 million --
11% of the pool), which is secured by a 1.1 million
square foot (SF) component of a 1.7 million SF enclosed two-story
mall located in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Major anchor tenants
include Sears, Macy's, JC Penney, Boscov's,
and Lord and Taylor. Macy's, JC Penney, and Lord
and Taylor are not part of the collateral. The mall sponsor is
General Growth Properties. As of December 2015, the property
was 96% leased to over 150 tenants. Moody's LTV and stressed
DSCR are 127% and 0.79X, respectively, and remains
unchanged since last review.
The second largest loan is the Bloomberg Data Center Loan ($84
million -- 7% of the pool), which is secured
by a built-to-suit data center located in Orangeburg,
New York. The property developed in 2014 for $123.2
million. Bloomberg is the sole tenant with a lease through March
2029. The lease includes 20 years of extension options, renewable
in periods of five and ten years. Moody's LTV and stressed DSCR
are 99% and 1.21X, respectively, compared to
101% and 1.18X at last review.
The third largest loan is the Worldgate Centre Loan ($63 million
-- 5% of the pool), which is secured by an anchored
retail center located in Herndon, Virginia. The property
was developed in 1990 and is currently anchored by Worldgate Sport and
Health and an AMC movie theatre. As of December 2015, the
property was 97% leased to local, regional, and national
tenants. Moody's LTV and stressed DSCR are 111% and 0.90X,
respectively, compared to 113% and 0.88X at last review.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity
analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity
to Assumptions of the disclosure form.
The analysis includes an assessment of collateral characteristics and
performance to determine the expected collateral loss or a range of expected
collateral losses or cash flows to the rated instruments. As a
second step, Moody's estimates expected collateral losses or cash
flows using a quantitative tool that takes into account credit enhancement,
loss allocation and other structural features, to derive the expected
loss for each rated instrument.
Moody's did not use any stress scenario simulations in its analysis.
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series
or category/class of debt or pursuant to a program for which the ratings
are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's
rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to
each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their
credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating.
For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory
disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and
in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to
the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction
structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive
rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further
information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the
respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action,
and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Tulay Sangiray
Associate Analyst
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Keith Banhazl
Associate Managing Director
Structured Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's Affirms Twelve Classes of WFRBS 2014-C20