London, 30 September 2011 -- In its 2011 annual supranational report on the African Development Bank
(AfDB), Moody's provides an updated assessment of the Aaa long-term
rating, Prime-1 short-term rating, and stable
outlook.
Moody's maintains the following ratings on the African Development
Bank's
Long Term Issuer Rating of Aaa
Senior Unsecured (foreign currency) ratings of Aaa
Senior Unsecured MTN (foreign currency) ratings of (P)Aaa
Commercial Paper (foreign currency) ratings of P-1
Subordinate (foreign currency) ratings of Aa1
Subordinate MTN (foreign currency) ratings of (P)Aa1
Other Short Term (foreign currency) ratings of (P)P-1
The Aaa rating of the African Development Bank reflects:
(I) the very strong intrinsic financial strength of the Bank underpinned
by its very strong capitalisation, strong liquidity and sound risk
management framework;
(II) the expectation of strong support from very highly rated shareholders,
reinforced recently by the sixth general capital increase approved in
May 2010 that tripled its capital base;
RATINGS RATIONALE
In its annual credit report on the African Development Bank (AfDB),
Moody's Investors Service says that the bank's Aaa rating reflect
its intrinsic financial strength, its prudent financial management
and policies and its very strong shareholder support. These strengths
offset the low average credit quality of its loan portfolio, which
results from its challenging regional operating environment.
Over the last few years in particular, the AfDB has been deploying
its balance sheet more extensively, substantially increasing its
lending to both sovereign and private-sector counterparties.
This results from the implementation of a strategy of more actively supporting
private-sector projects across Africa and the AfDB's response
to the global economic and financial crisis, via the development
of new instruments to provide emergency liquidity and countercyclical
measures.
Although these policies have increased the riskiness of the AfDB's
loan portfolio, in Moody's view, the changes do not
threaten the bank's ability to service its own debt. The
situation in north Africa, where close to 50% of the bank's
portfolio is concentrated, will require strong monitoring while
these countries experience difficult political transitions. However,
the AfDB's very robust capitalisation, ample liquidity buffers,
and a sound risk-management framework help to offset the existing
risks that the AfDB carries on its balance sheet and create substantial
headroom in risk-bearing capacity to further expand its lending.
The AfDB's own resources are reinforced by its shareholder support,
particularly in highly-rated, non-regional governments.
Shareholder support takes the form of callable capital, but can
include general capital increases. Since its creation in 1964,
the AfDB has experienced six general capital increases and eight technical
increases, which illustrates the degree of shareholder commitment.
The last increase, approved in May 2010 by shareholders, included
a record-high 200% capital increase that tripled the AfDB's
capital base to nearly USD100 billion. The capital increases allow
the AfDB to fully implement its expansion strategy, even under the
most severe scenarios, without over-stretching its risk-bearing
capacity beyond a level consistent with a Aaa rating.
What Could Change the Rating - Down
The Aaa rating of the AfDB is Moody's highest rating. Developments
that could exert downward pressure on the rating would be the emergence
of significant losses resulting from non-performing loans.
PREVIOUS RATING ACTION & METHODOLOGY USED
Moody's last rating action affecting the AfDB was implemented on
21st of March 1994, when the rating agency assigned Aaa Long term
issuer outlook to the Bank.
AfDB's ratings were assigned by evaluating factors relevant to the
specific characteristics of multilateral development banks, reflecting
in particular their dual nature as financial institutions and vehicles
of international public policy. MDB rating factors include an assessment
of the stand-alone financial strength of the institution (in particular
its level of capitalization, liquidity, its risk management
framework and the quality of its assets), as well as the multiple
forms of support (including in contractual form) provided by the governments
that compose its membership. These attributes were compared against
other issuers both within and outside of AfDB's peer group of multilateral
development banks, and the AfDB's ratings are believed to be similar
to other issuers of similar credit risk.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides relevant 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 relevant regulatory disclosures in relation
to the rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular
rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the
support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings,
this announcement provides relevant 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
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Moody's: African Development Bank's Aaa rating is supported by robust capitalisation and strong support from its shareholders