New York, April 27, 2012 -- The following release represents Moody's Investors Service's summary credit
opinion on SunTrust Banks, Inc. and includes certain regulatory
disclosures regarding its ratings. This release does not constitute
any change in Moody's ratings or rating rationale for SunTrust Banks,
Inc. and its affiliates.
Moody's current ratings on SunTrust Banks, Inc. and its affiliates
are:
Long Term Issuer rating of Baa1
Senior Unsecured (domestic currency) ratings of Baa1
Subordinate (domestic currency) ratings of Baa2
Preferred Stock Non-cumulative (domestic currency) ratings of Ba1
(hyb)
Senior Unsecured Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa1
Subordinate Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa2
Junior Subordinate Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
Preferred Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
Commercial Paper (domestic currency) ratings of P-2
BACKED Senior Unsecured (domestic currency) ratings of Aaa
SunTrust Bank
Long Term Issuer rating of A3
Senior Unsecured (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of A3
Senior Unsecured Bank Note Program (domestic currency) ratings of (P)A3
Senior Unsecured MTN Program (domestic currency) ratings of (P)A3
Long Term Bank Deposits (domestic currency) ratings of A3
Long Term Other Senior Obligations ratings of A3
Bank Financial Strength ratings of C
Subordinate Bank Note Program (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa1
Subordinate (domestic currency) ratings of Baa1
Short Term Bank Note Program (domestic currency) ratings of (P)P-2
Short Term Bank Deposits (domestic currency) ratings of P-2
Other Short Term (domestic currency) ratings of (P)P-2
Short Term Other Senior Obligations ratings of P-2
SunTrust Capital I
BACKED Preferred Stock (domestic currency) ratings of Baa3 (hyb)
SunTrust Capital VIII
BACKED Preferred Stock (domestic currency) ratings of Baa3 (hyb)
SunTrust Capital IX
BACKED Preferred Stock (domestic currency) ratings of Baa3 (hyb)
SunTrust Capital X
BACKED Preferred Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
SunTrust Capital XI
BACKED Preferred Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
SunTrust Capital XII
BACKED Preferred Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
SunTrust Capital XIII
BACKED Preferred Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
SunTrust Capital XIV
BACKED Preferred Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
SunTrust Capital XV
BACKED Preferred Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
SunTrust Capital XVI
BACKED Preferred Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
SunTrust Capital XVII
BACKED Preferred Shelf (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Baa3
SunTrust Preferred Capital I
BACKED Preferred Stock (domestic currency) ratings of Ba1 (hyb)
SunTrust Real Estate Investment Corporation
Preferred Stock Non-cumulative (domestic currency) ratings of Baa3
(hyb)
RATING RATIONALE
We assign a bank financial strength rating (BFSR) of C to SunTrust's lead
bank, SunTrust Bank. This rating continues to be supported
by SunTrust's broad direct banking franchise in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic
regions of the U.S. as well as by its diversified revenue
base, healthy capital position and strong bank and bank holding
company liquidity profile.
However, SunTrust's performance, particularly its earnings
profile, has been weak, weighed down by its significant residential
real estate concentration. That concentration has also resulted
in an elevated level of nonperforming assets, though the bank's
recent credit quality metrics have improved.
SunTrust's ratings also incorporate our expectation of moderate core pre-provision
profitability, relative to its risk-weighted assets.
This metric has been negatively impacted by credit-related expenses,
such as OREO costs and mortgage repurchase expenses that continue to be
material. These expenses will continue in 2012 and prevent SunTrust's
earnings from reaching the levels enjoyed by similarly-rated peers
that are not as concentrated in residential real estate. However,
these expenses should not be of a magnitude that they would dent SunTrust's
healthy capital position.
SunTrust's C BFSR translates into an A3 long-term deposit and senior
debt rating at the bank and a Prime-2 short-term rating.
The holding company is rated Baa1 for senior debt.
- A valuable direct banking franchise in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic
U.S. provides significant rating support
- Sizable, low-cost commercial and retail core deposit
base
- Large residential real estate portfolio, a notable part
of which is in Florida and other stressed Southeastern markets
- Risk-adjusted pre-provision profitability indicators,
and the efficiency ratio, are modest compared with those of many
regional
peers
Rating Outlook
The rating outlook is stable.
What Could Change the Rating -- Up
Sustained improvement in SunTrust's pre-provision profitability,
likely driven by meaningful declines in its credit-related costs
and repurchase expenses, as well as a lasting reduction in nonperforming
assets, including TDRs, could result in future upward
rating pressure.
What Could Change the Rating -- Down
Since SunTrust's primary credit challenge remains its exposure to U.S.
residential real estate, a scenario where housing values remain
under pressure would raise its costs and weaken its earnings. To
the extent that SunTrust's capital position would also weaken in that
environment, negative rating pressure could result.
The methodologies used in these ratings were Bank Financial Strength Ratings:
Global Methodology published in February 2007, and Incorporation
of Joint-Default Analysis into Moody's Bank Ratings: Global
Methdology published in March 2012. Please see the Credit Policy
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
The Global Scale Credit Ratings on this press release that are issued
by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU are endorsed by Moody's
Investors Service Ltd., One Canada Square, Canary Wharf,
London E 14 5FA, UK, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph
3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies.
Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's
office that has issued a particular Credit Rating is available on www.moodys.com.
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
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the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has
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Allen H. Tischler
Senior Vice President
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Robert Franklyn Young
MD - Financial Institutions
Financial Institutions 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 Disclosures on Credit Rating of SunTrust Banks, Inc.