London, 23 May 2012 -- The following release represents Moody's Investors Service's summary credit
opinion on Swedish Export Credit Corporation and includes certain regulatory
disclosures regarding its ratings. This release does not constitute
any change in Moody's ratings or rating rationale for Swedish Export Credit
Corporation.
Moody's current ratings on Swedish Export Credit Corporation are:
Long Term Issuer rating of Aa1
Senior Unsecured (domestic currency) ratings of Aa1
Senior Unsecured (foreign currency) ratings of (P)Aa1/Aa1
Senior Unsecured MTN Program (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of
(P)Aa1
Subordinate MTN Program (foreign currency) ratings of (P)Aa2
Junior Subordinate MTN Program (foreign currency) ratings of (P)Aa3
Preferred Stock Non-cumulative (foreign currency) ratings of Aa3
(hyb)
Senior Unsecured Shelf (foreign currency) ratings of (P)Aa1
Commercial Paper ratings of P-1
Other Short Term (foreign currency) ratings of (P)P-1
RATINGS RATIONALE
In accordance with Moody's rating methodology for government-related
issuers (GRIs), the Aa1/Prime-1 ratings of Swedish Export
Credit Corporation (SEK) reflect the following inputs: a baseline
credit assessment (BCA) of between 2 and 4 (on a scale of 1 to 21,
where 1 represents the lowest credit risk), the Aaa local currency
deposit ceiling of the Swedish government, high dependence and high
support.
The BCA is underpinned by SEK's strong and long-established expertise
in its niche segment of export financing, satisfactory financial
fundamentals and a relatively low risk profile. SEK's lending activities
have a low risk profile due to the credit enhancement of its export loan
portfolio via sovereign and bank guarantees. SEK enjoys a unique
role as the only financial institution authorised to grant export credits
at subsidised and concessionary rates in Sweden (the so-called
`S' system). It is also the only specialised export lender in the
country.
Moody's views default dependence as high due to SEK's high correlation
with the Swedish government. We also view the probability of support
as high in light of SEK's strategic public role and its 100% ownership
by the Kingdom of Sweden, which clearly reinforces the expectation
of support in a distress scenario. The owner's support was clearly
demonstrated through a direct capital injection and the creation of dedicated
borrowing facilities to allow SEK to continue to fulfil its essential
public policy role in 2009.
Rating Outlook
The outlook is stable.
What Could Change the Rating - Up
A further strengthening of government support on top of the government
ownership, such as a full guarantee of SEK's assets and liabilities,
could create upward rating pressure.
What Could Change the Rating - Down
Although viewed as a remote possibility, any decrease in the government's
commitment or support, together with a weaker public role,
could weigh on the ratings. SEK's low risk profile and good asset
quality also remain key rating drivers. Consequently, any
material deterioration in these areas could result in negative rating
actions.
The methodologies used in this rating were Government-Related Issuers:
Methodology Update published in July 2010, Revised Methodology for
Government Related Non-Bank Financial Institutions published in
August 2006, and Short-Term Prime Ratings. Please
see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com for a copy
of these methodologies.
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
ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
The rating has been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s)
and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.
Information sources used to prepare the rating are the following:
parties involved in the ratings, parties not involved in the ratings,
public information, confidential and proprietary Moody's Investors
Service information, and confidential and proprietary Moody's
Analytics information.
Moody's considers the quality of information available on the rated
entity, obligation or credit satisfactory for the purposes of issuing
a rating.
Moody's adopts all necessary measures so that the information it
uses in assigning a rating is of sufficient quality and from sources Moody's
considers to be reliable including, when appropriate, independent
third-party sources. However, Moody's is not
an auditor and cannot in every instance independently verify or validate
information received in the rating process.
Moody's Investors Service may have provided Ancillary or Other Permissible
Service(s) to the rated entity or its related third parties within the
two years preceding the credit rating action. Please see the special
report "Ancillary or other permissible services provided to entities
rated by MIS's EU credit rating agencies" on the ratings disclosure
page on our website www.moodys.com for further information.
Please see the ratings disclosure page on www.moodys.com
for general disclosure on potential conflicts of interests.
Please see the ratings disclosure page on www.moodys.com
for information on (A) MCO's major shareholders (above 5%)
and for (B) further information regarding certain affiliations that may
exist between directors of MCO and rated entities as well as (C) the names
of entities that hold ratings from MIS that have also publicly reported
to the SEC an ownership interest in MCO of more than 5%.
A member of the board of directors of this rated entity may also be a
member of the board of directors of a shareholder of Moody's Corporation;
however, Moody's has not independently verified this matter.
Please see Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions on the Rating
Process page on www.moodys.com for further information on
the meaning of each rating category and the definition of default and
recovery.
Please see ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for the last rating action and the rating history. The date on
which some ratings were first released goes back to a time before Moody's
ratings were fully digitized and accurate data may not be available.
Consequently, Moody's provides a date that it believes is
the most reliable and accurate based on the information that is available
to it. Please see the ratings disclosure page on our website www.moodys.com
for further information.
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.
Kristin Dahlberg
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Simon Harris
MD - Financial Institutions
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Moody's Disclosures on Credit Rating of Swedish Export Credit Corporation