Frankfurt am Main, January 30, 2012 -- The following release represents Moody's Investors Service's summary
credit opinion on Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft and includes
certain regulatory disclosures regarding its ratings. This release
does not constitute any change in Moody's ratings or rating rationale
for Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft.
Moody's current ratings on Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
and its affiliates are:
Senior Unsecured MTN Program (domestic currency) ratings of (P)A2
Commercial Paper (domestic currency) ratings of P-1
Other Short Term (domestic currency) ratings of (P)P-1
BMW Finance N.V.
BACKED Senior Unsecured (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of A2
BACKED Senior Unsecured MTN Program (domestic currency) ratings of (P)A2
BACKED Commercial Paper (domestic currency) ratings of P-1
BACKED Other Short Term (domestic currency) ratings of (P)P-1
BMW Australia Finance Ltd.
BACKED Senior Unsecured (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of A2
BACKED Senior Unsecured MTN Program (foreign currency) ratings of (P)A2
BACKED Other Short Term (foreign currency) ratings of (P)P-1/P-1
BMW US Capital, LLC
BACKED Senior Unsecured (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of A2
BACKED Senior Unsecured MTN Program (foreign currency) ratings of (P)A2
BACKED Commercial Paper (domestic currency) ratings of P-1
BACKED Other Short Term (foreign currency) ratings of (P)P-1
BMW Coordination Center V.O.F.
BACKED Senior Unsecured (foreign currency) ratings of A2
BACKED Senior Unsecured MTN Program (domestic currency) ratings of (P)A2
BACKED Commercial Paper (domestic currency) ratings of P-1
BACKED Other Short Term (domestic currency) rating of (P)P-1
BMW (UK) Capital plc
BACKED Senior Unsecured (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of A2
BACKED Commercial Paper (foreign currency) ratings of P-1
BMW Japan Finance Corp.
BACKED Senior Unsecured (domestic currency) ratings of A2
BACKED Senior Unsecured MTN Program (foreign currency) ratings of (P)A2
BACKED Other Short Term (foreign currency) ratings of (P)P-1
BMW Bank of North America
Long Term Issuer (domestic currency) rating of A2
Long Term Bank Deposits (domestic currency) ratings of A2
Long Term OSO (domestic currency) ratings of A2
Bank Financial Strength rating of C
Short Term Bank Deposits (domestic currency) ratings of P-1
Short Term OSO (domestic currency) ratings of P-1
BMW Malta Finance Ltd.
BACKED Commercial Paper (domestic currency) ratings of P-1
BMW Canada Inc.
BACKED Senior Unsecured (domestic currency) ratings of A2
RATINGS RATIONALE
On 22 July 2011 Moody's upgraded the long- and short-term
ratings of BMW and its rated subsidiaries to A2/Prime-1 from A3/Prime-2
and assigned a stable outlook. The upgrade reflects BMW's relatively
good resilience through the crisis in 2009 and its stronger and faster
than anticipated recovery in operating performance leading to financial
metrics well in line with the A2 rating category. The upgrade also
reflects Moody's confidence in BMW's ability to sustain the achieved level
of performance and credit metrics over the next couple of years.
This expectation is based on the company's various new model launches
planned within that period that benefit from an improved cost position
resulting from BMW's efficiency program. For example, Moody's
expects BMW to sustain a reported EBIT-margin within its targeted
range for 2012 of 8-10% over the next three years in the
Automobiles segment.
BMW's ratings are supported by (i) its leading position as premium manufacturer
with a strong brand equity value for the BMW brand in particular;
(ii) the group's leading position among premium manufacturers in reducing
CO2-emissions under its EfficientDynamics strategy; (iii)
BMW's global presence albeit still dominated by Europe and North America
as well as (iv) its broadening product range and rising number of model
variants reducing the dependency on the success of a single model.
However, the ratings continue to be challenged by relatively high
R&D costs per unit given its small comparative scale in order to comply
with stricter CO2-emission regulations and the development of electronic
vehicles as well as persistent pressure on residual values in Europe.
The stable outlook is based on Moody's expectation that BMW will be able
to (i) sustain an EBIT-margin as reported under its Segment Automobiles
that falls within the company's target range for 2012 of 8-10%
in each of the next three years; (ii) generate free cash flows of
above EUR2.0 billion annually; (iii) keep a solid liquidity
profile with available cash sources for the next 12-15 months covering
the anticipated cash needs over the same period under Moody's scenario.
A further upgrade of BMW's ratings over the short to medium term is rather
unlikely. However, upward pressure on the ratings could occur
should BMW demonstrate a continued high earnings and cash generation level
beyond 2012 while at the same time maintaining its brand equity value,
broadening its global footprint as well as successfully introducing additional
new models and variants, growing its market share position in the
premium car markets, defending its technological leadership positioning
and meeting the required emission standards.
The A2 ratings could come under pressure should BMW exhibit (i) negative
market share development in key markets driven by the successful renewal
of existing products, the introduction of new products, the
successful penetration in emerging markets as well as a positive consumer's
perception of BMW's leading position in reducing CO2-emissions
among the premium car manufacturers; (ii) FCF generation fall sustainably
below EUR1.5 billion; (iii) EBITA margin fall below 7.0%
as well as (iv) interest cover (EBITA/ Interest Expense) of less than
5.0x or (v) a weakening of the company's liquidity profile.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was the Global Automobile
Manufacture Industry Rating Methodology published in June 2011.
Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com for
a copy of this methodology.
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, public information, and confidential
and proprietary Moody's Investors Service 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.
Falk Frey
Senior Vice President
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Deutschland GmbH
An der Welle 5
Frankfurt am Main 60322
Germany
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Eric de Bodard
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's Deutschland GmbH
An der Welle 5
Frankfurt am Main 60322
Germany
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Moody's Disclosures on Credit Ratings of Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft