Hong Kong, June 26, 2012 --
The following release represents Moody's Investors Service's summary
credit opinion on CLP Power Hong Kong Limited and includes certain regulatory
disclosures regarding its ratings. This release does not constitute
any change in Moody's ratings or rating rationale for CLP Power Hong Kong
Limited and its affiliate.
Moody's current ratings on CLP Power Hong Kong Limited and its affiliate
are:
CLP Power Hong Kong Limited
Long Term Issuer (local and foreign currency) Ratings of A1
Commercial Paper (foreign currency) rating of P-1
Other Short Term (local and foreign currency) ratings of P-1
CLP Power Hong Kong Financing Limited
BACKED Senior Unsecured (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of A1
BACKED Senior Unsecured MTN Program (domestic and foreign currency) ratings
of (P)A1
BACKED Other Short Term (foreign currency) rating of (P)P-1
RATINGS RATIONALE
CLP Power's A1 rating reflects the strong and highly predictable cash
flow generated from its SOC operations. The regulatory framework
in Hong Kong continues to offer a transparent tariff system, allowing
100% cost pass-through. CLP Power's projected financial
profile remains strong for its rating, in consideration of its low
business risk profile. While CLP Power's liquidity profile may
be pressured to a certain extent by its dividend payments to CLPH and
its long-term capex plan, we draw comfort from its good track
record in accessing domestic and international bank and capital markets,
as well as its well-managed debt maturity profile.
The A1 rating is further constrained by the weaker credit profile of CLPH,
which continues to expand into the more risky non-regulated energy
and retail business in the region. It is important to note that
Moody's considers the ratings of CLP Power and CLPH as closely linked,
and a material deterioration in one could mean rating pressure for the
other.
Rating Outlook
The rating outlook is stable, reflecting Moody's expectation that
the SOC will not undergo any material change before its expiry in 2018.
CLP Power's stable rating outlook is also in line with CLPH's stable rating
outlook, which reflects in turn Moody's expectation that CLPH will
successfully integrate the NSW business and improve its financial profile.
The outlook also reflects Moody's expectation that CLPH will make no major
debt-funded acquisitions in the next 12-18 months.
What Could Change the Rating - Up
Moody's considers that the possibility of upward rating pressure is limited
in the near term due to low growth potential for Hong Kong's mature power
market and due to the fact that CLPH is now in a consolidation phase after
the recent NSW acquisition.
What Could Change the Rating - Down
Downward rating pressure on CLP Power would emerge if CLPH adopts a more
aggressive strategy in pursuing overseas expansion, resulting in
an increase in the group's business and financial risk profiles,
such that CLPH's rating is downgraded.
The key credit metrics that Moody's would consider for a downgrade would
include FFO/Debt below 15 - 20%, Debt/Capitalization
above 45-50%, and FFO/Interest below 4 - 4.5x
on a consolidated basis.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Regulated Electric
and Gas Utilities published in August 2009. Please see the Credit
Policy page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
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
have affected the rating. For further information please see the
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The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entities or their designated
agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.
Information sources used to prepare each of the ratings 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
entities, obligations or credits satisfactory for the purposes of
issuing these ratings.
Moody's adopts all necessary measures so that the information it
uses in assigning the ratings is of sufficient quality and from sources
Moody's considers to be reliable including, when appropriate,
independent third-party sources. However, Moody's
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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
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Please see Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions on the Rating
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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
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Consequently, Moody's provides a date that it believes is
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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.
Peter Choy
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Hong Kong Ltd.
24/F One Pacific Place
88 Queensway
Hong Kong
China (Hong Kong S.A.R.)
JOURNALISTS: (852) 3758 -1350
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Gary Lau
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: (852) 3758 -1350
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Hong Kong Ltd.
24/F One Pacific Place
88 Queensway
Hong Kong
China (Hong Kong S.A.R.)
JOURNALISTS: (852) 3758 -1350
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Moody's Disclosures on Credit Ratings of CLP Power Hong Kong Limited