London, 12 April 2012 -- The following release represents Moody's Investors Service's summary
credit opinion on EDF and includes certain regulatory disclosures regarding
its ratings. This release does not constitute any change in Moody's
ratings or rating rationale for EDF and its affiliates.
Moody's current ratings on EDF and its affiliates are:
Electricite de France
Long-Term Issuer Rating of Aa3
Senior Unsecured (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of Aa3
Senior Unsecured MTN programme (domestic currency) ratings of (P)Aa3
Commercial Paper (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of P-1
BACKED Senior Unsecured MTN programme (foreign currency) ratings of(P)Aa3
BACKED Senior Unsecured Shelf (foreign currency) ratings of (P)Aa3
BACKED Commercial Paper (foreign currency) ratings of P-1
BACKED Commercial Paper ratings of P-1
EDF Energy plc
Long-Term Issuer Rating (domestic currency) of A3
EDF Energy Customers plc
Long-Term Issuer Rating of A3
EDF Trading Limited
Long-Term Issuer Rating of A3
RATINGS RATIONALE
EDF's Aa3/Prime-1 ratings are based on its scale and breadth of
its businesses in France, which account for just over 60%
of EBITDA, as well as the diversification implied by sizeable positions
in generation and supply in other western and central and & eastern
European markets. The ratings also take account of the substantial
earnings' contribution from its regulated networks. The breadth
of these businesses has helped limit earnings volatility during weak economic
conditions. The ratings factor in the outlook for increased competitive
pressures in its domestic business following NOME market reform;
the risks associated with investment in new nuclear build; as well
as the additional costs and uncertainties stemming from the disaster in
Japan. From the financial risk perspective, the ratings factor
in substantial debt reductions achieved through asset disposals and negotiations
during 2H2010, but take account also of the Group's stated intent
to use its financial room for manoeuvre for its industrial development
strategy in France and internationally, as well as for selective
in-fill acquisitions. Finally, as a GRI, and
given Moody's assumptions of high support and moderate dependence,
the Aa3 rating incorporates two notches of rating uplift.
The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectation that the Group will calibrate
its strategic investment plans by reference to cash generation and manage
its leverage such that it will remain well positioned against the following
guidelines: RCF/net debt in the mid to upper teens; and FFO/net
debt in the high teens/low 20%s range.
Negative pressure could develop on the BCA of 6 in the event of a sustained
deterioration in financial profile - as would be evidenced for
example by RCF/net debt ratios declining on a sustainable basis to low
teens - whether as a result of lower than expected profitability,
capital investment unsupported by cash flow generation or large debt funded
acquisitions. In the context both of increased demands on national
budgets and a two notch rating uplift under Moody's GRI methodology it
is possible that negative pressure would be exerted on EDF's Aa3 rating
were the BCA to deteriorate from 6 to 7.
On the basis of the Group's current business risk profile, a rating
upgrade could follow a material strengthening of EDF's financial structure
resulting from improved cash generation from its core business and/or
disposals and/or lower net adjusted debt, such that RCF/net debt
were to recover sustainably in excess of 20% - although
this is considered unlikely in the short-term given the company's
investment plans.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Unregulated Utilities
and Power Companies published in August 2009. 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 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, 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
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
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 entities or their 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.
Niel Bisset
Senior Vice President
Infrastructure Finance 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
Monica Merli
MD - Infrastructure Finance
Infrastructure Finance 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 Ratings of Electricite de France