Approximately $18.8 Million of Structured Securities Affected
New York, April 21, 2016 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") has
upgraded the ratings on eight classes and downgraded the rating on one
class in Merrill Lynch Financial Assets, Inc., Series
2006-Canada 18, Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates,
Series 2006-Canada 18 as follows:
Cl. D, Upgraded to Aaa (sf); previously on Oct 9,
2015 Upgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Cl. E, Upgraded to Aaa (sf); previously on Oct 9,
2015 Upgraded to A1 (sf)
Cl. F, Upgraded to Aaa (sf); previously on Oct 9,
2015 Upgraded to Baa1 (sf)
Cl. G, Upgraded to Aa3 (sf); previously on Oct 9,
2015 Upgraded to Ba1 (sf)
Cl. H, Upgraded to A2 (sf); previously on Oct 9,
2015 Affirmed Ba3 (sf)
Cl. J, Upgraded to Baa1 (sf); previously on Oct 9,
2015 Affirmed B1 (sf)
Cl. K, Upgraded to Ba1 (sf); previously on Oct 9,
2015 Affirmed B2 (sf)
Cl. L, Upgraded to B1 (sf); previously on Oct 9,
2015 Affirmed B3 (sf)
Cl. XC, Downgraded to B3 (sf); previously on Oct 9,
2015 Affirmed Ba3 (sf)
RATINGS RATIONALE
The ratings on the P&I classes, classes D through L, were
upgraded primarily due to an increase in credit support since Moody's
last review, resulting from paydowns and amortization, as
well as Moody's expectation of additional increases in credit support
resulting from the payoff of loans approaching maturity that are well
positioned for refinance. The pool has paid down by 90.8%
since Moody's last review. In addition, loans constituting
83% of the pool that have debt yields exceeding 12.0%
are scheduled to mature within the next 3 months.
The rating on the IO Class, was downgraded due to the decline in
the credit performance of its reference classes resulting from principal
paydowns of higher quality reference classes.
Moody's rating action reflects a base expected loss of 0% of the
current balance, compared to 2.2% at Moody's
last review. Moody's base expected loss plus realized losses is
now 0% of the original pooled balance, compared to 1.1%
at the last review. Moody's provides a current list of base
expected losses for conduit and fusion CMBS transactions on moodys.com
at http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBS_SF215255.
FACTORS THAT WOULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATING:
The performance expectations for a given variable indicate Moody's forward-looking
view of the likely range of performance over the medium term. Performance
that falls outside the given range can indicate that the collateral's
credit quality is stronger or weaker than Moody's had previously expected.
Factors that could lead to an upgrade of the ratings include a significant
amount of loan paydowns or amortization, an increase in the pool's
share of defeasance or an improvement in pool performance.
Factors that could lead to a downgrade of the ratings include a decline
in the performance of the pool, loan concentration, an increase
in realized and expected losses from specially serviced and troubled loans
or interest shortfalls.
METHODOLOGY UNDERLYING THE RATING ACTION
The principal methodology used in these ratings was "Moody's
Approach to Rating Large Loan and Single Asset/Single Borrower CMBS"
published in October 2015. Please see the Ratings Methodologies
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
DESCRIPTION OF MODELS USED
Moody's uses a variation of Herf to measure the diversity of loan
sizes, where a higher number represents greater diversity.
Loan concentration has an important bearing on potential rating volatility,
including the risk of multiple notch downgrades under adverse circumstances.
The credit neutral Herf score is 40. The pool has a Herf of 5,
compared to 19 at last review.
When the Herf falls below 20, Moody's uses the excel-based
Large Loan Model and then reconciles and weights the results from the
conduit and large loan models in formulating a rating recommendation.
The large loan model derives credit enhancement levels based on an aggregation
of adjusted loan-level proceeds derived from Moody's loan-level
LTV ratios. Major adjustments to determining proceeds include leverage,
loan structure, property type and sponsorship. Moody's
also further adjusts these aggregated proceeds for any pooling benefits
associated with loan level diversity and other concentrations and correlations.
DEAL PERFORMANCE
As of the April 20, 2016 distribution date, the transaction's
aggregate certificate balance has decreased by 95.6% to
$26.2 million from $590.2 million at securitization.
The certificates are collateralized by 8 mortgage loans ranging in size
from 4.3% to 26.8% of the pool. One
loan, constituting 26.8% of the pool, has defeased
and is secured by US government securities.
Six loans, constituting 56.2% of the pool, are
on the master servicer's watchlist. The watchlist includes
loans that meet certain portfolio review guidelines established as part
of the CRE Finance Council (CREFC) monthly reporting package. As
part of Moody's ongoing monitoring of a transaction, the agency
reviews the watchlist to assess which loans have material issues that
could affect performance.
No loans have been liquidated from the pool, and there are currently
no loans in special servicing.
Moody's received full year 2013 operating results for 60% of the
pool and full or partial year 2014 operating results for 80% of
the pool. Moody's weighted average conduit LTV is 78.9%,
compared to 68.5% at Moody's last review. Moody's
conduit component excludes loans with structured credit assessments,
defeased and CTL loans, and specially serviced and troubled loans.
Moody's net cash flow (NCF) reflects a weighted average haircut
of 20.5% to the most recently available net operating income
(NOI). Moody's value reflects a weighted average capitalization
rate of 9.4%.
Moody's actual and stressed conduit DSCRs are 1.21X and 1.40X,
respectively, compared to 1.61X and 1.57X at the last
review. Moody's actual DSCR is based on Moody's NCF
and the loan's actual debt service. Moody's stressed
DSCR is based on Moody's NCF and a 9.25% stress rate
the agency applied to the loan balance.
The top three conduit loans represent 49.6% of the pool
balance. The largest loan is the Calfrac Centre Loan ($5.9
million -- 22.6% of the pool), which is secured
by a four story building containing 45,000 square feet (SF) of office
space. The property is located in the downtown commercial core,
in the southwest quadrant of Calgary. The asset is 100%
occupied by CalFrac Well Services Ltd. through August 2020.
Moody's value incorporates a Lit/Dark blend due to single tenancy
risk. The loan is a full recourse loan. Moody's LTV and
stressed DSCR are 92.1% and 1.11X, respectively,
compared to 93.7% and 1.10X at the last review.
The second largest loan is the Cote Vertu Multifamily Loan ($4.4
million -- 17.0% of the pool), which is secured
by a freestanding multi-family building comprised of 97 units located
approximately 30 minutes from downtown Montreal. The property contains
48 one-bedroom, 48 two-bedroom and one three-bedroom
unit. Per the January 2015 rent roll the property was 93.8%.
The loan is a full recourse loan. Moody's LTV and stressed DSCR
are 98.5% and 0.93X, respectively, compared
to 94.5% and 0.97X at the last review.
The third largest loan is the Applefest Lodge Loan ($2.6
million -- 9.9% of the pool), which is secured
by a private pay retirement home, located in Brighton, Ontario,
90 miles East of Toronto. The property contains 51 rooms with 40
suites which feature electric fireplaces, a fridge and microwave.
As per the September 2015 rent roll the property was 65% occupied.
The loan is a full recourse loan. Moody's LTV and stressed DSCR
are 59.6% and 1.54X, respectively, compared
to 58.2% and 1.58X at the last review.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity
analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity
to Assumptions of the disclosure form.
The analysis includes an assessment of collateral characteristics and
performance to determine the expected collateral loss or a range of expected
collateral losses or cash flows to the rated instruments. As a
second step, Moody's estimates expected collateral losses or cash
flows using a quantitative tool that takes into account credit enhancement,
loss allocation and other structural features, to derive the expected
loss for each rated instrument.
Moody's did not use any stress scenario simulations in its analysis.
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides certain 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 certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to
each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their
credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating.
For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain 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.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action,
and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
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.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Ruby Kaur
Associate Analyst
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Keith Banhazl
Associate Managing Director
Structured Finance 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 Upgrades Eight and Downgrades One Class of MLFA 2006-Canada 18