Approximately $3.6 billion of rated obligations affected
New York, March 09, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") affirmed the ratings of Adient Global
Holdings Ltd. ("Adient") including Corporate Family Rating (CFR)
and Probability of Default Rating at B2, and B2-PD;
senior unsecured ratings at B3; and Adient US LLC's senior secured
ratings at Ba2. The rating outlook remains negative.
The following ratings were affirmed:
Adient Global Holdings Ltd:
Corporate Family Rating, at B2;
Probability of Default, at B2-PD;
€1.0 billion 3.50% unsecured notes due 2024,
at B3 (LGD5);
$900 million 4.875% unsecured notes due 2026,
at B3 (LGD5).
Adient US LLC:
$800 million senior secured term loan due 2024, Ba2 (LGD2);
$800 million 7% senior first lien notes due 2026,
Ba2 (LGD2).
Rating outlooks:
Adient Global Holdings Ltd; negative
Adient US LLC: negative
The $1.25 billion asset based revolving credit facility
is unrated by Moody's.
RATINGS RATIONALE
Adient's ratings reflect the company's high financial leverage and
the expected lower profits and cash flow because of declines in global
automotive production through 2020, which is expected to be exacerbated
by the consumer demand and automotive supply chain disruptions caused
by the COVID-19 virus. Debt/EBITDA is estimated at 7.9x
(inclusive of Moody's adjustments and not including equity income)
for last twelve months ending December 31, 2019 and EBITA/interest
at 0.6x. Adient improved EBITA margin performance for the
first fiscal quarter ending December of 1.6% compared to
-0.9% in prior year quarter even as global automotive
production continued to decline. While this result demonstrates
the progress Adient continues to make on its operational turnaround,
margins remain weak and sustained operational improvement needs to accelerate
through fiscal 2020.
The company's pace of performance improvement will be interrupted
by the impact of the COVID-19 virus on manufacturing operations
and demand in Asia in the second fiscal quarter, and broadly lower
auto demand globally. This will result in weakened credit metrics
over the coming quarters. Moody's estimates that negative
free cash flow generation could run as high as $200 million in
fiscal 2020.
Positively, Adient's adequate liquidity profile includes $965
million of cash at December 31, 2019, and the company recently
announced agreements to sell certain assets which are expected to bring
in cash proceeds, estimated at $574 million by fiscal year-end
September 30, 2020. These asset sales are strong credit positives
to Adient's liquidity profile, and Moody's believes
this additional cash adds protection to Adient, given current weak
industry conditions.
Adient is expected to maintain its strong competitive position which includes
being a leading global supplier of automotive seating and related components,
strong regional and customer diversification, longstanding customer
relationships and the earnings from unconsolidated affiliates, albeit
weakening. These positives are balanced with the company's high
leverage, operational challenges, negative free cash flow,
and cyclical automotive end-market demand.
The negative outlook reflects the challenges of ongoing global automotive
production declines exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 virus
on automotive demand and supply chain disruptions.
Adient's SGL-3 Speculative Grade Liquidity rating reflects
the expectation of adequate liquidity over the next 12-15 months.
Positively, liquidity is supported by cash on hand of $965
million and availability of about $1.1 billion under the
$1.25 billion asset based revolving credit facility.
The facility matures in May 2024. The financial covenant under
the ABL facility is a springing fixed charge coverage test, triggered
when availability falls to 10%. The senior secured term
loan does not have financial maintenance covenants. Given the company's
strong cash position, the ABL covenant is not expected to be triggered
because of drawings over the next 12-15 months. Also positively
impacting Adient's liquidity profile are expected proceeds of $574
million by fiscal year-end September 2020 from the announced agreements
to sell certain assets.
Offsetting the relatively sizable cash position is the risk is Moody's
estimate that Adient could generate negative free cash flow as high as
$200 million, given the expectation of going declines in
global automotive production in 2020 and additional headwinds from manufacturing
and supply chain disruptions related to the COVID-19 virus.
Yet, this estimate is uncertain given the risk of further spreading
of the COVID-19 virus and the uncertainty of the consumer's
return to automotive show rooms.
Adient enters into supply chain financing programs receivable transfer
programs to sell accounts receivable without recourse to third-party
financial institutions. Amounts under these programs were $165
million as of September 30, 2019. While not expected,
if the company is unable to maintain and extend these receivable programs,
additional borrowings under the revolving credit facility would be required
to meet liquidity needs.
The ratings could be downgraded with the expectation of material deterioration
of automotive demand affecting cash flow, the loss of or meaningful
decline in volume from a major customer, or if the company is unable
to demonstrate progress improving operating performance over the next
12 months. A deterioration in liquidity or if Moody's expects weak
free cash flow performance to worsen could also lead to a downgrade.
An upgrade is unlikely over the next 12 months. However,
the ratings could be upgraded if the company demonstrates improved operating
performance that leads to an expectation of positive free cash flow generation
and a reduction in debt-to-EBITDA below 5x (excluding consideration
for equity income from joint ventures). Progress on improving margins
and free cash flow, along with solid liquidity could lead to a stable
rating outlook.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Automotive Supplier
Methodology published in January 2020. Please see the Rating Methodologies
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
Adient plc, the publicly-traded parent of Adient Global Holdings
Ltd., is one of the world's largest automotive seating suppliers
with a leading market position in the Americas, Europe and China,
and has longstanding relationships with the largest global original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive space. Adient's automotive
seating solutions include complete seating systems, frames,
mechanisms, foam, head restraints, armrests, trim
covers and fabrics. Adient also participates in the automotive
seating and interiors market through its joint ventures in China.
Revenues for the LTM period ending December 31, 2019 were $16.3
billion.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of
debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures
in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the
same series, category/class of debt, security 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.
Timothy L. Harrod
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Robert Jankowitz
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653