Hong Kong, December 01, 2014 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited's
Aa3/P-1 deposit ratings. Its C+ standalone bank financial
strength rating (BFSR), which maps to a baseline credit assessment
(BCA) of a2, was also affirmed.
The outlook on the bank's standalone BFSR has been revised to stable
from negative, while the outlook on the deposit ratings remains
stable.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The bank has maintained strong capitalization, improved asset quality
metrics, and sound liquidity profile since the outlook on its standalone
assessment was changed to negative in June 2013. Even though credit
trends will likely be more challenging in Hong Kong going forward as policy
rate increases and as the Mainland economic growth moderates, the
bank's standalone credit profile is unlikely to deteriorate to an
extent that would warrant a downgrade in its standalone assessment.
DBS Bank (HK)'s problem loan assets have declined sequentially in
recent years, and amounted to 0.61% of gross loans
at end-June 2014. The bank has also reported low credit
costs of less than 0.2% annualized since 2010. Although
the bank's problem loan ratios are likely to trend up amid an increase
in policy interest rates that Moody's expects to begin in 2015,
the increase in problem loans should remain manageable, and should
remain below 1% despite challenging credit conditions in Mainland
China.
DBS Bank (HK)'s loan growth has been modest since 2012. The
bank has a larger balance of trade finance loans than its Hong Kong peers,.
The bank mainly serves retail and SME customers in Hong Kong, and
its exposures to Mainland borrowers is limited. Nevertheless,
the bank does work closely with affiliates in greater China to serve their
cross border-banking and trade financing needs, and maintains
some credit exposures to non-Hong Kong borrowers.
DBS Bank (HK) has maintained sound capitalization in recent years,
and its Tier 1 ratio at end June 2014 was 14.2%.
The bank has issued US$540 million of Point of Non-Viability
subordinated loans to its parent which qualifies as Tier 2 capital.
The subordinated loans amounted to 2.0% of risk weighted
assets, and indicates the parent's strong willingness the
support the bank if the need arises.
DBS Bank (HK)'s profitability is roughly in line with the peer average
in Hong Kong, with an average ROAA of 1.1% between
2012 and first half 2014. The bank's net interest margin
of 1.49% is slightly below those of mid-sized peers.
Going forward, the bank's pre-provision profitability
is likely to benefit from expected policy rate increases.
DBS Bank (HK)'s loan-to-deposit ratio peaked at 105%
at end-2011 as the bank ramped up trade finance lending.
Since then, the ratio has declined steadily, and fell to 82%
at end-June 2014. The bank has limited reliance on wholesale
and interbank funding, and deposits accounted for 83% of
overall liabilities at end-June 2014.
DBS Bank (HK)'s deposit ratings are the same as the standalone assessment
of the parent. The bank's operations are highly integrated
with those of its parent, and it is an important component of the
group's Greater China strategy. Given DBS Bank (HK)'s
importance to its parent, Moody's incorporates very high support
assumption from the parent in DBS Bank (HK)'s deposit ratings.
What could change the rating up
Because the bank's deposit rating and BCA are already high, it is
unlikely that Moody's will upgrade them in the near term. For the
BCA to be adjusted upward, the bank would have to substantially
strengthen its franchise.
What could change the rating down
DBS Bank (Hong Kong)'s deposit ratings could be downgraded if there is
any weakening in parental support or if the parent's BCA is adjusted downward.
Adverse developments in major external economies or the local property
market can lead to higher problem loans and weaken the bank's standalone
profile. The standalone assessment may be adjusted downward if
asset quality deteriorates owing to aggressive credit growth, with
impaired loans exceeding 2% of gross loans, or if capitalization
weakens, with Tier 1 ratio slipping below 10%.
The principal methodology used in this rating was Global Banks published
in July 2014. Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
DBS Bank (Hong Kong) had assets of HKD313 billion ($40 billion)
as of 30 June 2014.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
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 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 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 rating action, and
whose ratings may change as a result of this 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.
The first name below is the lead rating analyst for this Credit Rating
and the last name below is the person primarily responsible for approving
this Credit Rating.
Sonny Hsu, CFA
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Financial Institutions 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
Stephen Long
MD - Financial Institutions
Financial Institutions 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 affirms DBS Bank (Hong Kong)'s ratings; outlook stable