Hong Kong, February 18, 2019 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed Fubon Securities Co.,
Ltd.'s Baa1 long-term issuer rating, and maintained
its standalone assessment at Baa3.
The outlook on Fubon Securities is stable.
At the same time, Moody's has withdrawn the outlook on Fubon
Securities' long-term issuer rating for business reasons.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The affirmation of Fubon Securities' Baa1 issuer rating takes into
account its Baa3 standalone assessment and Moody's incorporation
of two notches of affiliate support uplift, reflecting Moody's
assumption that the company will receive a very high level of support
from its parent holding company, Fubon Financial Holding Co.,
Ltd. (issuer rating Baa1 stable), in times of need.
The Baa3 standalone assessment for Fubon Securities factors in the company's
sound profitability, low but rising balance sheet leverage,
and reliance on wholesale funding. The standalone assessment also
takes into account the intense competition that the company faces and
the maturity level of Taiwan's capital markets.
The company continues to maintain conservative balance sheet leverage,
with total assets amounting to 3.8x its tangible common equity
at 30 September 2018. Moody's expects that the company will
maintain moderate asset growth over the next few years.
The company's funding consists principally of short-term repurchase
agreements and notes and commercial paper issuance, which are highly
confidence sensitive. Nonetheless, Fubon Securities has sizable
holdings of cash and liquid securities as well as lines of credit from
Taiwanese commercial banks that can be used to repay such liabilities.
This situation partially mitigates concerns over the company's reliance
on wholesale funding and would help with its liquidity in times of stress.
Fubon Securities reported high average return on assets of 2.1%
between 2016 and the first nine months of 2018. The company benefited
from favorable market sentiments and increased trading volume on the local
stock exchange in 2017 and most of 2018, which underpinned its profitability.
However, its profitability would be under pressure if trading volume
shrinks because of weak market sentiments and if commission rates are
lowered because of intense competition and/or further customer shifts
to electronic trading.
In the past two years, the company has been investing in more fixed
income assets and equity securities to earn a higher yield. This
has led to a higher risk appetite. Nonetheless, its securities
holdings comprise mainly of investment-grade bond securities and
such holdings help lower its credit risk exposures. However,
potential bond market volatilities could weigh negatively on Fubon Securities'
performance, given the increase in the company's fixed income
holdings.
Moody's considers the likelihood of affiliate support for Fubon Securities
very high, given that 1) Fubon Securities' brokerage and wealth
management services are integral to the group's overall retail customer
product offerings; and 2) Fubon Financial is obligated to provide
support to Fubon Securities in the event of need, under Taiwan's
Financial Holding Company Act, which requires financial holding
companies to ensure the health of their subsidiaries.
Factors that could lead to an upgrade
Moody's could raise Fubon Securities' standalone assessment
if (1) its funding and liquidity profile improves, and (2) the company
develops a business model with more stable revenue to offset potential
decline in its brokerage commission, without incurring material
additional market and credit risks.
Moody's could also upgrade the company's rating if the group's
ability to provide support strengthens, as evidenced by, for
instance, the improvement in the credit profiles of the company's
insurance and banking affiliates.
Factors that could lead to a downgrade
Moody's could downgrade Fubon Securities' rating if it expands
into higher-risk businesses without adequate risk controls,
significantly increases its balance-sheet leverage, demonstrates
material weakness in risk controls, especially in market and operational
risk, or experiences weakened profitability.
Moody's could also downgrade the rating if there is a material deterioration
in the credit profiles of its banking and insurance affiliates,
which weaken in turn the holding company's ability and capacity
to support Fubon Securities.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Securities Industry
Market Makers published in June 2018. Please see the Rating Methodologies
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
Fubon Securities Co., Ltd. is the third-largest
brokerage firm in Taiwan by brokerage market share, with an equity
brokerage market share of 6%. The company reported total
assets of TWD135 billion as of 30 September 2018. It provides equity
and futures brokerage and offers fund products primarily to retail customers,
and is wholly owned by Fubon Financial Holding Co., Ltd.
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 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.
Moody's considers a rated entity or its agent(s) to be participating
when it maintains an overall relationship with Moody's. Unless
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the rated entity is participating and the rated entity or its agent(s)
generally provides Moody's with information for the purposes of
its ratings process. Please refer to www.moodys.com
for the Regulatory Disclosures for each credit rating action under the
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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
VP - Senior Credit Officer
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
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Yat Man Sally Yim
Associate Managing Director
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 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
Client Service: 852 3551 3077