Hong Kong, April 17, 2019 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed Melco Resorts Finance Limited's
Ba2 corporate family rating as well as the Ba2 senior unsecured rating
for the company's existing $1 billion senior unsecured notes
due 2025.
At the same time, Moody's has assigned a Ba2 rating to the
proposed US dollar senior unsecured notes to be issued by Melco Resorts
Finance Limited.
Melco Resorts Finance plans to use the bond proceeds to partially repay
the principal amount outstanding under the 2015 Revolving Credit Facility
at its subsidiary Melco Resorts (Macau) Limited.
The rating outlook is stable.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The affirmation of Melco Resorts Finance's ratings reflects its established
operations in Macau and our expectation that the operating environment
will remain largely supportive over the next 12-18 months,
which mitigates its high geographic concentration and the increase in
the company's financial leverage in the second half of 2018,"
says Sean Hwang, a Moody's Analyst.
Melco Resorts Finance's adjusted debt/EBITDA increased to around
3.3x in 2018 -- including Moody's standard adjustments
-- from 2.0x a year earlier, as its debt increased by
$1.1 billion mainly to help fund a share repurchase by its
parent Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited as well as the parent's
increase of its stake in its Philippine subsidiary.
The increase in debt has materially reduced Melco Resorts Finance's
financial buffer, but does not have an immediate ratings impact
because Moody's expects the company's adjusted debt/EBITDA
to improve to below 3.0x by 2020, supported by expected earnings
growth and reduced capital spending. This expectation also assumes
that the company will not make a further major debt-funded distribution
to its parent. This expected level of financial leverage will be
consistent with the company's Ba2 rating category.
Moody's expects Melco Resorts Finance's annual adjusted EBITDA
will grow to around $830 -$850 million over the next
12-18 months from around $780 million in 2018, driven
by (1) the continued ramp-up of the Morpheus hotel that opened
in June 2018, (2) the reversal of win rates to a more normal range
from the low levels seen in 2018, and (3) Moody's expectation
for largely supportive gaming demand in Macau, particularly in the
mass-market segment.
The transfer of the operation of 45 VIP gaming tables from the casino
at Studio City to Melco Resorts (Macau) Limited's City of Dreams
or Altira properties starting from January 2020 will provide further support
to Melco Resorts Finance's earnings in 2020.
Melco Resorts Finance's capital spending should decline to around
$230-$250 million in 2019 from $389 million
in 2018, which will allow the company to generate positive free
cash flow and reduce debt.
The Ba2 rating for the proposed senior unsecured offering is in line with
the company's corporate family rating, reflecting Moody's
expectation that the partial redemption of the outstanding balance under
the subsidiary-level revolving credit facility will reduce the
claims at the subsidiary to a more manageable level.
Melco Resorts Finance's liquidity profile is good. Its cash
holdings of $0.9 billion at the end of 2018 and operating
cash flow are sufficient to cover its capital spending and debt amortization
over the next 12 months.
Melco Resorts Finance's ratings also factor in the likelihood that
Melco Resorts Finance will provide financial support to its parent Melco
Resorts and Entertainment in case of need, which recorded adjusted
debt/EBITDA of around 3.6x in 2018.
The stable ratings outlook reflects Moody's expectation that Melco Resorts
Finance will improve its earnings and financial profile, and will
not use debt to fund a further major distribution to its parent over the
next 12-18 months.
The ratings could be upgraded if (1) Melco Resorts Finance improves its
financial profile such that adjusted debt/EBITDA stays below 1.6x-1.8x
on a sustained basis; and (2) Melco Resorts & Entertainment establishes
a longer track record of maintaining a conservative investment strategy
and financial management.
The ratings could be downgraded if (1) the operating performances of Melco
Resorts Finance and Melco Resorts & Entertainment significantly deteriorate
as a result of a material slowdown in Macau's gaming market, or
if there is stronger-than-expected competition; (2)
a major construction project is vested at Melco Resorts Finance,
increasing its financial risk; or (3) Melco Resorts & Entertainment's
financial profile weakens materially as a result of significant debt-funded
investments and/or a deterioration in its operating performance,
resulting in the likelihood of higher dividend payouts from Melco Resorts
Finance.
Metrics indicative of a possible downgrade include adjusted debt/EBITDA
in excess of 3.5x-4.0x for Melco Resorts Finance.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Gaming Industry published
in December 2017. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
Melco Resorts Finance Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Melco
Resorts and Entertainment, which is listed on the NASDAQ exchange
and is majority-owned by the Hong Kong-listed Melco International
Development Ltd. All of Melco Resorts Finance's operations are
currently located in Macau.
Through Melco Resorts (Macau) Limited, Melco Resorts Finance operates
two wholly-owned casinos in the territory, namely,
Altira Macau and City of Dreams. It also has non-casino
based operations at its Mocha Clubs, and provides both gaming and
non-gaming services to Studio City.
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
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for the Regulatory Disclosures for each credit rating action under the
ratings tab on the issuer/entity page and for details of Moody's
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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.
Sean Hwang
Analyst
Corporate Finance 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
Chris Park
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance 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