Singapore, June 07, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the B1 corporate family rating
of NagaCorp Ltd.
At the same time, Moody's has affirmed the B1 senior unsecured rating
of the company's US dollar bonds. The bonds are unconditionally
and irrevocably guaranteed by the major operating subsidiaries of NagaCorp.
The outlook on all ratings remains negative.
"The rating affirmation reflects our expectation that NagaCorp's
tap issuance will provide the company with sufficient liquidity to fund
its cash burn over the next 18-24 months, should its casino
operations remain suspended. While leverage will stay weak in 2021,
we expect it will recover to within the company's B1 rating parameters
in 2022 as casino operations gradually resumes in the second half of 2021,"
says Jacintha Poh, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Credit Officer.
"The negative outlook reflects our expectation that NagaCorp's
earnings and credit metrics will stay weak in 2021 with the extent and
pace of recovery remaining uncertain for now," adds Poh.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The voluntary temporary suspension of NagaCorp's casino operations
since 2 March 2021, as announced by the company [1],
will have a significant impact on its earnings in 2021. Gaming
revenue accounted for more than 95% of NagaCorp's revenue and EBITDA
in 2019 and 2020.
Moody's expects NagaCorp's revenue to be weaker in 2021 than
in 2020, which will be equivalent to around 40% of its 2019
revenue before the coronavirus pandemic, even if the current suspension
does not exceed three and a half months as in the previous year.
This is because the company's operating performance in the first
quarter of 2020 was not significantly affected by the pandemic.
Although the pandemic will likely delay NagaCorp's earnings recovery to
2022, Moody's expects the company to have sufficient liquidity
to withstand its cash burn, which includes operating expenses,
interest payments and maintenance capital spending. NagaCorp can
also delay planned spending for the construction of an integrated casino
and hotel complex in Vladivostok, Russia, and another integrated
casino and hotel complex (Naga 3) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,
with no financial penalties.
As of 31 December 2020, NagaCorp had cash and deposits of $452
million. After the redemption of its $300 million senior
unsecured notes at maturity in May 2021, the payment of its $82
million declared dividend in July 2021 and the proposed tap issuance,
Moody's expects the company to have sufficient liquidity to cover
18-24 months of cash burn if its casino operations remain suspended.
Excluding the tap issuance, liquidity will be sufficient for the
next 6-9 months.
NagaCorp's leverage, as measured by debt/EBITDA, will
weaken to 2.7x in 2021 from 2.6x in 2020, driven by
high debt levels because of the tap issuance and lower earnings.
Nonetheless, Moody's forecasts leverage will recover to around
1.0x in 2022 if the company's casino operations are not suspended
in that year.
In terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks,
NagaCorp is exposed to high social risks in terms of the pandemic,
which has resulted in interruptions in its gaming operations; and
evolving demographic and societal trends, which may drive a change
in demand away from traditional casino-style gaming.
Beyond the temporary downturn caused by the pandemic, Moody's
expects the social risks relating to evolving demographic and societal
trends to be mitigated by the company's ability to adjust capacity to
meet market demand because there are no restrictions under its casino
license on operating hours or the number of gaming tables and machines.
Moody's has also considered the governance risk surrounding the
controlling shareholder's concentrated ownership of NagaCorp. However,
the risk is partially tempered by the oversight exercised through the
board consisting of majority independent directors, and the track
record of support by the controlling shareholder, who has funded
the company's expansion by injecting equity.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
Given the negative ratings outlook, an upgrade is unlikely over
the next 12-18 months. Nonetheless, the outlook could
return to stable if NagaCorp's casino operations resume, supporting
a recovery of its earnings and credit metrics.
Moody's could downgrade NagaCorp's ratings if Cambodia's sovereign
rating is downgraded; the operating environment deteriorates,
resulting in protracted weakness in operating cash flow; the company
fails to maintain its 100% ownership of Ariston Sdn. Bhd,
which holds its Cambodian casino license, and 100% ownership
of NagaWorld; or the company has insufficient cash to cover its cash
burn and short-term debt obligations.
Credit metrics indicative of a downgrade include adjusted debt/EBITDA
exceeding 2.5x and adjusted retained cash flow/debt falling below
20% over the next 12-18 months.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Gaming Methodology
published in October 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1244702.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
NagaCorp Ltd. was incorporated in the Cayman Islands in 2003 and
listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2006. The company owns
and manages NagaWorld, the largest integrated casino and hotel complex
in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. NagaCorp was founded by Tan Sri
Dr. Chen Lip Keong, the company's chief executive officer
and largest shareholder with an approximate 67% stake as of 31
December 2020.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity
analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity
to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and
Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.
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
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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
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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
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For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
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and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
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if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
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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.
Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and
governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1263068.
The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was
issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by
Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main
60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph
3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies.
Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office
that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.
The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was
issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed by
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Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit rating
agencies in the UK. Further information on the UK endorsement status
and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on
www.moodys.com.
REFERENCES/CITATIONS
[1] Company's announcement: https://doc.irasia.com/listco/hk/nagacorp/announcement/a210301a.pdf,
01-Mar-2021
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.
Jacintha Poh
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Vikas Halan
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077