Approximately $4.3 billion in debt outstanding
New York, July 29, 2009 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the insurance financial strength
ratings of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company ("NMIC") and
its property-casualty and life insurance affiliates at A1.
The ratings on NMIC's surplus notes were affirmed at A3, and
the senior unsecured debt of subsidiary Nationwide Financial Services
("NFS") was affirmed at Baa1. In the same action,
Moody's changed the ratings outlook on NMIC and its property and
casualty affiliates to negative from stable, while the outlook for
NFS and its life insurance subsidiaries remains negative.
Moody's said that the negative outlook is largely based on continued
pressures at the group's life insurance affiliate NFS, which
is at risk of further losses under a stress scenario from its significant
block of variable annuities with guarantees, and from its investment
portfolio. The life companies have exposures to RMBS and CMBS holdings,
hybrid preferred securities, and commercial mortgage loans,
all of which face increasing losses in a recessionary environment.
The change in the ratings outlook for NMIC and its property and casualty
insurance affiliates reflects the risk that they may be called on to support
the group's life insurance affiliates, whose capital adequacy
may come under pressure given the potential losses from investments and
variable annuities. An additional concern is capitalization at
NMIC, which has weakened over the course of the last year,
due mainly due to the use of $2.5 billion in cash to buy
out minority shareholders in NFS, but also exacerbated by investment
losses and weather-related claims. The group's relatively
weak recent profitability has prevented it from strengthening capitalization
internally from retained earnings. According to Moody's Senior
Credit Officer Paul Bauer, "Declines in capital have reduced
the margin of error for the company, thus increasing the chance
of a downgrade if earnings and capitalization do not improve over the
medium term."
Moody's stated that the ratings of NMIC and its property and casualty
affiliates reflect its status as one of the ten largest property-casualty
insurers in the United States. The company has significant market
position in personal auto and homeowners insurance and a sound balance
sheet that has benefited from the sale of certain businesses and the pruning
of coastal insurance risks in recent years. These strengths are
partially offset by longer-term challenges such sale force productivity,
a high expense structure, exposure to natural catastrophes,
and legacy asbestos and environmental liabilities.
The ratings of NFS and its life insurance subsidiaries are based on the
company's established position in the annuity and pension markets,
diversified distribution channels and strong brand recognition,
as well as generally good capitalization. Offsetting these strengths
are the company's focus on highly competitive, lower-margin
asset accumulation products, exposing it to equity market volatility
and spread compression, particularly in its variable annuity business.
In addition, the significant exposure to housing-related
securities (including those with Alt-A and subprime content),
preferred securities of banks, and commercial real estate --
relative to consolidated statutory surplus -- also offsets credit
strengths.
The following factors could result in a downgrade of the group:
(1) adjusted financial leverage (consolidated GAAP for NMIC and NFS) above
30% for an extended period; (2) gross underwriting leverage
at the group's property and casualty affiliates above 3.5x;
(3) consolidated NAIC RBC (as percentage of Company Action Level) for
the life companies of less than 300%; or 4) investment losses
of greater than $1 billion pre-tax in 2009 for the group.
Conversely, the following factors could return the outlook to stable
from negative: (1) sustained adjusted financial leverage comfortably
under 30%, and EBIT coverage of fixed charges above 8 times
over the cycle (consolidated GAAP); (2) investment losses for NFS
of less than $500 million pre-tax in 2009; and/or (3)
consolidated NAIC RBC for the life companies of at least 325% on
a sustainable basis.
The following ratings of NMIC and its property and casualty affiliates
have been affirmed, with the outlook changed to negative from stable:
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company -- insurance financial
strength of A1 and surplus note rating of A3;
Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company -- insurance financial
strength rating of A1;
Nationwide General Insurance Company -- insurance financial
strength rating of A1;
Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company -- insurance financial
strength rating of A1;
Nationwide Assurance Company -- insurance financial strength
rating of A1;
Nationwide Property & Casualty Insurance Company --
insurance financial strength rating of A1;
Scottsdale Insurance Company -- insurance financial strength
rating of A1;
Farmland Mutual Insurance Company -- insurance financial
strength rating of A1;
Crestbrook Insurance Company -- insurance financial strength
rating of A1.
The following ratings of NFS and its life affiliates were affirmed,
and continue to have a negative outlook:
Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.: senior unsecured
debt at Baa1; junior subordinated debt at Baa2;
Nationwide Financial Services Capital Trust preferred stock rating at
Baa2;
Nationwide Life Insurance Company: insurance financial strength
rating of A1;
Nationwide Life Insurance Company of America: insurance financial
strength rating of A1;
Nationwide Life & Annuity Insurance Company: insurance financial
strength rating of A1;
Nationwide Life & Annuity Company of America: insurance financial
strength rating of A1;
Nationwide Life Global Funding I: senior secured debt rating of
A1.
The following rating was affirmed with a stable outlook:
Nationwide Life Insurance Company: short-term rating for
commercial paper at Prime-1.
Based in Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide Mutual is one of the largest
property and casualty insurance groups in the U.S. The organization
also maintains significant life insurance and annuity business through
its ownership of Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. For
2008, Nationwide Group reported statutory net premiums written of
$15.6 billion, net income of $685, and
year ending policyholders' surplus of $13.2 billion.
Wholly-owned life company Nationwide Financial Services,
Inc., reported total assets of approximately $94 billion
and shareholders equity of $3.1 billion as of December 31,
2008.
The last rating action on NFS and its life insurance affiliates occurred
on March 10, 2009 when Moody's downgraded the NFS debt ratings
(senior debt to Baa1 from A3) and the insurance financial strength ratings
to A1 from Aa3 with a negative outlook.
The last rating action on NMIC and its property and casualty affiliates
occurred on December 19, 2008, when Moody's downgraded
the NMIC surplus notes rating to A3 from A2, and the insurance financial
strength ratings to A1 from Aa3, with a stable outlook.
The principal methodology used in rating NMIC and its property/casualty
affiliates was "Moody's Global Rating Methodology for Property and Casualty
Insurers." The principal methodology used in rating NFS and its
affiliates was "Moody's Global Rating Methodology for Life Insurers."
Both methodologies can be found at www.moodys.com in the
Credit Policy & Methodologies directory, in the Ratings Methodologies
subdirectory. Other methodologies and factors that may have been
considered in the process of rating this issuer can also be found in the
Credit Policy & Methodologies directory.
Moody's insurance financial strength ratings are opinions of the ability
of insurance companies to pay punctually senior policyholder claims and
obligations. For more information, visit our website at www.moodys.com/insurance.
New York
Paul Bauer
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
New York
Robert Riegel
Managing Director
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's affirms Nationwide ratings; outlook is negative