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Rating Action:

Moody's affirms Sanguard Automobile Insurance's Baa1 IFSR with a stable outlook

 The document has been translated in other languages

19 December 2019


Hong Kong, December 19, 2019 - Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the Baa1 insurance financial strength rating (IFSR) of Sanguard Automobile Insurance Company Limited (Sanguard), with a stable outlook.

RATINGS RATIONALE

Sanguard's Baa1 IFSR reflects the insurer's strong capitalization to support its planned business growth. The insurer's expense ratio is also low with a diversified product mix, benefitting from FAW Group Corporation's distribution and operational support. Counterbalancing these strengths is Sanguard's modest market presence and its short track record of profitable underwriting.

Sanguard has a strong capital base relative to its premiums underwritten, as reflected in its very strong comprehensive solvency ratio of 512% as of the end of September 2019. The insurer's gross underwriting leverage was also low at around 1.1x in H1 2019. Moody's expects the insurer's solvency ratio to remain strong at above 300% over the next 12-18 months considering its expected premium growth.

Despite its modest operating scale, Sanguard has a low expense ratio when compared with its rated peers, given its low policy acquisition costs as it mainly underwrites FAW group's risks and distributes insurance products via FAW group's extensive networks. Its low level of expense ratio resulted in a drop in combined ratio to 70.4% in H1 2019 from 100.6% in 2017.

The insurer has rapidly expanded its non-motor businesses in recent years, particularly extended auto warranty and cargo insurance. As a result, the insurer is less reliant on the competitive motor business than most of its rated peers. Reserving risk is also low, given the insurer's focus on short-tail lines.

While the insurer's premium growth has outpaced the industry average, its market position remains weak, constrained by its lack of a nationwide presence. The insurer's absolute market share is very modest, at 0.06% of direct premiums in H1 2019.

Sanguard's geographic concentration in some of earthquake-prone regions in China also exposes the insurer to significant earthquake risks. The insurer has entered into reinsurance arrangements to reduce its net catastrophe exposure to a manageable level.

Sanguard has achieved an underwriting profit since 2018, but its ability to maintain this result remains to be tested. The loss experience of the rapidly growing warranty insurance could be volatile as there is limited underwriting history of this line in China and is subject to mispricing risk.

The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectation that the insurer will maintain good underwriting profitability with strong capitalization.

RATING DRIVERS

Moody's could upgrade the insurer's rating if (1) its market position improves materially without a deterioration in underwriting profitability; (2) it establishes a longer track record of profitable underwriting; or (3) it improves its geographic diversification across China.

On the other hand, Moody's could downgrade the insurer's rating if (1) its underwriting profitability deteriorates on a sustained basis; (2) there are signs of weakening operational and financial support from FAW Group; (3) its capitalization deteriorates with its solvency ratio falling consistently below 150%; or (4) its high-risk assets increases significantly relative to its shareholders' equity.

The principal methodology used in these ratings was Property and Casualty Insurers Methodology published in November 2019. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

Headquartered in Jilin Province, Sanguard Automobile Insurance Company Limited provides motor, liability, property, cargo and accident insurance. At the end of 2018, its total assets and shareholders' equity registered RMB2.4 billion and RMB1.1 billion, respectively.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES

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 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 noted in the Regulatory Disclosures as a Non-Participating Entity, 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 ratings tab on the issuer/entity page and for details of Moody's Policy for Designating Non-Participating Rated Entities.

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.

Kelvin Kwok, CFA
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
Client Service : 852 3551 3077

Sally Yim, CFA
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

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