Tokyo, April 28, 2020 -- Moody's Japan K.K. has affirmed Tokyo Electric Power
Company Holdings, Inc.'s (TEPCO) Ba1 Corporate Family Rating
(CFR), Baa3 senior secured bond ratings, and NP Commercial
Paper rating. The outlook remains at stable.
Moody's has changed the methodology, which applies to rate
Japanese utilities, including TEPCO, to Unregulated Utilities
and Unregulated Power Companies from Regulated Electric and Gas Utilities.
RATINGS RATIONALE
TEPCO is a government-related issuer (GRI) and its Ba1 corporate
family rating reflects a Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) of b2.
The rating continues to take into consideration the very high dependence
of TEPCO on the Government of Japan (A1 stable) and the high probability
of the company receiving ongoing support from the government under our
Joint Default Analysis (JDA) approach.
The ongoing deregulation of the Japanese electric sector has increased
competition for TEPCO's core business -- the sale of electricity
to retail customers -- and weakened the predictability of cost recovery
and overall earnings. Also, limited growth opportunity in
its core business will cause TEPCO to seek growth instead in non-utility
investments, and an evolution in its business model. Accordingly,
the unregulated utilities methodology better reflects the business profile
of TEPCO.
The change of the methodology itself does not cause any change of ratings
and outlook, because Moody's has been already incorporating
such evolving business environment since the deregulation in 2016 into
our assessment.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
The stable outlook reflects Moody's view that, with the continued
support of the government and its banks, TEPCO will be able to pay
the costs related to the Fukushima plant, and that the company can
generate JPY500 billion on average annually as set out in its business
plan. Moody's expects the company to maintain a credit supportive
financial policy and growth strategy so as to sustain retained cash flow
(RCF)/net debt of around 10%.
Upward pressure on the ratings could occur if TEPCO increases revenue
from the restart of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant;
the company otherwise increases revenue without raising its business risks;
the government alters its program of support that caps the company's Fukushima-related
costs; or if credit metrics improve, for example, RCF/net
debt sustained around the mid-teen percentage without increasing
business risk.
The ratings could face downward pressure if government or bank support
for TEPCO erodes; revenue declines from higher than expected competition
in the Japanese energy market or otherwise, so that TEPCO is unable
to generate sufficient funds to pay for its Fukushima-related costs;
the company undertakes growth initiatives that raises its business risk
or worsens credit profile; or if financial policy changes to weaken
the position of its bondholders, such that TEPCO's credit metrics
weaken, for example, RCF/net debt sustained below high single-digit percentage.
The methodologies used in these ratings were Unregulated Utilities and
Unregulated Power Companies (Japanese) published in November 2018 and
available at http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBC_1150645,
and Government-Related Issuers Methodology (Japanese) published
in February 2020 and available at http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBC_1186222.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings,
Inc. is the largest power company in Japan by revenue.
List of affected ratings:
..Issuer: Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings,
Inc.
....Corporate Family Rating (Domestic),
Affirmed Ba1
....Senior Secured (Domestic), Affirmed
Baa3
....BCA: Affirmed b2
....Commercial Paper (Domestic), Affirmed
Not Prime
....Outlook, Remains Stable
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
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.
The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated
agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.
These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy
for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on
its website www.moodys.com.
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 https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.
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.
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.
Yukiko Asanuma
Analyst
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Japan K.K.
Atago Green Hills Mori Tower 20fl
2-5-1 Atago, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-6220
Japan
JOURNALISTS: 81 3 5408 4110
Client Service: 81 3 5408 4100
Mihoko Manabe
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 81 3 5408 4110
Client Service: 81 3 5408 4100
Releasing Office:
Moody's Japan K.K.
Atago Green Hills Mori Tower 20fl
2-5-1 Atago, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-6220
Japan
JOURNALISTS: 81 3 5408 4110
Client Service: 81 3 5408 4100