Singapore, December 13, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed Telekom Malaysia Berhad's
(TMB) A3 issuer and senior unsecured rating, as well as the (P)A3
rating on TMB's wholly owned finance subsidiary, Tulip Maple
Berhad's USD750 million senior unsecured multicurrency sukuk issuance
program.
The outlook on all ratings is stable.
Moody's has also affirmed TMB's Baseline Credit Assessment
(BCA) of baa1. TMB's A3 rating incorporates (1) the company's
BCA of baa1; and (2) the expected extraordinary support from the
Government of Malaysia (A3 stable), given the company's close links
with the government, which results in a one-notch uplift
to the BCA.
"TMB saw a turnaround in revenues across all its business segments
since Q4 2020, as consumer data consumption and bandwidth demand
from other telecom providers rose amid the pandemic, leading to
an acceleration in TMB's data and lease segment," says
Nidhi Dhruv, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The baa1 BCA reflects TMB's position as the leading provider of
fixed-line services and the largest broadband telecommunications
service provider in Malaysia, as well as its relatively strong cash
flow, sound debt maturity profile and balanced liquidity needs.
Moody's expects TMB to grow its revenues by 3.0%-3.5%
in fiscal 2022 and around 2.5% in 2023. This follows
declines in revenue since fiscal 2019 on the back of declining voice usage
and revenues, regulatory restrictions on broadband pricing,
and a more competitive operating environment.
TMB's revenues will further benefit from its impending contract
with Digital National Berhad (DNB) for the provision of 5G services under
a Single Wholesale Network (SWN) in Malaysia. Under the contract,
TMB will lease its fiber network to DNB, which will be further leased
by DNB to all telcos in Malaysia on a cost-plus margin basis.
At the same time, Moody's expects the company's EBITDA
margin to remain relatively stable at around 37.0% over
the next two years following successful cost-saving initiatives
in the first nine months of 2021.
"TMB has also reduced its leverage to 1.8x for 12 months
ended September 2021 from 2.6x in December 2019 and 2.3x
in December 2020, as the company repaid its MYR2.0 billion
in debt during Q1 2021. Its revenue and EBITDA also benefited from
an unprecedented increase in broadband subscribers during the nine months
ended September 2021," adds Dhruv, who is also Moody's
lead analyst for TMB.
LIQUIDITY
TMB's liquidity is excellent with a well-laddered debt maturity
profile and with around half of its borrowings (excluding leases) maturing
after 2025. The company does not plan to raise new debt over the
next 1-2 years and should have sufficient cash to repay upcoming
debt maturities. TMB may also consider prepaying MYR0.5
billion-MYR1.0 billion of debt in 2022.
OUTLOOK
TMB's rating outlook is stable. On a fundamental basis, Moody's
expects the company to continue delivering on its business model and that
broadband revenue growth will help offset the structural decline in its
traditional voice-based segment.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
Moody's notes the recent improvement in the company's operations
that have resulted in a significant strengthening in credit metrics that
meet the rating agency's requirement for a higher BCA. However,
a longer track record of maintaining retained cash flow in excess of 25%-30%
of debt and debt/EBITDA below 2.0x on a sustained basis would be
pre-requisites for a higher BCA.
As well, for an upgrade of the BCA, TMB should consistently
grow its revenues by low to mid-single-digit percentage;
and its involvement in the government's 5G plans should not stress
capital spending obligations beyond Moody's current estimates of
16%-18% of revenues.
Downward rating pressure could arise if TMB's BCA weakens because of an
erosion of its dominant market positions, a significant decline
in its telecommunications revenue, or a significant increase in
or acceleration of investments in government-related projects.
Key indicators indicative of a weakening operating profile include muted
revenue growth, adjusted debt/EBITDA above 2.8x, or
adjusted retained cash flow/debt falling below 20%-25%
on a sustained basis.
In addition, a negative rating action on the Malaysian sovereign
or any adverse change in the relationship between the government and TMB
could trigger a downward rating action for the company.
The methodologies used in these ratings were Telecommunications Service
Providers published in January 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1055812,
and Government-Related Issuers Methodology published in February
2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1186207.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TMB) is the largest fixed-line and broadband
telecommunications operator in Malaysia. As of 30 September 2021,
Malaysian government-related entities held around 65.37%
of TMB's shares. Its largest shareholder is the government's
strategic investment fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad (A3 backed senior unsecured),
which owns 20.11% of TMB. The Ministry of Finance
also owns a special share, which allows the government to ensure
that TMB's major decisions are consistent with its policies.
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.
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Nidhi Dhruv, CFA
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
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Singapore 48623
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Ian Lewis
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
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Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
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