New York, November 18, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") affirmed
all ratings of Valero Energy Corporation (Valero) and its subsidiaries
Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation, Valero Energy Partners LP
and Diamond Shamrock Inc. Moody's also assigned Baa2 ratings
to Valero's proposed senior unsecured notes. The outlook on all
ratings remains negative.
Affirmations:
..Issuer: Valero Energy Corporation
....Senior Unsecured Shelf, Affirmed
(P)Baa2
....Subordinate Shelf, Affirmed (P)Baa3
....Junior Subordinate Shelf, Affirmed
(P)Baa3
....Pref. Stock Preferred Stock,
Affirmed Ba1
....Pref. Shelf, Affirmed (P)Ba1
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Baa2
..Issuer: Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation
....Subordinate Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Baa3
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Baa2
..Issuer: Valero Energy Partners LP
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Baa2
..Issuer: Diamond Shamrock Inc.
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Affirmed Baa2
..Issuer: Corpus Christi (Port of) TX, Ind.
Dev. Corp.
....Senior Unsecured Revenue Bonds,
Affirmed Baa2
..Issuer: Gulf Coast Industrial Development Authority
....Senior Unsecured Revenue Bonds,
Affirmed Baa2
..Issuer: Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority,
TX
....Senior Unsecured Revenue Bonds,
Affirmed Baa2
..Issuer: St. Charles (Parish of) LA
....Senior Unsecured Revenue Bonds,
Affirmed Baa2
Assignments:
..Issuer: Valero Energy Corporation
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Assigned Baa2
Outlook Actions:
..Issuer: Valero Energy Corporation
....Outlook, Remains Negative
..Issuer: Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation
....Outlook, Remains Negative
..Issuer: Valero Energy Partners LP
....Outlook, Remains Negative
..Issuer: Diamond Shamrock Inc.
....Outlook, Remains Negative
RATINGS RATIONALE
The affirmation of Valero's Baa2 ratings recognizes the company's
effort to start reducing debt in 2021, in step with the on-going
recovery in refined products demand and its improvement in operating cash
flow generation. Keeping the negative outlook reflects uncertainty
around Valero's commitment to its conservative financial policy
and its willingness to establish a clear path to reducing debt back to
levels maintained before 2020.
The Baa2 ratings are supported by the company's strong liquidity
position, sizable cash balances, as well as the continuing
recovery in refining. Moody's expects Valero to deliver a
full recovery in EBITDA to pre-crisis levels and return to free
cash flow generation in 2022, boosting its financial capacity to
reduce debt.
The company's capacity to accelerate debt reduction is constrained by
its focus on shareholder returns, including its standing commitment
to return 40%-50% of its adjusted net cash from operations
in the form of dividends or share repurchases.
Valero's rating is generally supported by the company's large operating
scale, high process complexity and significant refined product export
opportunities that allow optionality in feedstocks and product slates,
as well as access to a wide selection of markets. Moody's
also expects that earnings will be increasingly supported by contributions
from its green diesel joint venture.
The negative outlook on the ratings reflects the significantly increased
amount of debt carried by the company following the pandemic, which
undermines the financial resilience of the company.
Valero maintains excellent liquidity. As of September 30,
2021, the company reported $3.5 billion in cash balances
(excluding cash balances at JV). The company benefits from significant
committed liquidity, including $3.7 billion availability
under its $4 billion revolver due in March 2024. The facility
contains a Debt/Capital covenant of 60%, with ample headroom
as of September 2021. The facility also contains a MAE clause with
respect to environmental liabilities applicable to each borrowing,
and the accounts receivable sales facility contains a general MAC clause
applicable to each borrowing. We expect Valero to remain well in
compliance with all the covenants.
The company reported $1.3 billion available for borrowing
under its 2022 receivables facility, $114 million available
under its Canadian revolver facility and further $50 million available
under the Letter of Credit facility.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
Valero's ratings could be downgraded if the company does not establish
a clear path to reducing its debt to pre-crisis levels.
A change in financial policy, allowing for debt-financed
acquisitions or shareholder distributions, as well as materially
weaker liquidity could also lead to the downgrade of the ratings.
While not expected in the near term, a conservatively financed diversification
into other more resilient business lines that have a material positive
impact on the company's quality of earnings and strong leverage metrics
with sustained RCF/debt above 30% could support an upgrade of Valero's
Baa2 ratings.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Refining and Marketing
published in August 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1277301.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
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
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and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1288235.
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
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The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was
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Elena Nadtotchi
Senior Vice President
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
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Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Steven Wood
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
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