Limassol, July 16, 2018 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") has today affirmed the long-term
deposit and issuer ratings of the 10 banks it rates in Qatar, as
well as the senior unsecured and subordinated debt ratings of their affiliated
entities, where applicable. Moody's has also affirmed
the banks' baseline credit assessments (BCA), adjusted BCAs,
Counterparty Risk Assessments (CRAs) and Counterparty Risk Ratings (CRRs).
At the same time, the rating agency changed the outlook on the long-term
deposit, issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to stable from
negative.
The affected institutions are Qatar National Bank (Q.P.S.C.),
Doha Bank Q.P.S.C., Al Khalij Commercial
Bank (al khaliji) PQSC, Ahli Bank Q.S.C.,
Barwa Bank Q.S.C., International Bank of Qatar
(Q.S.C.), Masraf Al Rayan (Q.P.S.C.),
Qatar International Islamic Bank (Q.S.C.),
Qatar Islamic Bank Q.P.S.C. and The Commercial
Bank (P.S.Q.C.).
The rating action was primarily driven by (1) resilience of the Qatari
banks and the country's operating environment to the ongoing regional
dispute with some fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) neighbors and
Egypt, which has prompted Moody's to change its Macro Profile
score for Qatar to Strong- from Moderate+ and (2) the expectation
that the capacity of the Qatar government to support the country's banks
will remain unchanged, as indicated by Moody's affirmation of the
Aa3 Qatar government bond rating and change in outlook to stable from
negative on 13 July 2018 (for details please refer to the press release:
Moody's changes Qatar's rating outlook to stable, affirms Aa3 rating:
https://www.moodys.com/research/--PR_386243).
Please click on this link http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBC_200189
for the List of Affected Credit Ratings. This list is an integral
part of this Press Release and provides, for each of the credit
ratings covered, Moody's disclosures on the following items:
Local Market Analyst
RATINGS RATIONALE
-- RATING AFFIRMATIONS
Moody's decision to affirm the ratings of all 10 banks reflects the resilience
in their financial performance, despite the ongoing dispute between
Qatar and a group of peer countries, including its fellow Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) neighbors Bahrain (B1 negative), Saudi Arabia (A1
stable) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE, Aa2 stable), and
Egypt (B3 stable). The banks have managed to maintain strong asset
quality and capital buffers and their liquidity buffers remained solid.
Qatari bank's system average non-performing loan ratio stood
at 1.8% as of December 2017 and capital buffers stood at
15.5% tangible common equity to risk-weighted assets
ratio.
OUTLOOK CHANGED TO STABLE
Moody's decision to change the outlook to stable from negative reflects
the resilience of the operating environment in Qatar and the expectation
that the capacity of the Qatar government to support the country's banks
will remain unchanged, as indicated by Moody's affirmation of the
Aa3 Qatar government bond rating and change in outlook to stable from
negative on 13 July 2018.
RESILIENT OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
With regard to the operating environment, the impact of regional
dispute on the banking systems so far has been manageable and limited
to funding outflows mostly from the blockading countries, while
overall market access for the banking system seems intact. Moody's
view that a quick resolution or a significant escalation of the regional
dispute materially affecting Qatar's credit metrics is a low-probability
event in the next 12-18 months. Consequently, the
downside risk that a prolongation of the regional dispute could trigger
further outflows of external funding appears to have significantly reduced.
The banking system reliance on external funding has declined to around
29% of total banking system liabilities from 36% as of May
2017, which is well diversified geographically and across different
funding products (includes inter-bank lines from international
institutions, non-resident deposits and capital market issuances).
The banks' liquidity buffers have remained stable at 24% of tangible
banking assets as the outflows observed during the first few months following
the blockade began in June 2017, were largely offset by inflows
from the Qatari government and related entities.
These developments prompted Moody's to change the Macro Profile
score of Qatar to Strong- from current Moderate+ underpinning
the rating agencies change in outlook to stable.
GOVERNMENT CAPACITY TO SUPPORT EXPECTED TO REMAIN UNCHANGED
Moody's continues to incorporate a very high probability of government
support for the long-term deposit and debt ratings of the Qatari
banks and the change in their outlook is also driven by the change in
outlook to stable from negative on the Aa3 Qatar government bond rating.
This reflects Moody's view that the government's capacity to provide
support to the country's banks in case of need is expected to remained
unchanged. Moody's very high probability of support for the banks
in Qatar is driven by the government's shareholding in the banks,
the importance of the banking system to the country's economy and past
track record of pre-emptively supporting banks in 2009-2010.
WHAT COULD MOVE THE RATINGS UP/DOWN
The BCAs could be upgraded if (1) the solvency profile and liquidity buffers
of the banks improve and/or (2) the operating environment of Qatar improved
materially.
The BCAs could be downgraded if a deterioration in the operating environment
leads to a weakening in solvency and liquidity profiles of the banks.
The long-term deposit and issuer ratings incorporate an uplift
from government support and could be affected by changes in the sovereign
rating or Moody's views on the government's willingness or capacity to
provide support.
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Banks published in
June 2018. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series
or category/class of debt 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.
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.
Alexios Philippides
Asst Vice President - Analyst
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service Cyprus Ltd.
Porto Bello Building
1, Siafi Street, 3042 Limassol
PO Box 53205
Limassol CY 3301
Cyprus
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Sean Marion
MD - Financial Institutions
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Cyprus Ltd.
Porto Bello Building
1, Siafi Street, 3042 Limassol
PO Box 53205
Limassol CY 3301
Cyprus
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454