Singapore, September 28, 2017 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad's
(HSBCM) long-term A1 local currency and A3 foreign currency deposit
ratings, and its short-term P-1/P-2 local and
foreign currency deposit ratings.
Concurrently, Moody's has also affirmed the bank's baseline
credit assessment (BCA) and adjusted BCA of baa1/a1, and its A1(cr)/P-1(cr)
counterparty risk assessments (CRA).
These rating actions follow the downgrade of its parent bank, The
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd (HBAP, Aa3 stable,
a1) on 27 September 2017. The parent bank's long-term
senior unsecured ratings were downgraded to Aa3 from Aa2, while
its adjusted BCA was downgraded to a1 from aa3. For more information
on the rationale behind the rating actions on HBAP, please visit
the issuer page on www.moodys.com.
The outlook on HSBCM's ratings is revised to stable from negative.
RATINGS RATIONALE
Moody's affirmed HSBCM's ratings and assessments despite the
downgrade of HBAP's adjusted BCA to a1 from aa3, which Moody's
uses as an anchor when assessing rating uplifts related to affiliate support.
As a result, Moody's continues to incorporate three notches
of affiliate support uplift into the A1 local currency deposit rating
and a1 adjusted BCA of HSBCM, given Moody's assessment of
a very high likelihood of support from HBAP.
When determining affiliate support and related rating uplift for HSBCM,
Moody's has taken into account the strong financial, operational,
and management linkages between the subsidiary and the parent bank,
and the fact that HBAP considers Malaysia as one of its priority markets
in Asia-Pacific.
The affirmation of the baa1 BCA reflects HSBCM's solid liquidity
profile, its good deposit franchise and favorable funding structure,
with a low reliance on market sensitive funding sources. The bank's
sound capital buffer and ongoing access to capital from its parent provides
good loss absorption capacity.
HSBCM's a1 adjusted BCA, A3/P-2 foreign currency deposit
ratings, A1/P-1 local currency deposit ratings, and
A1(cr)/P-1(cr) CRA were affirmed because its baa1 BCA was affirmed,
and affiliate support remains very high.
HSBCM's A3 foreign currency deposit rating is capped by the A3 foreign
currency deposit ceiling for Malaysia (A3 stable).
STABLE OUTLOOK
The stable outlook on HSBCM's ratings mirrors the stable outlook
on HBAP's ratings.
WHAT COULD CHANGE THE RATING UP/DOWN
Given that HSBCM's ratings incorporate uplift related to affiliate
support, any positive or negative pressure on its parent's
a1 adjusted BCA is likely to have a similar impact on the ratings of HSBCM.
Moody's points out that HSBCM's ratings would also be negatively
affected by a material weakening in its standalone credit profile.
LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS
Issuer: HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad
Affirmations:
....LT Local Currency Bank Deposits,
Affirmed A1; outlook revised to stable from negative
....LT Foreign Currency Bank Deposits,
Affirmed A3; outlook maintained stable
....ST Local Currency Bank Deposits,
Affirmed P-1
....ST Foreign Currency Bank Deposits,
Affirmed P-2
....Baseline Credit Assessment, Affirmed
baa1
....Adjusted Baseline Credit Assessment,
Affirmed a1
....Counterparty Risk Assessments, Affirmed
A1(cr)/P-1(cr)
Outlook Actions:
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Negative (Multiple)
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Banks published in
September 2017. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad (HSBCM)
is a subsidiary of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd.
HSBCM's assets totaled MYR82.7 billion ($19.2
billion) at end-June 2017.
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.
Eugene Tarzimanov
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Gene Fang
Associate Managing Director
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077