Tokyo, June 13, 2016 -- Moody's Japan K.K. has upgraded Mitsubishi UFJ Securities
Holdings, Co., Ltd. (MUSHD)'s long-term
issuer rating to A1 from A3 and short-term issuer rating to P-1
from P-2. Moody's has also upgraded the long-term
issuer ratings of MUSHD's subsidiaries Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley
Securities Co., Ltd. (MUMSS) and Mitsubishi UFJ Securities
International plc (MUSI) and affiliate Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities
Co., Ltd. (MSMS) to A1 from A2, thereby aligning
the ratings with the ratings of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group,
Inc. (MUFG) at A1/P-1.
The ratings outlook is stable.
A full list of affected ratings is provided at the end of this press release.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The aligned ratings of MUSHD, MUMSS, MUSI, MSMS,
and MUFG reflects Moody's view that MUFG and its major subsidiaries
including The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (BTMU,
A1 stable), Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation (MUTB,
A1 stable) and MUSHD will benefit from the same level of government support.
Underlying Moody's assessment is the announcement on 15 April 2016
by Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) of the framework for
the resolution of the country's three globally systemically important
banks (G-SIBs). In its announcement, the FSA explicitly
stated that it could take measures other than resolution and gave the
example of pre-emptive support.
Moody's believes that pre-emptive capital injections remain
the preferred method of Japanese regulatory authorities in maintaining
financial stability, and that Japanese regulatory authorities view
MUFG as a single financial institution for preemptive support considerations.
As a result, Moody's believes that all core MUFG entities—including
MUSHD and its subsidiaries and affiliate—benefit equally from government
support.
Moody's assesses the probability of government support for MUFG--the
largest banking group in Japan by consolidated assets--as
"very high", given MUFG's importance to Japan's banking system.
MUFG has positioned it banking, trust banking and securities businesses
as strategically important units in growing its earnings, and business
collaborations between BTMU, and MUMSS and MUSI, as well as
between MUMSS and MSMS has been increasing.
In addition, MSMS is also a strategically important consolidated
subsidiary of Morgan Stanley (A3 stable). While Morgan Stanley
is the guarantor of MSMS' Backed Commercial Paper, we believe that
if Morgan Stanley were unable to provide support in a crisis, support
would ultimately flow from MUFG.
MUSHD's standalone credit strength takes into consideration factors such
as its: (1) franchise as one of Japan's major domestic securities
companies; (2) franchise in retail customer assets; and (3)
adequate levels of liquidity and capital.
MUSHD's standalone credit assessment also reflects the challenges
that the company faces, such as: (1) its vulnerability to
capital market fluctuations; and (2) the relative weakness of its
equity and retail franchise when compared to larger domestic peers.
Factors that Could Lead to an Upgrade
An upgrade is unlikely over the next 12-18 months because MUSHD's,
MUMSS', MUSI's, MSMS' A1 ratings are at
the same level as the sovereign rating.
Factors that Could Lead to a Downgrade
Factors that could result in a downgrade of MUSHD's, MUMSS',
MUSI's, MSMS' ratings include, but are not limited
to the following: (1) a downgrade of the sovereign rating;
or (2) a downgrade of MUFG's ratings.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Global Securities
Industry Methodology (Japanese) published in July 2013. Please
see the Ratings Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for
a copy of this methodology.
Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Holdings Co., Ltd.,
headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a core subsidiary of Mitsubishi
UFJ Financial Group, Inc., which is the largest banking
group in Japan. Its major subsidiaries and affiliate include Mitsubishi
UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi
UFJ Securities International plc, and Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities
Co., Ltd.
The following ratings/issuers are affected.
Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Holdings Co., Ltd.
Outlook: stable
- Long-term Issuer Rating: upgraded to A1 from A3
- Short-term Issuer Rating (domestic currency): upgraded
to P-1 from P-2
Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. Co., Ltd.
Outlook: stable
- Long-term Issuer Rating (domestic currency): upgraded
to A1 from A2
- Short-term Issuer Rating (domestic currency): affirmed
at P-1
Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International plc
Outlook: stable
- Long-term Issuer Rating: upgraded to A1 from A2
- Short-term Issuer Rating (domestic currency): affirmed
at P-1
- BACKED Senior Unsecured (foreign currency): upgraded to
A1 from A2
- BACKED Senior Unsecured MTN (foreign currency): upgraded
to (P)A1 from (P)A2
- BACKED Subordinate MTN (foreign currency): upgraded to
(P)A2 from (P)A3
- BACKED Commercial Paper (foreign currency): affirmed at
P-1
Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., Ltd.
Outlook: stable
- Long-term Issuer Ratings (foreign and domestic currency):
upgraded to A1 from A2
- BACKED Commercial Paper (domestic currency): affirmed at
P-1
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 rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular
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 rating action, and
whose ratings may change as a result of this 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.
Moody's Japan K.K. is a credit rating agency registered
with the Japan Financial Services Agency and its registration number is
FSA Commissioner (Ratings) No. 2. The Financial Services
Agency has not imposed any supervisory measures on Moody's Japan K.K.
in the past year.
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.
Raymond Mark Spencer
Senior Vice President
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Japan K.K.
Atago Green Hills Mori Tower 20fl
2-5-1 Atago, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-6220
Japan
JOURNALISTS: 813-5408-4110
SUBSCRIBERS: 813-5408-4100
Graeme Knowd
MD - Banking
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 813-5408-4110
SUBSCRIBERS: 813-5408-4100
Releasing Office:
Moody's Japan K.K.
Atago Green Hills Mori Tower 20fl
2-5-1 Atago, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-6220
Japan
JOURNALISTS: 813-5408-4110
SUBSCRIBERS: 813-5408-4100
Moody's aligns Mitsubishi UFJ Securities HD and its operating subsidiaries' and affiliate's ratings with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group at A1/P-1