Hong Kong, January 30, 2019 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned an A3 rating to the proposed perpetual
subordinated guaranteed capital securities to be guaranteed by The Hong
Kong and China Gas Company Limited (HKCG, A1 stable) and to be issued
by its wholly owned subsidiary, Towngas (Finance) Limited.
The rating outlook is stable.
The proceeds of the planned hybrid instruments will be used to refinance
existing debt and for general corporate purposes.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"We consider the proposed perpetual securities as hybrid securities
which will not have a financial impact on HKCG and will be deeply subordinated
to its senior unsecured debt," says Boris Kan, a Moody's
Vice President and Senior Credit Officer.
The proposed issuance will have no financial impact on HKCG because the
amount of the proposed perpetual securities — if successfully issued
— will be small relative to HKCG's total adjusted debt of about
HKD42 billion at 30 June 2018. Furthermore, part of the proceeds
from the issuance will be used to repay existing debt.
Moody's expects that — after the issuance of the proposed perpetual
securities — HKCG will maintain its adjusted funds from operations
(FFO)/debt at around 24.5-25.5% and FFO/interest
cover at around 6.5-7.0x over the next 12-18
months, levels which will support HKCG's A1 issuer rating.
Although the proposed perpetual securities have provisions allowing for
the deferral of coupon payments, Moody's believes such deferrals
as unlikely because HKCG has a strong financial profile with FFO/interest
cover at around 6.5-7.0x. Furthermore,
coupon deferrals will restrict HKCG's ability to make dividend payments.
The A3 rating reflects the fact that the proposed perpetual securities
will be subordinated to the claims of all other present and future creditors
of HKCG and its subsidiaries.
Moody's will apply a 50% equity treatment to the proposed
perpetual securities.
HKCG's stable ratings outlook reflects Moody's expectation
that the company will generate a significant part of its cash flow from
its stable Hong Kong operations, while it continues to execute its
growth strategies in China with manageable capital spending in the domestic
gas market, against the backdrop of an improving regulatory environment.
A near-term rating upgrade is unlikely, given the company's
business model, financial profile and capital spending levels.
However, a positive rating trend could develop in the long term
if the company demonstrates (1) a track record of quality execution on
its new energy investments, with significant and predictable cash
flow; and (2) a clear trend of a slowdown in capital spending.
Financial metrics indicative of an upgrade trend include FFO/interest
cover exceeding 8.0x and FFO/debt above 35% on a sustained
basis.
Downward rating pressure may arise if the company does not pass on —
through its tariff adjustments — rising costs in its gas business
in Hong Kong and China. However, Moody's sees this
as unlikely in the near term.
Downward rating pressure will also arise, if capital spending further
accelerates from the current levels.
Other downward rating pressures include an increase in the company's
overall business risk profile, indicators of which would include:
(1) a majority of the company's FFO coming from Mainland China;
and (2) a significant profit contribution coming from the new energy business.
Financial metrics indicative of downward pressure include FFO/interest
cover falling below 5.0x and FFO/debt below 22% over time.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Regulated Electric
and Gas Utilities published in June 2017. Please see the Rating
Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this
methodology.
The Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd (HKCG) — listed on the Hong Kong
Stock Exchange — is mainly engaged in the production and distribution
of gas, marketing of gas and appliances, and comprehensive
after-sales services in Hong Kong and China.
The company also operates aviation fuel facilities for the Hong Kong International
Airport, and owns a 15.8% stake in the International
Finance Centre complex in Hong Kong.
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.
Moody's considers a rated entity or its agent(s) to be participating
when it maintains an overall relationship with Moody's. Unless
noted in the Regulatory Disclosures as a Non-Participating Entity,
the rated entity is participating and the rated entity or its agent(s)
generally provides Moody's with information for the purposes of
its ratings process. Please refer to www.moodys.com
for the Regulatory Disclosures for each credit rating action under the
ratings tab on the issuer/entity page and for details of Moody's
Policy for Designating Non-Participating Rated Entities.
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.
The first name below is the lead rating analyst for this Credit Rating
and the last name below is the person primarily responsible for approving
this Credit Rating.
Boris Kan
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Project & Infrastructure Finance
Moody's Investors Service Hong Kong Ltd.
24/F One Pacific Place
88 Queensway
Hong Kong
China (Hong Kong S.A.R.)
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Terry Fanous
MD-Public Proj & Infstr Fin
Project & Infrastructure Finance
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Hong Kong Ltd.
24/F One Pacific Place
88 Queensway
Hong Kong
China (Hong Kong S.A.R.)
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077