Hong Kong, September 24, 2013 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned first time Aa3 long-term
deposit ratings, P-1 short-term deposit rating and
a D/ba2 bank financial strength rating (BFSR)/baseline credit assessment
(BCA) to KDB Asia Ltd. The ratings outlook is stable.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The ratings factor in full parental support from the policy bank,
Korea Development Bank (KDB: Aa3 stable, D/ba2 stable),
which owns 100% of KDB Asia. Moody's assumption of
support is based on KDB Asia's strategic importance to KDB's
business in Asia.
Moreover, the ratings take into account Moody's assessment
of a high probability that the Korean government (Aa3 stable) would provide
support to KDB, in times of need, which in turn effectively
results in support for KDB Asia.
Moody's assumption of very strong government support to KDB,
is in turn underpinned by Article 44 of the KDB Act, which sets
out the government's obligation to replenish any deficit should KDB's
reserves ever prove insufficient.
KDB Asia's standalone D/ba2 BFSR/BCA, anchored at the same
BFSR/BCA as its parent, reflects KDB Asia's linkage with its
parent. KDB Asia's operations are highly integrated with
that of its parent and rely heavily on funding from KDB.
KDB Asia plays a role as an operating entity of KDB's principal
commercial banking and investment banking business in Asia. Moreover,
KDB Asia is strategically important to its parent because the latter is
expanding into the cross-border business in China and Hong Kong.
KDB has also shown a strong commitment to providing liquidity support
to KDB Asia, as seen by the parent's provision of 68%
of KDB Asia's total funding. Furthermore, KDB has demonstrated
its willingness to support its subsidiaries. From 2008 to 2011,
it provided capital and liquidity support to KDB Bank Europe Ltd.
(unrated) when the subsidiary encountered funding difficulties in Hungary
during the International Monetary Fund's bailout of the country.
KDB Asia has maintained a very high level of capitalization since it was
established in 1986. Its Tier-1 capital adequacy ratio was
36.58% at end-2012.
Moody's expects the bank to maintain a similar level of capitalization
as KDB Asia's risk weighted assets are likely to grow at a slower
pace than that for internally generated retained earnings.
KDB Asia's profitability is also relatively high, at 2.74%
in 2012 in terms of net income to average risk-weighted assets,
and compared with the average for its rated Hong Kong peers of 1.71%.
However, the bank's problem loans ratio, which measured
2.09% at end-2012, was higher than that of
its Hong Kong peers, although it was lower than KDB's 2.2%.
Nevertheless, KDB Asia's asset quality has, as indicated,
improved over the last three years. Its concentration risk,
for instance, is lower than its parent's. In terms
of its top 20 exposures to Tier 1 capital, KDB Asia's ratio
was 96.7% at end-2012, a level which was much
lower than KDB's 326%.
However, KDB Asia's liquidity position is intrinsically weak
as it relies heavily on wholesale funding (87% of total funding
in 2012). Moreover, as earlier mentioned, the bank
sources 68% of its funds from its parent.
What Could Change the Rating Up/Down
Upward rating pressure on KDB Asia would emerge if KDB's ratings
are upgraded
The BFSR could be upgraded if KDB Asia improves its profitability,
asset quality, liquidity while it maintains the current capitalization
levels.
Downward rating pressure would emerge if: (1) KDB's ratings
are downgraded, (2) KDB Asia's business deteriorates or its
operations become less aligned with those of KDB, or (3) it becomes
less strategically important to KDB.
The BFSR could be downgraded if: (1) its asset quality deteriorates,
such that its problem loans ratio exceeds 5% of loans (2.09%
at end-2012), or (2) its core Tier 1 capital ratio drops
below 14% (36.58% at end-2012).
The principal methodology used in this rating was Global Banks published
in May 2013. Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
KDB Asia Ltd. was established in 1986 as KDB's wholly owned financial
institution. It is a Restricted License Bank under the Banking
Ordinance in Hong Kong, and is engaged in merchant and investment
banking activities. It had assets totaling $765.6
million at end-2012.
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.
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.
Hyun Hee Park
Analyst
Financial Institutions Group
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
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Stephen Long
MD - Financial Institutions
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: (852) 3758 -1350
SUBSCRIBERS: (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
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Moody's assigns Aa3 long-term deposit ratings to KDB Asia Ltd.