New York, January 14, 2013 -- Moody's Investors Service assigned a B3 rating to the proposed senior
unsecured notes of Regal Entertainment Group (Regal) and affirmed its
B1 corporate family rating. The company expects to use proceeds
to fund acquisitions or to repay debt, which could include a tender
for Regal's 9.125% senior unsecured bonds due August
2018 and the 8.625% senior unsecured bonds due 2019 of its
operating subsidiary Regal Cinema Corporation.
Absent acquisitions, Moody's expects a slight increase (less
than $50 million) in gross debt pro forma for the transactions
given the necessary premium to execute the tenders, but no meaningful
change in leverage. If Regal uses the proceeds to fund acquisitions,
leverage could increase modestly on a pro forma basis, but given
the probable multiples paid, acquisitions are unlikely to materially
weaken credit metrics.
Moody's estimates leverage of about 5.6 times debt-to-EBITDA
for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, although leverage
would be about one-quarter turn lower with the benefit of a strong
fourth quarter and pro forma for the acquisition of theaters in December.
Moody's also affirmed Regal's SGL-1 speculative grade
liquidity rating and continues to consider its short term liquidity "very
good," even though the $91 million acquisition and
approximately $155 million special dividend in December consumed
a substantial portion of the cash balance. Moody's estimates
balance sheet cash at around $100 million as of year end 2012.
This balance sheet cash, along with the undrawn $85 million
revolver and the saleable stake in National CineMedia, Inc.
supports the liquidity profile.
A summary of today's action follows.
Regal Entertainment Group
....Senior unsecured bonds, Assigned
B3, LGD5, 89%
....Corporate Family Rating, Affirmed
B1
....Probability of Default Rating, Affirmed
B1-PD
....Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating,
Affirmed SGL-1
....9 1/8% Sr Unsec Notes due 2018,
Affirmed B3, LGD adjusted to LGD5, 89% from LGD6,
91%
Outlook, Stable
Regal Cinemas Corporation
....Senior Secured Credit Facility,
Affirmed Ba2, LGD2, 21%
....8 5/8% Sr Unsec due 2019,
Affirmed B2, LGD adjusted to LGD4, 64%, from
LGD4, 68%
Outlook, Stable
RATINGS RATIONALE
Moody's expects Regal's leverage to remain in the mid 5 times
debt-to-EBITDA range given weak industry growth trends and
management's propensity to allocate excess cash to shareholders
rather than debt reduction. This weak credit profile drives the
B1 CFR. The high leverage also poses challenge for operating in
an inherently volatile industry reliant on movie studios for product to
drive the attendance that leads to cash flow from admissions and concessions,
although good short term liquidity enables the company to better manage
the attendance related volatility. Scale and geographic diversification
also support the rating. Moody's considers theatrical exhibition
a mature industry with low-to-negative growth potential,
high fixed costs and increasing competition from alternative media,
and anticipates attendance growth will continue to lag behind population
growth over the long term, with year to year volatility driven by
the popularity of the films. However, the industry remains
viable and stable throughout economic cycles.
The stable outlook incorporates expectations for modestly positive free
cash flow, leverage in the mid 5 times debt-to-EBITDA
range, and maintenance of good liquidity.
Upward ratings momentum is highly unlikely given the aggressive fiscal
policy, the weak credit metrics, and expectations for continued
poor industry growth trends. However, Moody's could
consider a positive ratings action with evidence of commitment to improving
the credit profile such that we anticipate leverage sustained below 5
times debt-to-EBITDA and free cash to debt in excess of
5%.
Sustained negative free cash flow or leverage above 5.75 times
debt-to-EBITDA, whether due to worsening fundamentals,
debt funded acquisitions, or shareholder returns could pressure
the rating downward. Deterioration of the liquidity profile could
also have negative ratings implications.
Regal Entertainment Group, the parent of Regal Cinemas Corporation,
operates approximately 6,900 screens in 550 theatres in 38 states
and the District of Columbia (pro forma for the acquisition of theaters
from Great Escape in December), primarily in mid-sized metropolitan
markets and suburban growth areas of larger metropolitan markets throughout
the U.S. The company maintains its headquarters in Knoxville,
Tennessee, and its revenue for the twelve months ended September
was approximately $2.7 billion.
Regal's ratings were assigned by evaluating factors that Moody's considers
relevant to the credit profile of the issuer, such as the company's
(i) business risk and competitive position compared with others within
the industry; (ii) capital structure and financial risk; (iii)
projected performance over the near to intermediate term; and (iv)
management's track record and tolerance for risk. Moody's compared
these attributes against other issuers both within and outside Regal's
core industry and believes Regal's ratings are comparable to those of
other issuers with similar credit risk. Other methodologies used
include Loss Given Default for Speculative-Grade Non-Financial
Companies in the U.S., Canada and EMEA published in
June 2009. Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
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.
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.
Karen Berckmann
Asst Vice President - Analyst
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
John Diaz
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's assigns B3 to Regal Entertainment Group bonds, affirms B1 CFR