Singapore, October 05, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Ba2 rating to the proposed
senior unsecured notes to be issued by Periama Holdings LLC, a wholly
owned indirect subsidiary of JSW Steel Limited (JSW, Ba2 negative).
The outlook on the rating is negative.
"The proposed notes are backed by an unconditional, irrevocable
corporate guarantee from JSW up to 125% of the notes' face
value, and rank pari passu with the company's existing senior
unsecured debt. As a result, they are also rated at the same
level as JSW's Ba2 corporate family rating (CFR)," says
Kaustubh Chaubal, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Credit
Officer.
Proceeds from the issuance will be routed to JSW through the repayment
of an intercompany loan and are expected to be used to repay existing
indebtedness at JSW and for general corporate purpose.
Proforma the proposed bond, JSW's leverage, as measured
by debt/EBITDA, will increase to 6.9x as of June 2020 from
6.5x without the bond, although the increase in leverage
maybe lower to the extent the company applies the bond proceeds towards
debt reduction. Looking ahead, improving economic conditions
in India will drive a reduction in the company's leverage to 6.4x
by March 2021, the metric will remain in breach of its 4.5x
downgrade trigger for its Ba2 CFR, supporting the negative outlook
on the rating.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The Ba2 CFR reflects JSW's large scale and strong position in its
key markets, competitive conversion costs -- resulting
from its efficient operations and use of the latest furnace technology
-- as well as good product and end-market diversification,
given its increasing focus on value-added products and retail sales.
Moody's expects steel consumption in India (Baa3 negative),
JSW's key operating market, to contract by at least 15%
in the fiscal year ending March 2021 (fiscal 2021) because of weak automotive
and manufacturing demand amid the pandemic, even as economic activity
slowly resumes in Q3 fiscal 2021 and infrastructure investments rise.
"However, the impact on JSW will be modest due to its strong
market position and competitive cost structure," adds Chaubal,
who is also Moody's Lead Analyst for JSW.
JSW should be able to restore its metrics to appropriate levels by fiscal
2023, considering its relatively strong business profile,
brand strength and technological capabilities, which will help it
sustain above-average profitability. However, the
possibility of second or third waves of virus infections or deeper economic
costs than expected pose downside risks to this recovery forecast.
The ratings also consider JSW's exposure to the inherently cyclical steel
industry, its limited -- although improving --
raw material integration, its large capital expenditure needs in
India, and its loss-making international operations,
which will limit free cash flow generation over the next two years.
RATIONALE FOR THE NEGATIVE OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects Moody's view that tough economic conditions
in JSW's key markets will likely stay for an extended period and that
significant downside risks from the pandemic could delay the company's
recovery. The outlook also incorporates Moody's expectation that
JSW's credit profile will remain weak for a prolonged period, with
no meaningful recovery anticipated at least over the next 18-24
months.
Liquidity
JSW's liquidity is weak. Moody's estimates that its cash
equivalents of USD1.2 billion as of June 2020, its cash from
operations of USD1.6 billion, the proceeds from the proposed
USD bond and its USD400 million-equivalent INR bond issuance will
be insufficient to meet its USD5.5 billion cash needs, which
include capital expenditure and debt (including short-term debt)
maturities over the period from July 2020 to December 2021.
Still, JSW will continue relying on short-term credit facilities
from Indian and multinational relationship banks to fund any shortfall.
The company also retains strong access to domestic and international capital
markets.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATING
An upgrade of the ratings is unlikely over the near term, given
the company's stretched credit metrics. However, Moody's
could change the outlook to stable if JSW's leverage declines to
4.5x and EBIT/interest coverage rises to 2.0x as market
conditions improve.
Moody's could downgrade JSW's CFR if (1) the company's leverage
remains above 4.5x, EBIT/interest coverage stays below 2.0x
or EBIT margin falls below 12%, all on a sustained basis;
or (2) its credit metrics fail to improve in fiscal 2022. Specifically,
downward pressure could arise if JSW's leverage remains elevated
because of a large debt-financed acquisition that is not earnings
accretive and presents execution risks related to its timely and seamless
integration.
Any departure from Moody's expectation that JSW will restore its
financial profile and strengthen its liquidity will also pressure the
ratings.
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in this rating was Steel Industry published
in September 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1074524.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
JSW Steel Limited is one of India's largest steel producers with
an installed steelmaking capacity of 18 million tons per annum (mtpa).
Its international operations comprise (1) 1.2 mtpa plates and 0.5
mtpa pipes mills in Texas; (2) a 3.0 mtpa hot rolling mill
and a 1.5 mtpa electric arc furnace in Ohio; and (3) a 1.3
mtpa long steel rolling facility in Piombino, Italy.
JSW generated revenues of USD10.1 billion and an adjusted EBITDA
of USD1.8 billion in the fiscal year ended March 2020.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and
sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and
Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's
Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.
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Kaustubh Chaubal
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
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Ian Lewis
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
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