Two unsecured notes issues being reinstated upon exit from Chapter 11; $300 million of 8.125% notes due 2018 and 7.5% due 2021 or 2024 aggregating $146 million
New York, August 05, 2014 -- Moody's Investors Service assigned Caa1 ratings to the unsecured notes
of Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. ("OSG") that
are being reinstated today pursuant to its plan of reorganization which
becomes effective today. Moody's also affirmed the B2 Corporate
Family Rating and all of the other debt ratings it assigned to OSG on
June 12, 2014 in anticipation of the conclusion of the Chapter 11
reorganization. The rating outlook is stable.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The senior unsecured ratings have been assigned using Moody's Loss
Given Default Rating Methodology. The Caa1 rating is two notches
below the Corporate Family rating, reflecting this class of debt's
first loss position in the capital structure. The unsecured note
obligations of OSG do not benefit from upstream guarantees and are structurally
subordinated to the $1.35 billion of new secured bank credit
facilities that will comprise the majority of the company's debt
capital.
The B2 Corporate Family Rating considers OSG's leading position
in the U.S. Jones Act and international crude and refined
petroleum products freight shipping sectors. The rating recognizes
the reductions in fixed overhead that the company achieved while in bankruptcy,
primarily by cancelling charter-in contracts for 25 international
tankers, outsourcing the technical management of the international
fleet and reducing shore-side headcount. Moody's anticipates
that credit metrics will become more supportive of the B2 rating through
2016. With no planned capital investment for growth, projected
free cash flow exceeds $100 million per year. Debt to EBITDA
is projected at about 6.0 times and FFO + Interest to Interest
at about 2.4 times at year end 2015, somewhat weak for the
B2 rating. Moody's believes the financial performance OSG
projects through 2015 is achievable because the company's freight
rate assumptions for its international tankers appear reasonable,
reflecting nominal increases above current levels.
The favorable fundamentals of the U.S. Jones Act market
also support the ratings assignment. Moody's expects continuing
demand for movement of shale oil and refined products to and from the
Louisiana Gulf Coast refineries, as well as across the other U.S.
coastal trades, the contracted nature of the company's operations
in this sector and the quality of its relatively young product tanker
fleet to support earnings and cash flow generation over the five-year
terms of the new credit facilities. The B2 rating also incorporates
Moody's expectation that the company will seek to grow the international
fleet, notwithstanding that the financial plan contemplates very
little capital spending and is devoid of investment for growth,
let alone replacement of vessels that retire from either of the subsidiaries'
fleets.
The stable outlook reflects Moody's belief that the fundamentals
of the U.S. Jones Act petroleum transportation market will
remain supportive. The outlook also reflects that downside risk
to freight rates in the company's international tanker markets should
remain contained in upcoming years as the unfavorable gap between ton-mile
demand and vessel supply does not meaningfully increase.
There will be little upwards pressure on the ratings until the company
demonstrates the efficacy of its reorganization strategy by strengthening
credit metrics following its exit from Chapter 11. Clarity on its
fleet plan will identify the extent to which funded debt might increase
and the related effect on credit metrics. FFO + Interest to
Interest that approaches 3.5 times, Retained Cash Flow to
Net Debt in excess of 13% and Debt to EBITDA that approaches 4.5
times could support an upgrade. Application of free cash flow to
repayments of the new term loans will be the primary driver of the improving
metrics profile in the near term.
The ratings could be downgraded if unrestricted cash is sustained below
$50 million or the company becomes reliant on at least one of the
revolvers to meet working capital needs. Debt to EBITDA sustained
above 6.5 times, FFO + Interest to Interest that approaches
2.0 times, a decline in the EBIT margin to the 12%
range, Retained Cash Flow to Net Debt that approaches 8%
or sustained negative free cash flow generation could pressure the ratings
as could fleet growth or returns to shareholders that are funded with
debt. Additionally, the ratings could be downgraded if the
negotiated terms of the credit agreements differ from Moody's expectations
as of the date of this press release such that the company has greater
ability to increase funded debt or make restricted payments under incurrence
tests, or the priority of the OSG International, Inc.
revolver is changed.
Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc., a Delaware Corporation
headquartered in New York, New York, is one of the larger
players in the ocean transportation of crude oil and petroleum products.
The company operates separate fleets of internationally-flagged
tankers trading in international markets and US Jones Act qualified vessels
trading mainly in US coastal markets. The company, which
executed its Chapter 11 plan of reorganization on August 5, 2014,
had been operating under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code since its
filing on November 14, 2012.
Assignments:
..Issuer: Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc.
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Assigned Caa1, LGD6, 90 %
Outlook Actions:
..Issuer: OSG Bulk Ships, Inc.
....Outlook, Remains Stable
..Issuer: OSG International, Inc.
....Outlook, Remains Stable
..Issuer: Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc.
....Outlook, Remains Stable
Affirmations:
..Issuer: OSG Bulk Ships, Inc.
....Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility Jan
8, 2019, Affirmed B1
....Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility Jul
8, 2019, Affirmed B1
..Issuer: OSG International, Inc.
....Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility Jul
8, 2019, Affirmed B1
....Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility Jan
8, 2019, Affirmed Ba2
..Issuer: Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc.
.... Probability of Default Rating,
Affirmed B2-PD
.... Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating,
Affirmed SGL-3
.... Corporate Family Rating, Affirmed
B2
The principal methodology used in this rating was Global Shipping Industry
published in February 2014. 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.
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.
Jonathan Root
VP - Senior Credit Officer
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
Robert P Jankowitz
Associate Managing Director
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 Caa1 rating to unsecured notes of Overseas Shipholding