Action follows UK authorities' approval to complete the group's restructuring to comply with ring-fencing rules
London, 03 April 2018 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has assigned
a definitive long-term deposit rating of A1 and affirmed its standalone
Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) of a3 to Barclays Bank UK PLC (Barclays
Bank UK), the ring-fenced bank of Barclays PLC (Barclays,
LT issuer rating Baa2 on review for downgrade). The rating assignment
reflects Moody's assessment of Barclays Bank UK's moderate
asset risk, robust capitalization, solid funding and adequate
liquidity.
"Barclays Bank UK's creditors benefit from good and stable
profits from the group's domestic retail and business banking activities,
which are underpinned by the bank's strong franchise in the UK",
said Mr. Andrea Usai, Senior Vice President at Moody's.
"Nevertheless, we also expect the bank's profitability
to be challenged by the weakening operating conditions in the UK and residual
conduct costs, over the next 12-18 months".
Moody's has also assigned a definitive short-term deposit
rating of Prime-1 to the bank and a (P)Prime-1 programme
rating to its GBP10 billion Euro Commercial Paper Programme. The
bank's Counterparty Risk (CR) assessment of Aa2(cr)/Prime-1(cr)
were affirmed.
The assignment of the A1 long-term deposit rating to Barclays Bank
UK reflects the a3 standalone BCA and incorporates a one-notch
uplift resulting from Moody's advanced Loss Given Failure (LGF)
analysis. The A1 long-term deposit rating also includes
one notch of government support, reflecting Moody's assessment
of a moderate probability of support for Barclays Bank UK from the government
of the United Kingdom (Aa2 stable), if needed.
The list of assigned ratings is available at the bottom of this press
release
RATINGS RATIONALE
On 30 October 2017, Moody's assigned provisional deposit ratings
of (P)A1/(P)Prime-1 to Barclays Bank UK, conditional on the
set-up of Barclays Bank UK in line with its expectation in 2018.
Barclays has obtained approvals from the UK Prudential Regulation Authority
and the High Court of Justice of England and Wales on 9 March 2018,
to complete the separation of its retail and business banking operations
from Barclays Bank PLC (LT deposits and senior unsecured debt A1 review
for downgrade, BCA baa2 review for downgrade). On 1 April
2018, the group has therefore implemented the relevant legal changes,
ahead of ring-fencing regulation coming into force on 1 January
2019.
The affirmation of Barclays Bank UK's a3 BCA reflects that the set-up
of Barclays' ring-fenced bank has been executed in line with
Moody's expectations. Barclays Bank UK's a3 BCA reflects
the bank's (1) moderate asset risk, given that its activities
will focus predominantly on secured and unsecured lending to retail and
small business customers, (2) robust capitalisation and adequate
leverage, (3) good and stable profits from the retail and business
banking activities, underpinned by the bank's strong franchise in
the UK. However, Moody's considers that Barclays Bank UK
holds a higher proportion of problem loans than rated peers, partly
reflecting greater exposures to higher margin, unsecured retail
lending. Moody's also expects that Barclays Bank UK's profitability
could be challenged by the weakening operating conditions in the UK and
residual conduct costs, over the next 12-18 months.
The a3 BCA also incorporates Moody's assessment of Barclays Bank UK's
(4) solid funding profile, owing to a large deposit base and limited
reliance on wholesale funding; and, (5) adequate liquidity.
WHAT COULD MOVE THE RATINGS UP/DOWN
An upgrade of the bank's a3 BCA could result from a much lower asset risk,
a considerable increase in profitability and liquidity. A higher
BCA could then lead to a rating upgrade. An upgrade of Barclays
Bank UK's long-term deposit rating could also result from a higher
stock of bail-in-able liabilities that would provide higher
protection for its junior depositors.
The bank's BCA could be downgraded in the case of a deterioration
in operating conditions in the UK, beyond Moody's current
expectations, which would increase its asset risk and weaken profitability.
Lower capitalisation or a deterioration in the bank's liquidity
profile could also lead to a lower BCA. A downgrade of the BCA
would likely lead to a rating downgrade. The ratings could also
be downgraded in the case of a reduction in the stock of bail-in-able
debt that would reduce protection for junior creditors.
LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS
Issuer: Barclays Bank UK PLC
Assigned Definitive:
....LT Bank Deposits, Assigned A1 Stable
from (P)A1
....ST Bank Deposits, Assigned P-1
from (P)P-1
Assignment:
....Commercial Paper, Assigned (P)P-1
Affirmations:
....Adjusted Baseline Credit Assessment,
Affirmed a3
....Baseline Credit Assessment, Affirmed
a3
....LT Counterparty Risk Assessment,
Affirmed Aa2(cr)
....ST Counterparty Risk Assessment,
Affirmed P-1(cr)
Outlook Actions:
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
No Outlook
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Banks published in
September 2017. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
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.
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.
Andrea Usai
Senior Vice President
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Ana Arsov
MD - Financial Institutions
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454