Hong Kong, January 10, 2018 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned a first-time Baa2
issuer rating to Sunny Optical Technology (Group) Company Limited.
At the same time, Moody's has assigned a Baa2 senior unsecured rating
to the proposed bonds to be issued by Sunny Optical.
The ratings outlook is stable.
The bond rating reflects Moody's expectation that Sunny Optical will complete
the bond issuance upon satisfactory terms and conditions, including
proper registrations with the National Development and Reform Commission
and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange in China (A1 stable).
The proceeds from the proposed issuance will be used to fund capital expenditures,
fulfill working capital requirements, refinance existing indebtedness
and other general corporate purposes.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"Sunny Optical's Baa2 issuer rating reflects the company's
position as a strong global optical components specialist, with
growing and diversifying end markets and applications, and long
operating track record of more than 30 years," says Gerwin
Ho, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst.
Sunny Optical's strength is evident from its ability to compete
against global competitors and to supply its products to leading mobile
phone, auto, consumer electronic and optical instrument makers.
The company has also demonstrated its adaptability to changing market
and product demands, while maintaining revenue and net profit growth,
since its founding in 1984.
"Sunny Optical's Baa2 issuer rating also considers the company's prudent
financial management, as evidenced by its low debt leverage,
net cash position and strong liquidity," adds Ho, who is also
Moody's Lead Analyst for Sunny Optical.
The company has a track record of balanced funding using equity and debt,
and a focus on growth through organic investments and prudent spending
on capital expenditure, such that it generated positive free cash
flow in six of the 10 years between 2007 and 2016, while achieving
strong revenue growth.
Moody's expects that Sunny Optical's debt leverage — as measured
by debt/EBITDA — will rise to about 1.3x in 2018 from about
0.7x in 2017, as the company prefunds its capacity expansion
during 2018-2019. Leverage will likely improve to about
1.0x in 2019, as EBITDA rises. Such leverage levels
are strong for its rating.
The company's liquidity profile is strong. In particular,
it has since 2007 maintained a net cash position.
On the other hand, the rating is constrained by the low visibility
of the company's product demand, driven by end products that
evolve with rapidly changing technology, product specifications
and customer demands.
Nevertheless, Sunny Optical has the experience and capability to
adapt to advances in technology, as well as changing product specifications
and customer demands. Specifically, the company has shown
a track record of maintaining its focus in the optical components industry,
while growing its business, against the backdrop of changes in end
demand over more than 30 years.
The Baa2 issuer rating also takes into account Sunny Optical's end
market and customer concentration risk, factors which are in turn
mitigated by: (1) the large, stable and rising demand for
mobile phones, reflecting these products' high penetration
globally and the fact that mobile phones are essential modern communication
tools; and (2) the proliferation of cameras and optical sensors in
new and diverse end markets and applications that translate to growing
demand for optical components over the next three to five years.
Sunny Optical's rating also factors in the risk of structural subordination
due to its holding company status and the fact that the majority of the
claims are at the operating subsidiaries.
The stable outlook on the company's issuer rating reflects Moody's
expectation that Sunny Optical will: (1) grow its revenue and maintain
its profitability levels; (2) retain its market position as a strong
global optical components specialist; (3) demonstrate prudent financial
discipline in terms of capital expenditure, investments and acquisitions;
and (4) keep debt leverage low and its liquidity strong.
Rating upgrade pressure could arise over the medium term, if the
company: (1) expands its revenue and improves its market position;
(2) diversifies its product and customer exposures, which will provide
a higher degree of stability to its revenue and profitability and therefore
mitigate the low visibility of its product demand; and (3) continues
its prudent financial management, as seen by a debt/EBITDA below
1.0x and a material net cash position.
On the other hand, rating downgrade pressure could arise,
if the company shows: (1) weakening sales and/or a shrinking market
position; (2) lower profitability in terms of its EBITA margin of
below 10% on a sustained basis; or (3) a worsening in its
credit profile, such that its adjusted debt/EBITDA exceeds 1.8x-2.0x
or liquidity deteriorates to such an extent that cash to short term debt
is less than 100% on a sustained basis.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Global Manufacturing
Companies published in June 2017. Please see the Rating Methodologies
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
Sunny Optical Technology (Group) Company Limited was founded in 1984 and
listed in Hong Kong in 2007. The company is an industry leading
integrated optical components and optical-related components manufacturer,
with key products such as mobile phone lens sets, vehicle lens sets
and mobile phone camera modules.
Revenues reached RMB19 billion in the 12 months to 30 June 2017.
And, at 30 June 2017, the company was 35.5%
owned by Sun Xu Limited, which is indirectly wholly owned by the
Sunny Group Employee Offshore Trust.
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.
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.
Gerwin Ho
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Corporate Finance 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
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Gary Lau
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 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
Client Service: 852 3551 3077