Hong Kong, July 11, 2017 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned a first-time Baa3 issuer
rating to Yinchuan Tonglian Capital Investment Operation Co. Ltd.
(Tonglian).
At the same time, Moody's has also assigned a Baa3 senior
unsecured rating to the proposed USD bond to be issued by Tonglian.
The proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including
the construction of Binhe New District Industrial Park in Yinchuan.
The rating outlook is stable.
RATINGS RATIONALE
Tonglian's Baa3 issuer rating incorporates its baseline credit assessment
(BCA) of b1 and a four-notch uplift from our expectation of high
support from the Yinchuan Municipal Government (Yinchuan government) in
times of stress.
"The high government support reflects Tonglian's strategic
importance to the Yinchuan government, given its status as this
government's largest state-owned company and its indispensable
role in undertaking a large amount of infrastructure projects and public
sector services essential to the daily lives of residents and economic
development in Yinchuan," says Chenyi Lu, a Moody's
Vice President and International Market Analyst for Tonglian.
Tonglian has a close relation with the Yinchuan government, as reflected
by the following: 1) the company more than doubled its asset base
to RMB42 billion between 2013 and 2016 due to asset injections by the
Yinchuan government; 2) its board members are all appointed by the
Yinchuan government; 3) it continues to receive large amounts of
government subsidies; and 4) most of its debt has been raised for
government-related projects and is supported by the annual budgets
of the Yinchuan government.
We expect this close relationship to continue in the next 2-3 years.
We consider Yinchuan's ability to provide support to Tonglian as
strong. As the capital city of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
(Ningxia), Yinchuan accounted for about half of Ningxia's
GDP in 2016 and has received large transfers of payments from the central
government via the Ningxia government.
The favorable character of national policy towards the development and
stabilization of the northwestern part of China, including Ningxia
with its substantial Muslim population, will support Yinchuan's
economy and indirectly enhance Tonglian's debt-servicing
capacity.
Tonglian's b1 BCA reflects its large business portfolio, including
municipal infrastructure projects, public transportation,
affordable housing development, water supply, book stores
and cultural assets. Its BCA also reflects the limited level of
counterparty risk against the Yinchuan government, towards which
Tonglian's revenues and profits are mainly exposed.
Nevertheless, Tonglian's BCA is constrained by its small scale
of revenues and cash flows. The company's revenues of RMB2.2
billion in 2016, which mainly comprised government repurchases of
its infrastructure projects, are small when compared with other
similarly rated companies. Cash inflows from these projects will
spread across many years in the future.
Tonglian also has high leverage. We expect that its debt/EBITDA
ratio will be high at about 15.0x in the next 1-2 years,
versus 11.7x in 2016, as it continues to incur debt for its
infrastructure projects.
In addition, Tonglian's short history, evolving corporate
structure and undertaking of more commercial projects, such as the
textile production facilities in the Binhe New District, also expose
it to rising operating risks, increase its debt financing needs,
gradually reduce its dependence on the government, and raise overall
corporate credit risk.
Tonglian has a modest liquidity profile. Its cash balance of RMB3
billion was insufficient to cover the RMB3.9 billion in short-term
debt at end-2016. However, the company has good access
to domestic funding channels, including bank loans and the public
bond market, given its strong linkage with the Yinchuan government.
The rating outlook is stable, reflecting (1) the consideration that
the company's standalone credit profile will remain appropriate at its
current level over the next 12-18 months; and (2) the expectation
of continued support from the Yinchuan government.
Upward rating pressure is limited, given the company's high financial
leverage and the ongoing evolution of policies surrounding the debt of
local government-owned entities.
However, the rating would be considered for an upgrade if there
is (1) a material improvement in its business and financial profile;
or (2) an improvement in the transparency of the policy framework for
the funding of the repayment of its debt.
The rating would be considered for downgrade, if (1) there are signs
of weakening government support, or if the Yinchuan government's
own credit profile weakens significantly, or if the Yinchuan government
ceases to own a controlling stake in Tonglian; (2) it expands aggressively
in the area of commercial operations, which would weaken its strategic
importance to the Yinchuan government; (3) its financial profile
weakens materially; or (4) the policy framework for local government
financing evolves in a manner that increases the risk that its debt will
not be supported by the Yinchuan government.
The methodologies used in these ratings were Construction Industry published
in March 2017, and Government-Related Issuers published in
October 2014. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
Yinchuan Tonglian Capital Investment Operation Co. Ltd.
is 100% owned by the Yinchuan Municipal Government. It engages
in the construction of municipal infrastructure projects, public
transportation, water supply, and the retailing of books,
etc. in Yinchuan, the capital city of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous
Region. Its revenues totaled RMB2.2 billion in 2016.
The Local Market analyst for this rating is Cindy Yang, +86
(10) 6319 6570.
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.
Chenyi Lu
VP - Senior Credit Officer
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