Hong Kong, May 02, 2017 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Baa3 long-term issuer
rating and a Prime-3 short-term issuer rating to Orient
Securities Company Limited (Orient Securities).
The ratings outlook is stable.
This is the first time that Moody's has assigned ratings to Orient Securities.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The Baa3 long-term issuer rating reflects Orient Securities'
standalone assessment of ba2 and a two-notch uplift based on our
assumption of a high level of support from Shenergy (Group) Co Ltd (unrated)
and the Chinese government (Aa3 negative) in times of stress.
STANDALONE ASSESSMENT
The ba2 standalone assessment reflects Orient Securities' (1) stable
and experienced management, (2) improved liquidity and funding position,
and (3) relatively robust internal controls.
However, it also reflects the company's (1) relatively large
proprietary business, resulting in a relatively high level of investment
risk, (2) relatively volatile profitability, and (3) rapid
asset growth which is faster than the industry average.
Established in 1997, Orient Securities is a medium-sized
securities company ranked tenth in terms of total assets at end-2015
in China with various business lines, including brokerage,
securities underwriting, principal financial investment, financial
advisory, equity investment, asset management, futures
trading, margin financing and securities lending. In addition,
it has a national distribution network.
When compared to other rated securities companies in China, Orient
Securities has a more stable management. Most of its senior management
have worked in the company for more than 15 years. It has also
developed its good franchise on asset management via its actively managed
asset management products and its affiliate, China Universal Asset
Management Co Ltd (unrated), which was the 12th largest fund manager
in China in terms of assets under management (AUM) at end-2016.
The company has also improved its liquidity and funding positions in the
past few years. It materially increased its long-term funding
following its issuance of different long-term debt, its A-share
listing in March 2015, and its H-share listing in July 2016.
At end-2016, the company's total long-term funding,
including long-term liabilities and total equity, accounted
for 42% of its total assets, up from 30% at end-2014.
As it had raised an additional RMB6.3 billion in net new capital
from its H-share listing in July 2016, its leverage ratio
((tangible assets + off-balance-sheets exposures)/tangible
common equity) reduced to 5.3x at end-2016 from 6.0x
at end-2015. Excluding customers' deposits from calculation,
the company's leverage reduced to 4.3x at end-2016
from 4.7x at end-2015. The company is also working
on its A-share private placement now.
Orient Securities is one of a few securities companies in China which
has not encountered major regulatory issues in the past few years.
Its regulatory score has remained at AA over this time, which could
indicate that it has relatively robust internal controls.
However, the company's relatively high exposure to proprietary
trading business offsets its credit strengths. Its financial securities
investments accounted for around 47% of its total assets at end-2016,
higher than most of its rated peers, indicating that it has a greater
level of investment risk. The high exposure to proprietary trading
business partly results in a relatively high level of pretax profit volatility.
Most of the company's proprietary trading exposure is in fixed income
instruments.
Orient Securities' return on average assets (ROAA) was around 4.7%
in 2015 due to a flourishing stock market in 1H2015, but then fell
to around 1.2% in 2016. The A-share market
index trended down in 2016 with significant decline in trading volume.
Since the firm has gradually diversified its business to also include
wealth management, asset management, investment banking and
securities lending businesses, its relatively high earnings volatility
is expected to moderate.
Moody's also believes the firm's rapid asset growth will increase
its market, credit and operational risks. In 2014 and 2015,
total asset growth year on year were 77% and 93% respectively,
faster than the industry average.
SUPPORT ASSESSMENT
Moody's high level of affiliate support assumption is based on Moody's
assessment of Orient Securities' strategic importance to Shenergy Group,
which is in turn wholly owned by the Shanghai Municipal Government.
Shenergy Group is primarily engaged in gas sales, coal-fired
power generation and financial investment, mainly in Shanghai.
Shenergy Group has long been the largest shareholder of Orient Securities,
holding a 24.7% shareholding at end-2016.
Moody's also believes that the comfort letter provided by Shenergy
Group, which states that it will support the company's debt
services and provide lending and capital support, could reflect
the group's strong willingness of support to Orient Securities,
in times of stress. In the past, Shenergy had supported Orient
Securities' liquidity by subscribing to the company's subordinated
debt issuance and providing credit facilities.
At the same time, given Orient Securities' position as a medium-sized
securities firm in China by total assets and its 47.6% combined
ownership by Shanghai state-owned enterprises (SOEs), including
Shenergy Group and other SOEs, at end-September 2016,
Moody's sees a high probability that the Chinese government would support
it -- in times of need -- to maintain stability
in China's financial system.
What Could Change the Rating -- Up
Orient Securities' ratings could be upgraded if the firm (1) maintains
the adjusted funding and liquidity ratios at above 100%; (2)
stabilizes pre-tax earnings volatility to below 80%;
(3) further diversifies its business mix away from proprietary trading
business; and (4) lowers its leverage ratio to below 4.5x.
Orient Securities' ratings could also be upgraded if (1) China's
capital markets continue to deepen without episodes of high volatility,
and industry consolidation improves the pricing power of leading players;
or (2) Moody's assesses that the support from Shenergy Group to
Orient Securities will increase.
What Could Change the Rating -- Down
Orient Securities' ratings could be downgraded if we assesses that
the government or Shenergy Group's willingness and ability to support
the firm weaken.
Orient Securities' ratings could also be downgraded if the firm
(1) encounters a material deterioration in profitability; (2) experiences
a material weakening in its financial position, for example,
due to a substantial increase in leverage to above 6x, and/or deterioration
of its liquidity position; and/or (3) becomes subject to regulatory
sanctions that impair its franchise and management stability.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Securities Industry
Market Makers published in February 2017. Please see the Rating
Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this
methodology.
Orient Securities Company Limited is headquartered in Shanghai.
It reported assets of RMB212.4 billion at end-2016.
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.
Sean Hung
Asst Vice President - Analyst
Financial Institutions 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
Minyan Liu
Associate Managing Director
Financial Institutions 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