Stockholm, March 01, 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has today
confirmed Swedbank AB's (Swedbank) long-term deposit and
senior unsecured debt ratings and placed the ratings on negative outlook.
This rating action concludes the review for downgrade on Swedbank's
deposit and senior unsecured debt ratings initiated on 5 October 2021
following the Swedish resolution authority's proposal for updated
Minimum Requirements for Eligible Liabilities and Own Funds (MREL) which
will result in Swedish banks needing to issue lower levels of additional
loss-absorbing debt. The rating action also takes into account
the bank's current capital and funding plan.
Swedbank's Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) of baa1 remains unaffected
by the rating action.
The full list of the affected ratings can be found at the end of this
press release.
RATINGS RATIONALE
AFFIRMATION OF DEPOSIT AND SENIOR UNSECURED RATINGS
The rating action reflects Moody's expectation that Swedbank will issue
sufficient junior debt instruments to fulfil both the Swedish National
Debt Office's (SNDO) revised MREL requirements by the 1 January
2024 deadline, as well as to maintain significant additional precautionary
management buffers.
While the SNDO's updated MREL decision - implementing the
updated Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD2) in Sweden -
will result in Swedbank issuing a lower volume of additional loss-absorbing
junior senior instruments, (i.e. senior non-preferred
debt, SNP) than under the requirements previously in force,
Moody's on balance expects Swedbank to issue sufficient levels of
senior non-preferred debt to support a three notch uplift under
the agency's Advanced Loss Given Failure (LGF) analysis.
Moody's will continue to monitor the bank's capital and funding
plan, including minimum issuance targets, closely to assess
the sustainability of the expected liability structure over the longer
term.
OUTLOOK
The negative outlook on the long-term deposit and senior unsecured
ratings reflects the downside risk that Swedbank may not issue sufficient
senior non-preferred debt to support the three notch uplift above
the baa1 BCA, given uncertainties around the pace of balance sheet
growth and as the bank may reduce its management buffer, which currently
is planned to be very significant, above the minimum requirements.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
Swedbank's BCA and Adjusted BCA could be upgraded if the company
demonstrates it has fully addressed previous and ongoing governance,
steering and cultural shortcomings. In addition, associated
risks need to have dissipated without a negative impact on the bank's
financial profile or its franchise compared to the current positioning
of the BCA.
The BCA and Adjusted BCA could be downgraded were there: (1) further
concerns come to light regarding governance resulting in a sustained loss
in clients, business or investor confidence, exerting pressure
on the bank's financial profile, (2) heightened risks of a significant
fine or operational constraint that would reduce the bank's earnings or
capital, or (3) signs that funding becomes significantly more costly
or access to certain markets becomes more limited.
The deposit and senior unsecured debt ratings could also be downgraded
should the bank's balance sheet management result in a thinner cushion
of liabilities and capital ranking below Swedbank's junior depositors
and senior unsecured creditors to the extent it no longer justify an extremely
low loss given failure assessment for senior liabilities in Moody's
LGF analysis.
LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS
..Issuer: Swedbank AB
Confirmations:
....Long-term Issuer Rating,
Confirmed at Aa3, Outlook Changed To Negative From Ratings Under
Review
....Long-term Deposit Note/CD Program,
Confirmed at (P)Aa3
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Confirmed at (P)Aa3
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Confirmed at Aa3, Outlook Changed To Negative From Ratings Under
Review
....Long-term Bank Deposit Ratings,
Confirmed at Aa3, Outlook Changed To Negative From Ratings Under
Review
Affirmations:
....Short-term Bank Deposit Ratings,
Affirmed P-1
....Short-term Deposit Note/CD Program,
Affirmed P-1
....Short-term Deposit Note/CD Program,
Affirmed (P)P-1
Outlook Action:
....Outlook, Changed To Negative From
Ratings Under Review
..Issuer: Swedbank Mortgage AB
Confirmations:
....Long-term Issuer Rating,
Confirmed at Aa3, Outlook Changed To Negative From Ratings Under
Review
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Confirmed at (P)Aa3
Outlook Action:
....Outlook, Changed To Negative From
Ratings Under Review
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Banks Methodology
published in July 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1269625.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity
analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity
to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and
Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of
debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures
in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the
same series, category/class of debt, security 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.
The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entities or their designated
agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.
These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for
Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its
website www.moodys.com.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and
governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1288235.
The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was
issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed by
Moody's Investors Service Limited, One Canada Square, Canary
Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit rating
agencies in the UK. Further information on the UK endorsement status
and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on
www.moodys.com.
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.
Louise Welin
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service (Nordics) AB
Norrlandsgatan 20
Stockholm 111 43
Sweden
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Simon Ainsworth
Associate Managing Director
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service (Nordics) AB
Norrlandsgatan 20
Stockholm 111 43
Sweden
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454