Paris, July 01, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") has
today confirmed the B3 corporate family rating (CFR) of eDreams ODIGEO
S.A. (eDreams or the company). The rating agency
has also confirmed eDreams' probability of default rating (PDR) at B3-PD,
and has confirmed the Caa1 rating on the €425 million senior secured
notes due 2023. Concurrently, Moody's has changed the outlook
to negative from ratings under review on the company's CFR, PDR
and rating on the €425 million senior secured notes due 2023.
This rating action concludes the review for downgrade that was initiated
on 03 April 2020.
"The decision to confirm eDreams' rating at B3 and change the outlook
to negative reflects the significant impact that the coronavirus outbreak
and the ensuing economic downturn is expected to have on the company's
financial performance during the course of 2020" said Fabrizio Marchesi,
Vice President-Senior Analyst and Moody's lead analyst for the
company. "That said, it also takes into account the
expectation of a gradual recovery in travel volumes from 2021 onwards
and the company's adequate liquidity position" added Mr.
Marchesi.
RATINGS RATIONALE
Although eDreams performed well in the period to December 2019,
achieving, for instance, a Moody's-adjusted (gross)
debt/EBITDA ratio of 3.5x as at 31 December 2019, its credit
quality is expected to deteriorate significantly going forward because
of the impact that coronavirus-related travel restrictions are
having on bookings and hence earnings and cash flows. The rating
agency estimates that the company's Moody's adjusted EBITDA
will fall towards €30-35 million in its fiscal year ended
31 March 2021, from €122 million in the LTM period to December
2019, with Moody's adjusted (gross) leverage increasing to
around 16x as at 31 March 2021.
The company is expected to benefit from an improvement in air traffic
volumes, which are anticipated to gather pace into the company's
fiscal 2022 and lead to a recovery in Moody's adjusted EBITDA towards
€75-85 million, and an improvement in Moody's
adjusted leverage towards 7x, by fiscal year end 31 March 2022.
While this leverage will remain high for the B3 rating, this is
partially offset by eDreams' adequate liquidity. Liquidity
amounted to €241 million at the end of December 2019, and is
expected to cover the cash outflows related to an unwind of the company's
net working capital during the course of the first half of 2021 and until
an improvement in travel bookings take place.
eDreams' B3 CFR is constrained by (1) the company's geographic
concentration in Southern Europe and France, which together represented
around half of its revenue; (2) industry risks, including value
chain disintermediation from airlines or other intermediaries; (3)
exposure to paid search costs and overall sensitivity to variable costs
per booking; and (4) the risks of exogenous shocks (including terrorism
and pandemics).
Nevertheless, the company's rating benefits from (1) good
competitive positioning within the European OTA industry, particularly
within the flight segment, and in the company's main markets of
France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the UK and the
Nordics; and (2) continued migration to the online travel market
from high-street travel agencies.
Moody's regards the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under its ESG
framework, given the substantial implications for public health
and safety. Today's action reflects the impact of the breadth and
severity of the shock, as well as the expect impact on the credit
quality of the company.
From a governance standpoint, eDreams, as a listed entity,
provides more transparency when compared to similarly-rated,
privately held companies. Its board is composed of nine members
and is somewhat diversified - apart from 4 proprietary members
(2 each from Ardian and Permira), it is also composed of the CEO,
the CFO and 3 independent directors (including the chairman of the board).
LIQUIDITY
Moody's views eDreams' liquidity as adequate. The company's
liquidity consisted of €72 million of cash on balance and a largely
undrawn €175 million revolving credit facility (RCF) as at 31 December
2019. Although we anticipate a significant portion of this liquidity
will be used to fund working capital outflows, we also expect liquidity
to reach a trough during the company's fiscal first quarter and
rebuild as travel volumes recover, albeit slowly, from June
2020 onwards.
Importantly, management secured a waiver on the RCF's springing
gross leverage covenant for fiscal 2021. This covenant is set at
6x gross leverage, and tested if the RCF is drawn by more than 30%.
A breach of this covenant constitutes an event of default.
STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
The company's capital structure consists of (1) a €175 million super-senior
revolving credit facility maturing in 2023; and (2) €425 million
of senior secured notes also maturing in 2023.
The senior secured notes rank behind the super-senior facility
and their security is limited largely to share pledges.
RATING OUTLOOK
The negative outlook is driven by the significant uncertainty regarding
the depth and duration of the current decline in global demand for travel
related services and any associated rebound in travel volumes across global
regions and within regional borders.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
Positive rating pressure is not expected in the short to medium term.
However, the rating could be stabilized if (1) it becomes clear
that the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on travel volumes and economic
activity will be less pronounced than anticipated; (2) Moody's-adjusted
leverage is forecast to improve to around 5.0x on a sustained basis;
(3) cash flow generation turns positive on a sustained basis, and
(4) liquidity is maintained at an adequate level.
Conversely, negative rating pressure could occur if (1) travel volumes
fail to recover to the degree currently anticipated, leading to
a more significant or prolonged decline in profitability and a deterioration
in interest cover to below 1.5x; and (2) Moody's-adjusted
leverage remains above 6.0x and if this is not sufficiently compensated
by positive Moody's adjusted free cash flow (FCF) or adequate liquidity.
A sustained deterioration in the company's liquidity or heightened
concerns regarding the ability of the company to meet its obligations
as they fall due could also lead to negative rating action.
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Business and Consumer
Service Industry published in October 2016 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1037985.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
COMPANY PROFILE
eDreams is the largest OTA in the European flight segment. It was
formed in 2011 when Axa (now Ardian) and Permira acquired Opodo and merged
it with their existing portfolio travel companies to create a European
rival to Expedia Group, Inc. eDreams was listed in Spain
in 2014. In fiscal 2019, the company reported revenue and
company-adjusted EBITDA of €551 million and €120 million,
respectively.
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
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The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated
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Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
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and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.
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Fabrizio Marchesi
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's France SAS
96 Boulevard Haussmann
Paris 75008
France
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Jeanine Arnold
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's France SAS
96 Boulevard Haussmann
Paris 75008
France
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454