Hong Kong, August 28, 2015 -- Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the insurance financial strength
rating of AIG Taiwan Insurance Co Ltd (AIG Taiwan) to A3 from A2.
The rating outlook is stable.
This rating action concludes the review for possible downgrade initiated
on June 15, 2015.
The review followed American International Group, Inc.'s
(AIG, Baa1 stable) announcement on June 11, 2015 that AIG
Asia Pacific Insurance Pte Ltd. (AIG API, insurance financial
strength rating A2 stable) will sell its 100% stake in AIG Taiwan
to Nan Shan Life Insurance Co Ltd (unrated) for a consideration of TWD4.923
billion (US$158 million).
This transaction will follow the transfer of renewal rights and existing
reserves of the commercial insurance business of AIG Taiwan to a new Taiwanese
branch of AIG API. Until the close of the transaction, AIG
Taiwan will continue to benefit from internal reinsurance with AIG.
The transaction is expected to close in 2H 2016, subject to necessary
regulatory approvals.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The downgrade mainly reflects the removal of parental support from
AIG since AIG announced its intention to sell AIG Taiwan to Nan Shan Life,"
says Sally Yim, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Credit
Officer.
"AIG Taiwan's rating is now determined by our longer-term
view of the company's standalone credit profile and also takes into
account its future credit profile as a subsidiary of Nan Shan Life,"
adds Yim.
AIG Taiwan's A3 rating is one notch higher than its previous baa1
standalone credit profile, considering that -- following
the transfer of the commercial lines to AIG API -- it will effectively
become focused on the consumer as well as small- and medium-sized
enterprise (SME) businesses.
"On a pro forma basis, we expect AIG Taiwan's capitalization
to remain strong. Its exposure to catastrophe risk will also fall
as many of its auto and SME policies do not have catastrophe cover,"
says Yim.
In addition, the product profile will become more granular and carry
a lower level of risk, as the company's focus will be on auto
and other short-tail consumer lines, as compared to the more
volatile commercial risks that will be transferred to AIG API.
AIG Taiwan will also be able to leverage the large agency force and brand
of Nan Shan Life, which is the third-largest life insurer
in Taiwan with a 14.2% market share in 2014, for its
distribution and marketing.
Nonetheless, the company's business scale will remain small
in the beginning. In addition, it will lose the income stream
and diversification derived so far from its commercial business.
Moreover, the Taiwanese property casualty insurance market remains
highly competitive. Therefore, it is difficult for insurers
to raise premium rates, which in turn constrains profitability.
There is also uncertainty with regard to strategic direction, investment
and capital management under Nan Shan Life's ownership.
RATING DRIVERS
Given that it will take some time before Nan Shan Life will fully integrate
the business of AIG Taiwan, the possibility for an upgrade is limited.
However, over the longer term, the rating could be upgraded
if AIG Taiwan 1) builds its business scale with a higher market share;
2) improves its profitability, with a return-on-capital
consistently above 12%; and/or 3) maintains a low level of
catastrophe exposure relative to capital.
On the other hand, AIG Taiwan's rating could be downgraded
if 1) its profitability declines substantially, with return-on-capital
consistently below 4%; 2) its product profile becomes more
risky with significant lumpy exposures which could cause a higher level
of earnings volatility; 3) its capitalization deteriorates substantially
with gross underwriting leverage at 3.0x or above; and/or
4) the credit profile of Nan Shan Life deteriorates significantly which
would cause a disruption to AIG Taiwan's market position and distribution.
The principal methodology used in this rating was Global Property and
Casualty Insurers published in August 2014. Please see the Credit
Policy page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
Headquartered in Taipei, AIG Taiwan Insurance Co Ltd is a property
casualty insurer offering auto, marine & energy, liability,
accident & health, and financial lines insurance, among
other lines. At end-2014, total assets and shareholders'
equity were TWD11.3 billion and TWD3.7 billion, respectively.
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 rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular
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 rating action, and
whose ratings may change as a result of this 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.
Sally Yim
VP - Senior Credit Officer
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
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Stephen Long
MD - Financial Institutions
Financial Institutions Group
JOURNALISTS: (852) 3758 -1350
SUBSCRIBERS: (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
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Moody's downgrades AIG Taiwan's rating to A3 from A2; outlook stable