Hong Kong, February 04, 2016 -- Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the senior unsecured rating for
the bonds issued by AVIC International Finance & Investment Limited
and guaranteed by AVIC International Holding Corporation (AVIC International)
to Ba1 from Baa3.
At the same time, Moody's has assigned a Ba1 corporate family rating
to AVIC International and withdrawn the company's issuer rating.
The outlook on the ratings is negative.
These rating actions conclude Moody's rating review of AVIC International
initiated on 12 November 2015.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The downgrade reflects our concern on the company's persistently
high leverage, as a result of its aggressive land acquisition,
low levels of profitability and consistently negative free cash flows
from operations," says Joe Morrison, a Moody's Vice President
and Senior Credit Officer, and also the International Lead Analyst
for AVIC International Holding.
Moody's expects that AVIC International Holding will register a
debt/EBITDA around 11x for full year 2015. This level would no
longer support a Baa3 rating and would be weak for its lowered standalone
credit profile.
AVIC International's Ba1 rating continues to incorporate a four-notch
uplift, based on Moody's expectation that the company will receive
a high level of support from its parent, Aviation Industrial Corporation
of China (unrated), in a stress situation. Its parent is
100% owned by the Chinese government (Aa3 stable) through the State-owned
Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.
AVIC International's high leverage is largely driven by debt incurred
through its property segment's aggressive land acquisitions over
the last two years and weak contracted sales. Moody's estimates
that around 50% of the company's total debt is used to support
land acquisitions. These acquisitions have driven up its inventory
levels and pressured its operating cash flows.
While the performances of other key business segments such as international
aviation, electronics, consumer and retail were stable in
2015, its resources development and investment businesses remained
loss-making.
Moody's notes that AVIC International intends to improve its debt leverage
by reducing its presence in the property business through the sale of
its subsidiaries or asset disposals. However, Moody's
points out that it is unclear as to whether or not the company can execute
its deleverage plan as scheduled, given the challenges in the Chinese
property market for lower-tier cities.
AVIC International has secured additional long term capital, such
as the RMB5.4 billion in equity placements by its subsidiaries,
Tianma Micro-electronics Co., Ltd (unrated) and Fiyta
Holdings Ltd (unrated), as well as RMB5.1 billion from the
issuance of perpetual securities in the six months to 31 December 2015.
Moody's considers the perpetual securities as debt like instruments.
"While these capital raisings have partially alleviated AVIC International's
near-term funding pressures, the equity issuance by its subsidiaries
is insufficient to address our concerns over the company's high
debt leverage without material debt reduction through equity raising or
assets disposal," says Pingping Xing, a Moody's Assistant
Vice President and Analyst, and also the Local Market Analyst for
AVIC International Holding.
AVIC International's liquidity profile is weak.
While its internally generated cash flows and cash on hand are insufficient
to fund its projected capital spending and short-term debt maturities,
Moody's expects that the company can roll-over its short term borrowings
and maintain access to funding markets, given its status as a key
subsidiary of a state-owned enterprise.
The negative outlook on the ratings reflects the uncertainties as to whether
or not AVIC International can execute its deleverage plan over the next
12-18 months. Any improvement in its credit profile will
depend on the strength of its commitment to its deleverage plan,
and the performance of its key profit contributors, particular its
Real Estate & Hotel Management business.
Upward ratings pressure is limited over at least the next 1-2 years,
given the negative ratings outlook.
Nevertheless, the outlook could return to stable if the company
lowers its debt levels over the next 12-18 months; in particular,
if its: (1) adjusted debt/EBITDA falls below 7.0x-8.0x;
and (2) adjusted debt/capitalization falls below 70% on a consistent
basis.
On the other hand, AVIC International's ratings will be downgraded
if:
(1) It fails to implement a deleverage plan;
(2) It continues to adopt an aggressive debt-funded growth approach;
(3) Its underlying business performance deteriorates materially;
and
(4) There is evidence of weakening support from its parent, or its
parent's credit profile weakens significantly, or if its parent
ceases to own a controlling stake in AVIC International.
The credit metrics that Moody's will consider for a downgrade include:
adjusted debt/EBITDA, and/or adjusted debt/capitalization in excess
of 8.0x and 70%, respectively over the next 12-18
months.
The principal methodology used in rating AVIC International Holding Corporation
was Business and Consumer Service Industry published in December 2014.
The principal methodology used in rating AVIC International Finance &
Investment Limited was Rating Transactions Based on the Credit Substitution
Approach: Letter of Creditbacked, Insured and Guaranteed Debts
published in December 2015. Please see the Ratings Methodologies
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.
AVIC International Holding Corporation is 62.52% owned by
its parent, Aviation Industrial Corporation of China (AVIC).
The subsidiary represents its parent's largest by revenue and profit contribution.
It is also AVIC's key platform for the parent company's international
aviation businesses.
AVIC International also aggregates most of AVIC Group's non-aviation
related businesses, including property, commodity trading,
construction, retail, consumer products, high-tech
electronics, and resources development. Its revenues in the
12 months ended 30 June 2015 totaled RMB139 billion.
AVIC is wholly owned by China's central government. It aggregates
China's aviation industry and is the sole producer of military aircraft
and other aviation products for China's army. It also manufactures
civil airplanes and owns a diversified portfolio of non-aviation-related
businesses. AVIC's 2014 revenues totaled RMB384 billion.
The Local Market analyst for this rating is Pingping Xing, +86
10 6319 6561.
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.
Joe Morrison
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
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Gary Lau
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance 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 AVIC International to Ba1; outlook negative