New York, December 22, 2009 -- Moody's Investors Service downgraded the senior unsecured rating
of American General Finance Corp. (AGFC) to B2 from Baa3 and its
short-term rating to Not Prime from Prime-3. The
short-term ratings of AGFC subsidiary CommoLoCo, Inc.
and direct parent American General Finance Inc. were also downgraded
to Not Prime from Prime-3. The ratings outlook for AGFC's
long-term ratings is negative. This action concludes the
review of AGFC's ratings first initiated on July 31, 2009.
Moody's said that the ratings downgrade primarily reflects Moody's
view that the quality and duration of support from AGFC's ultimate
parent AIG has diminished. As a result, the rating uplift
associated with AIG's support is reduced from several notches to
a single notch above AGFC's stand-alone credit profile.
In Moody's view, AGFC's stand-alone credit profile
is consistent with a low-B rating, driven by liquidity constraints
and weaker operating prospects.
The duration of AIG's support of AGFC is relatively certain through
November 2010, given AIG's statements to this effect in its
financial statement filings with the SEC. Moody's views AIG's
backup support as a critical bridge that reduces the risks associated
with AGFC's efforts to address short-term liquidity issues
and transition towards a more stable funding profile. However,
Moody's believes longer-term support from AIG is less certain because
of AGFC's diminished strategic importance to AIG.
In Moody's view, the quality of AIG's support of AGFC has weakened.
As a reflection of this, AGFC has had to sell receivables at a loss
to generate cash to service debt maturities, in lieu of cash injections
from AIG. In contrast, previous to the onset of financial
stress at AIG, Moody's believes that AIG would have supported AGFC,
avoiding such losses.
Moody's said that AGFC's rating also reflects its stand-alone
profile, which has been weakened by the firm's funding constraints
and deteriorating operating performance. AGFC has historically
relied upon unsecured debt to fund its operations, but it is currently
unable to economically issue unsecured debt in volumes sufficient to refinance
maturating debt. Additionally, AGFC has no un-drawn
capacity under its bank facilities.
To date in 2009, AGFC has executed asset sales and a securitization
to generate cash in advance of 2010 debt maturities of $5.8
billion, including $4 billion of bank debt due in July.
Moody's anticipates that the firm will continue in this vein as
it is unlikely to regain access to the unsecured debt markets in the near-term.
Though necessary, Moody's believes these actions will ultimately
reduce AGFC's financial and operational flexibility. Additionally,
these actions carry execution risks that constrain the firm's ratings.
Moody's said that AGFC's asset performance to date has compared
favorably to other sub-prime mortgage lenders. However,
AGFC has reported seven quarters of pre-tax losses resulting from
higher credit costs, an absence of mortgage banking income,
and declining branch revenues from curtailed origination levels.
Moody's believes AGFC's earnings performance is likely to
continue to be weak through the next several quarters, due to high
unemployment and associated higher-than-normal default experience
and pressure on home values.
AGFC has responded to these conditions by rationalizing operating costs
through branch closures and a reduction in staffing and by selective price
increases. However, in Moody's view, AGFC's
weaker asset performance and associated funding constraints have negative
implications for its franchise strength, because the firm's
home loans, a core product, are now subject to significantly
reduced availability to the firm's customers. Given pressures
on revenue sources and net margins, it is uncertain whether AGFC
will be able to generate sufficient returns to attract new capital.
If AGFC's actions to generate liquidity and strengthen access to
new capital sources are successful, while also preserving key franchise
strengths and generating attractive returns, the firm's stand-alone
credit profile could improve. AGFC's ratings will also incorporate
the effects of any change in ownership, including any support provided
by a new owner.
AGFC's long-term rating outlook is negative, reflecting
continuing adverse funding and operating conditions, execution risks
relating to the firm's liquidity initiatives, and pressures
on operating results. The outlook could be stabilized if AGFC is
able to meet its debt maturities in July 2010, while also demonstrating
an improvement in asset quality and earnings performance.
Moody's noted that its rating of AGFC's equity hybrid trust-preferred
securities issued through AGFC Capital Trust I was downgraded four notches,
versus the five notch downgrade of AGFC's senior unsecured rating.
The narrowing of the notching differential reflects the cumulative nature
of the deferred distributions of the securities upon a mandatory deferral,
and Moody's expectation that AGFC's capital contribution agreement
with AIG will provide the funds required to pay the cumulative distributions.
Ratings affected by today's action include:
American General Finance Corporation:
Long-term Issuer: to B2 from Baa3
Senior Unsecured: to B2 from Baa3
Short-term: to Not Prime from Prime-3
AGFC Capital Trust I:
Preferred Stock: to Caa1 from Ba3
American General Finance Inc.:
Short-term: to Not Prime from Prime-3
CommoLoCo, Inc.:
Short-term: to Not Prime from Prime-3
In its last rating action, on July 31, 2009, Moody's
downgraded AGFC's senior unsecured rating to Baa3 from Baa2 and its short-term
rating to Prime-3 from Prime-2 and placed the firm's ratings
on review for further possible downgrade.
The principal methodology used in rating AGFC is Analyzing the Credit
Risks of Finance Companies, which can be found at www.moodys.com
in the Rating Methodologies sub-directory under the Research &
Ratings tab. Other methodologies and factors that may have been
considered in the process of rating these issuers can also be found in
the Rating Methodologies sub-directory.
American General Finance Corporation, headquartered in Evansville,
Indiana, provides retail consumer finance and credit insurance products
to consumers through a multi-state branch network.
New York
Mark L. Wasden
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
New York
Robert Young
Managing Director
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's downgrades American General Finance Corp. to B2