Frankfurt am Main, July 03, 2015 -- Moody's Investors Service today downgraded State of Lower Austria's issuer
and debt ratings to Aa1 (from Aaa) and outlook changed to negative.
The action reflects the state's indirect and direct exposure to Heta Asset
Resolution AG (Heta, Carinthian-State-guaranteed senior
unsecured debt rated Ca, negative) and Pfandbriefbank (Oesterreich)
AG , its relatively high outstanding debt level compared to other
Austrian peers, and the expected negative impact of Austria's economic
slowdown on the state's financial performance.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The rating action reflects Moody's assessment that the State of Lower
Austria remains exposed to publicly-owned banks Heta Asset Resolution
AG (Heta, Carinthian-State-guaranteed senior unsecured
debt rated Ca, negative) and Pfandbriefbank (Oesterreich) AG (Ba1,
negative) via its 100%-ownership of Hypo NOE Gruppe Bank
AG (Hypo NOE, not rated). Pfandbriefbank is supported by
all its member banks, Hypo NOE being one of them.
Pfandbriefbank came under stress after the regulator (Financial Markets
Authority; FMA) in Austria imposed a payment moratorium on the liabilities
of Heta to which Pfandbriefbank had a EUR1.2 billion exposure at
that time in March 2015. The state of Lower Austria stepped in
to provide liquidity support, reflecting the state's willingness
to fulfill its obligation, irrespective of potential conflict with
EU-state aid rules.
Lower Austria's net direct and indirect debt is expected at a relatively
high about 100% of operating revenues over 2015 to 2016 and Moody's
expects this to remain at elevated levels over the medium term.
In addition, we believe the state may fall short of its projected
budgetary targets in the medium term because of a slowing economy.
RATIONALE FOR THE NEGATIVE OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects the continued uncertainty around the wind
down of Heta and exposure to the Austrian public sector banks via Hypo
NOE.
What Could Change the Rating - Up
Albeit unlikely in the medium term given the negative outlook, the
state's ratings could be upgraded if Moody's assesses the state's exposure
to risk from Austrian public sector banks as materially decreased.
In addition, structural improvement of financial performance and
declining debt levels could lead to an upward rating pressure.
What Could Change the Rating - Down
The state's ratings could be downgraded if Moody's assesses the risk related
to Austrian public sector banks has materially increased. In addition,
a weakening of financial performance could also result in a lower rating.
Lower Austria's credit rating could also come under pressure if any risk
from HypoNOE crystallises or if the creditworthiness of the sovereign
deteriorated.
The specific economic indicators, as required by EU regulation,
are not available for Lower Austria, State of. The following
national economic indicators are relevant to the sovereign rating,
which was used as an input to this credit rating action.
Sovereign Issuer: Austria, Government of
GDP per capita (PPP basis, US$): 46,420 (2014
Actual) (also known as Per Capita Income)
Real GDP growth (% change): 0.3% (2014 Actual)
(also known as GDP Growth)
Inflation Rate (CPI, % change Dec/Dec): 1.5%
(2014 Actual)
Gen. Gov. Financial Balance/GDP: -2.4%
(2014 Actual) (also known as Fiscal Balance)
Current Account Balance/GDP: 1.8% (2014 Actual) (also
known as External Balance)
External debt/GDP: [not available]
Level of economic development: Very High level of economic resilience
Default history: No default events (on bonds or loans) have been
recorded since 1983.
On 01 July 2015, a rating committee was called to discuss the rating
of the Lower Austria, State of. The main points raised during
the discussion were: The issuer has become increasingly susceptible
to event risks.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Regional and Local
Governments published in January 2013. Please see the Credit Policy
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
The weighting of all rating factors is described in the methodology used
in this rating action, if applicable.
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.
The following information supplements Disclosure 10 ("Information
Relating to Conflicts of Interest as required by Paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(J)
of SEC Rule 17g-7") in the regulatory disclosures made at
the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for each credit rating as indicated:
Moody's was not paid for services other than determining a credit
rating in the most recently ended fiscal year by the person that paid
Moody's to determine this credit rating.
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.
Harald Sperlein
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Sub-Sovereign Group
Moody's Deutschland GmbH
An der Welle 5
Frankfurt am Main 60322
Germany
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
David Rubinoff
MD - Sub-Sovereigns
Sub-Sovereign Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's Deutschland GmbH
An der Welle 5
Frankfurt am Main 60322
Germany
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Moody's downgrades Lower Austria's ratings to Aa1; outlook negative.