Approximately $6 billion in rated debt affected
New York, August 21, 2013 -- Moody's today downgraded the ratings of Peabody Energy Corporation
(Peabody), including its Corporate Family Rating (CFR) to Ba2 from
Ba1; Probability of Default Rating (PDR) to Ba2-PD from Ba1-PD;
senior unsecured rating to Ba2 from Ba1, and subordinated debt rating
to B1 from Ba3. We also changed Speculative Grade Liquidity (SGL)
rating to SGL-2 from SGL-1. The outlook is stable.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The downgrade reflects the prolonged weak industry conditions for metallurgical
and thermal coal, with little improvement expected over the next
12-18 months. At this level, we expect Peabody's
credit metrics to deteriorate in 2013 over 2012 levels, and weaken
further in 2014, as higher-priced thermal contracts expire
and the low met coal prices persist. We anticipate that Debt/ EBITDA,
as adjusted by Moody's, will range from 5x -- 7x over
the next twelve to eighteen months. We expect operating cash flows
less capex in the $200 million range in 2013, and to approach
zero in 2014 at our pricing assumptions.
Over the next twelve to eighteen months, we anticipate modest volume
growth in the company's PRB operations, along with some spot
price recovery, driven by higher natural gas prices and secular
decline of Central Appalachian coal. But average realizations in
Peabody's US thermal division will decline, as higher-priced
contracts expire. We also anticipate revenue and EBITDA generated
by Peabody's Australian business to decline in 2014, due to
lower metallurgical and seaborne thermal coal prices. We expect
that benchmark settlement prices for high quality metallurgical coal will
improve as compared to the recent $145 settlement, but will
remain below $160, due to additional supplies coming online
worldwide and persistently weak demand from the global steel industry.
We expect that these weak prices will challenge Peabody's Australian
mines, despite the company's efforts to contain costs and
improve productivity.
The Ba2 corporate family rating continues to reflect Peabody's significant
size and scale, broadly diversified reserves and production base,
efficient surface mining operations, and a solid portfolio of long-term
coal supply agreements with electric utilities. The rating also
reflects the company's healthy margins, organic growth opportunities,
and strong management. Challenges for the rating include challenges
facing the US coal industry, the potential volatility of the company's
Australian operations due to its exposure to metallurgical coal,
foreign currency fluctuations, operational risks inherent in the
coal industry, and persistent cost pressures.
The company's Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating of SGL-2
reflects Peabody's cash on hand and substantial revolver capacity.
Peabody has over $500 million in cash and cash equivalents,
and almost full availability of its $1.5 billion revolving
credit facility, which matures in 2015. Peabody's next
significant maturity, $352 million from its term loan facility,
comes due in 2015, followed by roughly $1.4 billion
in term loans and notes in 2016. While we expect Peabody to be
able to access its revolver if necessary, we believe headroom under
covenants could get tight in the second half of 2014. Peabody has
several alternatives for arranging back-door liquidity if necessary.
Peabody's large number of mines and its operational diversity across
the PRB and Illinois Basin give it the flexibility to sell non-core
assets if necessary.
The stable outlook reflects our expectation that continued recovery in
met prices over the medium term, along with cost containment,
will offer support to the company's credit metrics and return Debt/
EBITDA, as adjusted, to levels below 6x on a sustainable basis.
Although upgrade is unlikely in the near term, ratings could be
upgraded if Debt/ EBITDA, as adjusted, was expected to fall
below 4x on sustainable basis.
A downgrade would be considered if liquidity position deteriorated,
Debt/ EBITDA was expected to exceed 6x on sustainable basis, free
cash flows were persistently negative, and/or debt capitalization
ratio was expected to track above 65%.
The principal methodology used in this rating was Global Mining Industry
published in May 2009. Other methodologies used include Loss Given
Default for Speculative-Grade Non-Financial Companies in
the U.S., Canada and EMEA published in June 2009.
Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com for
a copy of these methodologies.
Peabody Energy Corporation is the world's largest private sector coal
company with 28 coal mining operations in the US and Australia and approximately
9 billion tons of proven and probable reserves. In 2012 the company
sold 249 million tons of coal and generated $7.9 billion
in revenues.
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.
Anna Zubets-Anderson
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Brian Oak
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's downgrades Peabody to Ba2; outlook stable