Hong Kong, May 16, 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the corporate family rating (CFR) of Sunac China Holdings Limited to Ca from Caa1, and the company's senior unsecured ratings to C from Caa2.
The outlook remains negative.
"The downgrade reflects our expectation of weak recovery prospects for Sunac's bondholders following its interest payment default," says Kelly Chen, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst.
Sunac announced on 12 May 2022 that it had missed an interest payment on its 7.95% senior notes due October 2023 after the expiration of a 30-day grace period[1].
The negative outlook reflects Moody's view that the recovery prospects for Sunac's creditors could weaken further.
RATINGS RATIONALE
Sunac's Ca CFR reflects the company's interest payment default on one of its senior notes , limited financial flexibility and weak recovery prospects for its creditors. Sunac's missed interest payment could trigger a cross default and accelerate the repayment of the company's other debt obligations.
As a result, the company will likely go through a debt restructuring process and have to rely on asset sales or investments from potential investors to generate funds for debt servicing. However, these fundraising activities entail high execution risk and the recovery prospects for creditors remain uncertain.
Sunac's senior unsecured debt rating is one notch lower than the CFR because of structural subordination risk. Most of Sunac's claims are at the operating subsidiary level and have priority over claims at the holding company in a liquidation scenario. In addition, the holding company lacks significant mitigating factors for structural subordination. Consequently, the expected recovery rate for claims at the holding company is lower.
In terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations, Moody's has considered the company's concentrated ownership and significant investments in its joint ventures (JVs).
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
An upgrade is unlikely given the negative outlook.
However, positive rating momentum could develop if Sunac repays its maturing debt and improves its liquidity position materially.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Homebuilding And Property Development Industry published in January 2018 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1108031. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2010, Sunac China Holdings Limited is an integrated residential and commercial property developer with projects in China's main economic regions. The company develops a diverse range of properties, including high-rise and mid-rise residences, detached villas, townhouses, retail properties, offices and car parks. As of the end of June 2021, Sunac's land bank by attributable gross floor area in China, including those of its joint ventures and associates, was 164 million square meters. Its revenue was RMB230.6 billion ($35.5 billion) in 2020.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security 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 credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit 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.
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c.With Access to Management: NO
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The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed by Moody's Investors Service Limited, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit rating agencies in the UK. Further information on the UK endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.
REFERENCES/CITATIONS
[1] The announcement was released on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
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.
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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.
Chen Chen
Vice President - Senior Analyst
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
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Franco Leung
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 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
Client Service: 852 3551 3077