New York, October 10, 2008 -- Moody's Investors Service upgraded its preferred stock rating on
Wachovia Corporation to A3 from Ba3. Also, it changed the
direction of Moody's review of Wachovia's long-term
debt and deposit ratings from direction uncertain to a review for possible
upgrade. It also changed the review on Wachovia's B financial
strength rating to possible upgrade from possible downgrade. Moody's
affirmed Wachovia's Prime-1 short term ratings.
The rating actions follow the announcement that Wells Fargo has signed
a definitive agreement to acquire Wachovia Corporation. Last week,
Moody's downgraded the preferred stock of Wachovia Corporation to
Ba3 from A3 and placed Wachovia's other debt and deposit ratings
under review with direction uncertain after Citigroup, Inc.
announced its intention to acquire the bank and thrift assets and liabilities
and the senior and subordinated debt of Wachovia Corporation for $2.1
billion.
In a separate rating action, Moody's placed the ratings of
Wells Fargo & Company (senior at Aa1) and subsidiaries (lead bank
at Aaa for deposits and A for financial strength) on review for possible
downgrade (please see related press release issued today). Moody's
said that Wachovia Corporation's ratings will be dependent on the
outcome of its review of Wells Fargo's (senior at Aa1) ratings,
which are higher than Wachovia's.
The substantial increase in Wachovia's preferred stock rating to
A3 from Ba3 is in response to Wells Fargo's intent to assume all
debt obligations of Wachovia Corporation. Last week, Wachovia's
preferred stock ratings were severely downgraded because Citigroup announced
it did not intend to assume Wachovia's preferred securities,
raising the possibility that they would be part of the capital structure
in a highly leveraged entity. The current A3 on Wachovia's
preferred stock, which is two notches lower than Wachovia's
senior rating, is consistent with Moody's current notching
practices reflecting subordination of claim. In the review process,
Moody's will also consider the evolving nature of the recent actions
taken by regulators in the United States, and the ratings implications
of these actions on the firm's various classes of creditors.
Rating action are:
Upgrades:
..Issuer: First Fidelity Bancorporation
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Upgraded to A3 from Ba3
..Issuer: Wachovia Corporation
....Multiple Seniority Shelf, Upgraded
to (P)A3 from (P)Ba3
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Upgraded to A3 from Ba3
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Upgraded
to (P)A3 from (P)Ba3
On Review for Possible Upgrade:
..Issuer: Central Fidelity Capital Trust I
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: Congress Financial Capital Company
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A1
..Issuer: CoreStates Capital I
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: CoreStates Capital II
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: CoreStates Capital III
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: First Union Capital I
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A1
..Issuer: First Union Capital II
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: First Union Capital III
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A2
..Issuer: First Union Institutional Capital I
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: First Union National Bank of Florida
....Subordinate Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa3
..Issuer: Golden West Financial Corporation
....Issuer Rating, Placed on Review
for Possible Upgrade, currently A1
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A1
..Issuer: Meridian Bancorp, Inc.
....Multiple Seniority Shelf, Placed
on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A3
..Issuer: South Carolina National Corporation
....Subordinate Medium-Term Note Program,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: SouthTrust Bank
....Subordinate Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa3
..Issuer: SouthTrust Bank of Georgia, N.A.
(Old)
....Subordinate Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: SouthTrust Corporation
....Subordinate Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: Wachovia Bank, N.A.
....Bank Financial Strength Rating,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently B
....Issuer Rating, Placed on Review
for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
....OSO Senior Unsecured OSO Rating,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
....Multiple Seniority Bank Note Program,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa3
....Multiple Seniority Medium-Term
Note Program, Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently
Aa3
....Subordinate Bank Note Program, Placed
on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa3
....Subordinate Conv./Exch.
Bond/Debenture, Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently
Aa3
....Subordinate Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa3
....Senior Unsecured Bank Note Program,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
....Senior Unsecured Deposit Note/Takedown,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
....Senior Unsecured Conv./Exch.
Bond/Debenture, Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently
Aa2
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
....Senior Unsecured Deposit Rating,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
..Issuer: Wachovia Bank, N.A.
(Old)
....Senior Unsecured Bank Note Program,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa3
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently
Aa3
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa3
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust I
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust II
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust III
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A3
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A2
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust IV
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust IX
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A3
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust V
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust VII
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A2
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust VIII
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A2
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust X
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A3
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust XI
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A3
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust XII
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A3
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust XIII
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A3
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust XIV
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A2
..Issuer: Wachovia Capital Trust XV
....Preferred Stock Shelf, Placed on
Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A3
..Issuer: Wachovia Corporation
....Junior Subordinated Shelf, Placed
on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A2
....Multiple Seniority Medium-Term
Note Program, Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently
A2
....Multiple Seniority Shelf, Placed
on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A2
....Subordinate Medium-Term Note Program,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
....Subordinate Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
....Senior Unsecured Conv./Exch.
Bond/Debenture, Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently
A1
....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note
Program, Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently
A1
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A1
..Issuer: Wachovia Corporation (Old)
....Multiple Seniority Shelf, Placed
on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently (P)A2
....Subordinate Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
....Senior Subordinated Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A2
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A1
..Issuer: Wachovia Preferred Funding Corp.
....Preferred Stock Preferred Stock,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently A3
..Issuer: Western Financial Bank, F.S.B.
....Subordinate Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa3
..Issuer: World Savings Bank, FSB
....Bank Financial Strength Rating,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently B
....Issuer Rating, Placed on Review
for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
....OSO Senior Unsecured OSO Rating,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
....Senior Unsecured Deposit Rating,
Placed on Review for Possible Upgrade, currently Aa2
Wachovia Corporation is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.
Its reported assets as of June 30, 2008 were $812 billion.
New York
Robert Young
Managing Director
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
New York
Sean Jones
Senior Vice President
Financial Institutions Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's lifts Wachovia's preferred stock (to A3 from Ba3); all ratings may rise