Hong Kong, November 12, 2015 -- Moody's Investors Service has placed AVIC International Holding Corporation's
Baa3 issuer rating on review for downgrade.
At the same time, Moody's has placed on review for downgrade the
Baa3 rating on the senior unsecured bond issued by AVIC International
Finance & Investment Ltd and guaranteed by AVIC International.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The rating review reflects our concern over the company's persistently
high leverage and the challenging operating environment for its property
segment," says Joe Morrison, a Moody's Vice President and
Senior Credit Officer, and also the International Lead Analyst for
AVIC International.
AVIC International's contracted sales in its property segment for the
first nine months of 2015 were lackluster. Its aggressive land
acquisitions and weak property sales have led to a large increase in inventory,
thereby putting pressure on its cashflow. While the performances
of other key segments such as international aviation, electronics,
consumer and retail were stable, the resources development and investment
businesses remained loss-making.
Moody's notes that AVIC International has secured additional long-term
capital, including the RMB1.73 billion in proceeds from an
equity placement by its subsidiary, Tianma Micro-electronics
Co., Ltd (unrated), and RMB8 billion from the issuance
of perpetual notes in 2014. AVIC International's shareholders
also injected equity of RMB11.2 billion to the company.
"However, such fund raising is insufficient to offset the
company's weaker-than-expected operating performance,"
says Pingping Xing, a Moody's Assistant Vice President, and
also the Local Market Analyst for AVIC International.
Moody's estimated that the company's adjusted debt/EBITDA
ratio exceeded 11x at the end of June 2015, which is inconsistent
with its standalone credit profile.
AVIC International's Baa3 rating includes a four-notch uplift,
based on Moody's expectation that the company will receive a high level
of support from its parent, Aviation Industrial Corporation of China
(AVIC) (unrated), in a stress situation.
Moody's points out that it is unclear as to whether AVIC International
can improve its financial profile. Improvements will depend on
the company's commitment to a more prudent growth approach,
and the performance of its key profit contributors, in particular
its property business and raising of additional equity.
Moody's review will focus on AVIC International's: (1) business
strategy and financial policy in managing its growth plans, against
the backdrop of a difficult operating environment; (2) plans to reduce
its high debt level; (3) ability to improve its property segment's
performance; (4) equity raising plan by AVIC International and its
subsidiaries.
Moody's will also review parent AVIC's willingness and capability
to support AVIC International, under the context of ongoing reform
of state-owned enterprises. The company's continued
rising leverage trend without the parent's commitment to provide
tangible financial support, including meaningful equity injections
or guarantees to prevent further deterioration of AVIC International's
credit profile, could indicate a potentially weaker-than-expected
parental support level.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Business and Consumer
Service Industry published in December 2014. Please see the Credit
Policy page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
AVIC International Holding Corporation is 62.52% owned by
its parent, Aviation Industrial Corporation of China (AVIC).
The company is its parent's largest subsidiary by revenue and profit contribution.
It is also AVIC's key platform for the parent company's international
aviation businesses.
AVIC International also aggregates most of AVIC's non-aviation
related businesses, including property, commodity trading,
construction, retail, consumer products, high-tech
electronics, and resources development. Its revenues for
the twelve months ended 30 June 2015 totaled RMB139 billion.
AVIC is wholly owned by China's central government. It aggregates
the sovereign's aviation industry and is the sole producer of military
aircraft and other aviation products for China's army. It also
manufactures civil airplanes and owns a diversified portfolio of non-aviation-related
businesses. AVIC's 2014 revenues totaled RMB384 billion.
The Local Market Analyst for this rating is Pingping Xing, +86
10 6319 6561
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.
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.
Joe Morrison
VP - Senior Credit Officer
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
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Gary Lau
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: (852) 3758 -1350
SUBSCRIBERS: (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
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Moody's places AVIC International's ratings on review for downgrade