London, 13 February 2016 -- Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) has today placed on review
for downgrade the A1 senior unsecured ratings of Électricité
de France (EDF) and the Baa1 ratings of its perpetual junior subordinated
notes. Concurrently, Moody's has placed on review for
downgrade the group's Prime-1 short-term ratings.
Moody's has also placed on review for downgrade the Baa1 issuer
rating of EDF's subsidiary EDF Trading Limited (EDFT) and the Baa3
issuer and senior unsecured ratings of EDF's subsidiary Edison S.p.A.
(Edison), which incorporate support from their ultimate parent.
A full list of affected ratings is provided towards the end of this press
release.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The rating review reflects EDF's exposure to a weakening power price
environment. Power prices in France have declined have declined
by 23% in the past three months, reflecting a fall in commodity
prices, notably coal and carbon. Current one-year
forward baseload prices of around EUR27/MWh are below Moody's estimates
published in June 2015 of a EUR36-41/MWh range over 2015-20.
A prolonged period of low power prices will further affect EDF given its
exposure to market-exposed generation activities. Moody's
estimates that approximately 50% of EDF's EBITDA is derived
from market-exposed generation following the end of certain regulated
tariffs in France. In addition, as EDF's generation
fleet is predominantly fixed cost in nature, it is particularly
exposed to movements in wholesale power prices. Nuclear and hydro
made up around 85% of total electricity production of 319 TWh in
the first six months of 2015.
The review of EDF's ratings reflects that, as hedges roll
off, the pressure on cash flows exerted by lower power prices will
result in weaker credit metrics in the next two to three years,
in the absence of material offsetting measures. Moody's notes
that EDF is already weakly positioned against the agency's guidelines
for the current ratings, which include funds from operations (FFO)/net
debt in the high teens to low twenties in percentage terms and retained
cash flow (RCF)/net debt in the mid to upper teens in percentage terms.
Moody's adds that these pressures may further exacerbate the risks
associated with the Hinkley Point C (HPC) project -- should it go
ahead -- and the planned acquisition of AREVA NP.
The review of EDFT's and Edison's ratings follows that of
their ultimate parent EDF given their significant integration into and
close relationship with EDF.
The review will focus on the impact of lower power prices on EDF's
credit metrics. In its assessment, Moody's will consider
any measures that EDF management may take to support the group's
financial profile. Moody's will also take account of any
potential support provided by the French government (Aa2 stable),
EDF's main shareholder with a 84.5% ownership.
Moody's will endeavour to conclude the rating review within 90 days.
WHAT COULD CHANGE THE RATING UP/DOWN
The ratings could be confirmed if the adverse effect of lower power prices
is mitigated so that EDF maintains a financial profile in line with Moody's
guidance as discussed above.
The ratings could be downgraded if (1) EDF proves unable to offset the
impact of lower power prices using mitigating measures to create adequate
financial headroom; or (2) the HPC project and/or the acquisition
of AREVA NP were to go ahead without their risks being adequately mitigated.
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodologies used in rating Electricite de France were
Unregulated Utilities and Unregulated Power Companies published in October
2014, and Government-Related Issuers published in October
2014.
The principal methodology used in rating Edison S.p.A.
was Unregulated Utilities and Unregulated Power Companies published in
October 2014.
The principal methodology used in rating EDF Trading Limited was Trading
Companies published in March 2015.
Please see the Ratings Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS
On Review for Downgrade:
..Issuer: Electricite de France
.... LT Issuer Rating, Placed on Review
for Downgrade, currently A1
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Downgrade, currently A1
....Junior Subordinated Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Downgrade, currently Baa1
....Senior Unsecured MTN, Placed on
Review for Downgrade, currently (P)A1
....BACKED Senior Unsecured MTN, Placed
on Review for Downgrade, currently (P)A1
....BACKED Senior Unsec. Shelf,
Placed on Review for Downgrade, currently (P)A1
....Commercial Paper, Placed on Review
for Downgrade, currently P-1
....BACKED Commercial Paper, Placed
on Review for Downgrade, currently P-1
..Issuer: Edison S.p.A.
.... LT Issuer Rating, Placed on Review
for Downgrade, currently Baa3
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Placed on Review for Downgrade, currently Baa3
....Senior Unsecured MTN, Placed on
Review for Downgrade, currently (P)Baa3
..Issuer: EDF Trading Limited
.... LT Issuer Rating, Placed on Review
for Downgrade, currently Baa1
Outlook Actions:
..Issuer: Electricite de France
....Outlook, Changed To Rating Under
Review From Negative
..Issuer: EDF Trading Limited
....Outlook, Changed To Rating Under
Review From Negative
..Issuer: Edison S.p.A.
....Outlook, Changed To Rating Under
Review From Stable
Headquartered in Paris, France, Électricité
de France is one of Europe's largest integrated utilities,
with reported revenues of EUR72.9 billion in 2014. It is
84.5% owned by the French government.
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 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.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action,
and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit 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.
Paul Marty
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Infrastructure Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Monica Merli
MD - Infrastructure Finance
Infrastructure Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Moody's places EDF's A1/P-1 ratings on review for downgrade