Singapore, October 20, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has today placed Vedanta Resources Limited's
B1 corporate family rating (CFR) under review for downgrade. Concurrently,
Moody's has placed under review for downgrade the B3 ratings on the senior
unsecured bonds issued by Vedanta and those issued by its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Vedanta Resources Finance II Plc, and guaranteed
by Vedanta, affecting USD4.2 billion in outstanding debt.
The ratings outlook was changed to ratings under review from negative.
RATINGS RATIONALE / FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE
OF THE RATINGS
"The review follows an increase in refinancing risk and significant
funding needs at the holding company level, following Vedanta Resources'
failure to acquire the balance shareholding in key subsidiary Vedanta
Limited that would have improved access to group cash," says
Kaustubh Chaubal, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Credit
Officer.
On 10 October, the company announced that its voluntary delisting
offer -- to acquire the balance shareholding in key subsidiary Vedanta
Limited and then delisting it from the stock exchange -- had failed
at the reverse book building stage. The total number of shares
tendered by Vedanta Limited's public shareholders fell 7%
short of the mandatory minimum 90% for successful delisting.
Moody's had viewed the proposed delisting as a credit positive and
a step forward in simplifying the group's complex shareholding structure,
that would have allowed for better access to consolidated cash while avoiding
leakage during dividend distributions. With the failed delisting,
the holding company's liquidity risk has increased with around USD2.9
billion in debt maturities between April 2020 and March 2022 (including
a USD120 million revolving credit facility repayable in February 2021
and USD425 million - the remainder of Volcan's debt to privatize
Vedanta Resources) and annual interest payments of USD470 million each
year.
Moody's expects the holding company to arrange part of the required funds
from intercompany loans from foreign subsidiaries, dividends from
operating subsidiaries and continued refinancing. However,
falling bond prices and widening yields on the company's USD bonds
cast downside risks to the holding company's ability to refinance
in a timely manner. More importantly, in order to maintain
its current ratings, Vedanta would need to secure long-term
refinancing and demonstrate its continued access to financing from relationship
banks, especially at the holding company.
Moody's review will focus on the holding company's ability to refinance
its upcoming debt maturities in the fiscal year ending March (fiscal 2021)
and fiscal 2022. Moody's expects to conclude the review within
90 days.
In the first half of the fiscal 2020, Vedanta Limited raised around
USD1.3 billion in new debt facilities by pledging its 14.82%
shareholding in cash-rich and profitable 64.9% owned
subsidiary Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL). Moody's assesses
the share pledge, the holding company's persistently weak
liquidity and refinancing needs as indicators of an aggressive risk appetite
with implications for the company's financial strategy and risk
management, a component of our governance risk assessment framework.
Today's rating action considers the impact of Vedanta's governance
practices on its credit profile.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Mining published in
September 2018 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1089739.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
Vedanta Resources Limited, headquartered in London, is a diversified
resources company with interests mainly in India. Its main operations
are held by Vedanta Ltd, a 50.1%-owned subsidiary.
Through Vedanta Resources' various operating subsidiaries, the group
produces oil and gas, zinc, lead, silver, aluminum,
iron ore and power.
Delisted from the London Stock Exchange in October 2018, Vedanta
Resources is now wholly owned by Volcan Investments Ltd. Founder
chairman of Vedanta Resources, Anil Agarwal, and his family,
are the key shareholders of Volcan.
For the 12 months to 31 March 2020, Vedanta Resources generated
revenues of USD11.8 billion and adjusted EBITDA of USD3.4
billion.
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.
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Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
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At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s)
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Kaustubh Chaubal
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
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Ian Lewis
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
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