New York, September 08, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") assigned
a B3 rating to CNX Resources Corporation's (CNX) proposed additional
$200 million 7.250% senior unsecured notes due 2027.
The outlook is negative. All other ratings of CNX are not affected.
"CNX is successfully managing its refinancing requirements and is positioning
its operations to generate free cash flow and continue to reduce leverage,"
said Elena Nadtotchi, VP-Senior Credit Officer at Moody's.
Assignments:
..Issuer: CNX Resources Corporation
....Senior Unsecured Notes, Assigned
B3 (LGD5)
RATINGS RATIONALE
The proposed senior unsecured notes are rated B3, two notches below
the CFR level, given the significant size of the secured credit
facility in the capital structure that has a priority claim and security
over substantially all of the company's assets. The new notes will
be rated at the same level and rank equally with CNX's existing
senior unsecured notes and benefit from the same set of guarantees by
operating subsidiaries.
CNX's B1 CFR is supported by its proactive management of liquidity,
refinancing risks and commodity price risks. CNX maintains an extensive
hedging program with minimal commodity price risk in 2020 and high coverage
in 2021-22 and beyond. In response to declining natural
gas prices, CNX reduced capital investment to keep production level
flat in 2020-2021 and should generate sizable positive FCF,
supported by its hedging revenues. Moody's expects CNX to maintain
solid leverage metrics underpinned by its hedging arrangements.
The B1 rating further reflects CNX's single basin concentration in Appalachia,
subjecting its natural gas production to material basis differentials,
that the company hedges.
CNX maintains adequate liquidity. The liquidity position is improving
and is underpinned by Moody's expectation that the E&P business will
generate sizable positive FCF in 2020-21 as it cut its capital
investment and benefits from extensive hedging. Liquidity is also
supported by its committed secured revolving credit facility that matures
in April 2024 and which, as of June 2020, had a borrowing
base of $1.9 billion. As of June 30, 2020,
CNX reported $1.2 billion availability under its secured
credit facility and full compliance under covenants. The facility
includes two financial covenants (a maximum net leverage ratio of 4.0x
and a minimum current ratio of 1x) and Moody's expects CNX to remain in
compliance with covenants though 2021.
The terms of the facility also include the springing maturity clause bringing
its maturity forward to January 2022, if more than $500 million
of CNX's senior unsecured 2022 notes remain outstanding at that time.
In 2020, CNX used its operating cash flows and executed a number
of transactions to refinance its 2022 notes, including placing $345
million 2022 convertible notes. The proceeds of the new issuance
and borrowings are expected to be used to redeem the remaining outstanding
amounts under the 2022 notes. Going forward, Moody's
expects CNX to use most of its FCF to reduce overall leverage.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
CNX's ratings may be upgraded if the company demonstrates replacement
of reserves amid modest growth in production and broader recovery in natural
gas sector and maintains solid leverage with RCF/debt above 30%
and debt/production below $10,000/boe, with sustained
solid profitability and capital returns, with LFCR maintained above
1.5x.
Deteriorating cash margins, capital returns and operating cash flow
or a substantial increase in leverage with RCF/debt declining below 20%
could result in a downgrade of the ratings.
CNX Resources Corporation is a sizable publicly traded independent exploration
and production company operating in the Appalachian Basin. It controls
substantial resources in Marcellus and Utica Shale.
The methodologies used in this rating were Independent Exploration and
Production Industry published in May 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1056808,
and Midstream Energy published in December 2018 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1147839.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
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.
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.
The rating has been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s)
and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.
This rating is solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy
for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on
its website www.moodys.com.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social
and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.
The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was
issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed
by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt
am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph
3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies.
Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's
office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.3437130
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.
Elena Nadtotchi
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Steven Wood
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653