Approximately $261 million of asset-backed securities affected
New York, December 02, 2011 -- Moody's has placed under review for possible upgrade 9 securities form
3 securitizations sponsored by Ford Motor Credit Company ("Ford Credit").
The securities were issued in 2011.
RATINGS
Issuer: Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 2011-1
Class B, Aa1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade;
previously on Feb 1, 2011 Assigned Aa1 (sf)
Class C, Aa2 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade;
previously on Feb 1, 2011 Assigned Aa2 (sf)
Class D, A1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade;
previously on Feb 1, 2011 Assigned A1 (sf)
Issuer: Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 2011-A
Cl. B, Aa1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade;
previously on Feb 1, 2011 Definitive Rating Assigned Aa1 (sf)
Cl. C, Aa2 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade;
previously on Feb 1, 2011 Definitive Rating Assigned Aa2 (sf)
Cl. D, A1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade;
previously on Feb 1, 2011 Definitive Rating Assigned A1 (sf)
Issuer: Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 2011-2
Class B, Aa1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade;
previously on May 16, 2011 Assigned Aa1 (sf)
Class C, Aa2 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade;
previously on May 16, 2011 Assigned Aa2 (sf)
Class D, A1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade;
previously on May 16, 2011 Assigned A1 (sf)
RATINGS RATIONALE
The actions were prompted by a downward revision of collateral loss expectations.
Despite the transactions' low seasoning since closing, the
improved performance can be attributed to a combination of strong underlying
loan credit characteristics and healthy used vehicle market that is maintaining
high recoveries on repossessions.
Below are key performance metrics and credit assumptions for each affected
transaction. Credit assumptions include Moody's expected lifetime
cumulative net loss expectation (CNL) which is expressed as a percentage
of the original pool balance; and Moody's lifetime remaining CNL
expectation which are expressed as a percentage of the current pool balance
(adjusted for yield supplement overcollateralization (YSOC)). Performance
metrics include pool factor which is the ratio of the current collateral
balance and the original collateral balance at closing; total credit
enhancement (expressed as a percentage of the outstanding collateral pool
balance adjusted for YSOC) which typically consists of subordination,
overcollateralization, reserve fund; and YSOC. The YSOC
compensates for the lower APR on the subvened loans.
Issuer: Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 2011-1
Lifetime CNL expectation -- 0.90% to 1.00%,
prior expectation (closing) was 1.75%
Pool factor -70%
Total credit enhancement (excluding excess spread & YSOC): Class
B -- 10%
Total credit enhancement (excluding excess spread & YSOC): Class
C -- 5%
Total credit enhancement (excluding excess spread & YSOC): Class
D -- 2%
Yield Supplement OC -- Approximately 15.7%
Issuer: Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 2011-A
Lifetime CNL expectation -- 0.90% to 1.25%,
prior expectation (closing) was 1.75%
Pool factor -70%
Total credit enhancement (excluding excess spread & YSOC): Class
B -- 7%
Total credit enhancement (excluding excess spread & YSOC): Class
C -- 5%
Total credit enhancement (excluding excess spread & YSOC): Class
D -- 2%
Yield Supplement OC -- Approximately 9.3%
Issuer: Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 2011-2
Lifetime CNL expectation -- 0.90% to 1.25%,
prior expectation (closing) was 1.50%
Pool factor -77%
Total credit enhancement (excluding excess spread & YSOC): Class
B -- 9%
Total credit enhancement (excluding excess spread & YSOC): Class
C -- 4%
Total credit enhancement (excluding excess spread & YSOC): Class
D -- 2%
Yield Supplement OC -- Approximately 16.0%
The performance expectations for a given variable indicate Moody's forward-looking
view of the likely range of performance over the medium term. From
time to time, Moody's may, if warranted, change these
expectations. Performance that falls outside the given range may
indicate that the collateral's credit quality is stronger or weaker than
Moody's had anticipated when the related securities ratings were issued.
Even so, a deviation from the expected range will not necessarily
result in a rating action nor does performance within expectations preclude
such actions. The decision to take (or not take) a rating action
is dependent on an assessment of a range of factors including, but
not exclusively, the performance metrics.
Primary sources of assumption uncertainty are the current macroeconomic
environment, in which unemployment continues to remain at elevated
levels, and strength in the used vehicle market. Moody's
currently views the used vehicle market as much stronger now than it was
at the end of 2008 when the uncertainty relating to the economy as well
as the future of the U.S auto manufacturers was significantly greater.
Overall, Moody's expects overall a sluggish recovery in most of
the world's largest economies, returning to trend growth rate with
elevated fiscal deficits and persistent unemployment levels.
The principal methodology used in these notes was " Moody's Approach
to Rating U.S. Auto Loan Backed Securities (2011)" rating
methodology published in May 2011. Other methodologies and factors
that may have been considered in the process of rating these notes can
also be found on Moody's website. Further information on Moody's
analysis of this transaction is available on www.moodys.com.
Moody's Investors Service did not receive or take into account a third
party due diligence report on the underlying assets or financial instruments
related to the monitoring of this transaction in the past 6 months.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
Although this credit rating has been issued in a non-EU country
which has not been recognized as endorsable at this date, this credit
rating is deemed "EU qualified by extension" and may still be used by
financial institutions for regulatory purposes until 31 January 2012.
ESMA may extend the use of credit ratings for regulatory purposes in the
European Community for three additional months, until 30 April 2012,
if ESMA decides that exceptional circumstances arise that may imply potential
market disruption or financial instability. Further information
on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that has issued
a particular Credit Rating is available on www.moodys.com.
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides relevant 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 relevant 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 relevant 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
Information sources used to prepare the credit rating are the following:
parties involved in the ratings, public information and confidential
and proprietary Moody's Investors Service information.
Moody's Investors Service considers the quality of information available
on the issuer or obligation satisfactory for the purposes of maintaining
a credit rating.
Moody's adopts all necessary measures so that the information it uses
in assigning a rating is of sufficient quality and from sources Moody's
considers to be reliable including, when appropriate, independent
third-party sources. However, Moody's is not an auditor
and cannot in every instance independently verify or validate information
received in the rating process.
Please see the ratings disclosure page on www.moodys.com
for information on (A) MCO's major shareholders (above 5%) and
for (B) further information regarding certain affiliations that may exist
between directors of MCO and rated entities as well as (C) the names of
entities that hold ratings from MIS that have also publicly reported to
the SEC an ownership interest in MCO of more than 5%. A
member of the board of directors of this rated entity may also be a member
of the board of directors of a shareholder of Moody's Corporation;
however, Moody's has not independently verified this matter.
Please see Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions on the Rating Process
page on www.moodys.com for further information on the meaning
of each rating category and the definition of default and recovery.
Please see ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for the last rating action and the rating history. The date on
which some ratings were first released goes back to a time before Moody's
ratings were fully digitized and accurate data may not be available.
Consequently, Moody's provides a date that it believes is the most
reliable and accurate based on the information that is available to it.
Please see the ratings disclosure page on our website www.moodys.com
for further information.
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.
Alda F. Sanchez
Associate Analyst
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Eric Fellows
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Structured Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's reviews Ford prime auto loan ABS from 2011 for possible upgrade