London, 02 March 2011 -- Moody's has placed on review for possible downgrade the ratings
of 220 tranches in 134 European transactions following its initial assessment
of those transactions under the Moody's "Global Structured
Finance Operational Risk Guidelines: Moody's Approach to Analyzing
Performance Disruption Risk" methodology published on March 2nd.
The ratings placed on review for possible downgrade include ratings on
131 tranches from 78 Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, 40
tranches from 26 Asset-Backed Securities, 48 tranches from
29 Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities and one tranche from one structured
credit transaction. The ratings placed on review are mostly Aaa
ratings but include also some Aa and A ratings. For the detailed
list of ratings placed on review because of the new methodology,
please select the link :
ABS: http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBS_SF237748
RMBS http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBS_SF237952
CMBS: http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBS_SF237749
Rationale for Placing the EMEA RMBS and ABS Ratings on Review
The reasons for placing the European RMBS and ABS ratings on review are
the insufficiency of back-up servicing/cash management arrangements
and liquidity arrangements.
As per the new operational guidelines, Moody's has placed
on review ratings from transactions with Baa-rated servicers when
there is no party in place to facilitate a servicing transfer or there
is no rating trigger to appoint a back-up servicer. Moody's
has also placed on review ratings in transactions with lowly rated servicers
when there is no back-up servicer in place or when the back-up
servicer arrangement would not be rapidly operational in the event of
the sudden termination of the original servicer.
The placement of ratings on review also reflects how the new guidelines
address the liquidity mechanism that supports payments on the rated tranches
in the event of servicer disruption. When there is no dedicated
liquidity facility, a reserve fund remains an acceptable mechanism
for providing liquidity support unless asset performance deterioration
is likely to reduce the reserve funds. However in some ABS or RMBS
the current liquidity levels are insufficient under the revised guidelines.
Also, in case of lowly rated servicers, Moody's has
also considered whether the cash manager or back up cash manager would
be able to use available liquidity to make timely payments on the notes
in the event the servicer did not produce its report .
Rationale for European CMBS Placed on Review
For European CMBS transactions, the typical drivers of Moody's
review are the presence of unrated servicers combined with uncertainty
about the cash manager's access to the liquidity facility if the
servicer defaults. Some CMBS transactions require the cash manager
to have a servicer report in order to be able to draw the liquidity facility
and make a timely payment on the notes.
Details on the Structured Credit Transaction Placed on Review
Moody's has placed the A2 rating of the Class A Funding Floating
Rate Notes issued by Tenzing CFO S.A., a CFO exposed
to private equity funds of funds, on review because of the inability
of the issuer to use the liquidity line upon failure of the manager.
In this transaction, the manager is an unrated entity, and
failure to replace it would trigger an event of default under the notes,
which in turn will prevent the issuer from drawing on the liquidity line.
Liquidity lines are key in this long-term buy-and-hold
structure where 1) there is no control over the timing of cash inflows
from the underlying funds of funds, and 2) the issuer needs the
liquidity to fund capital calls by the underlying funds of funds.
For the assessment of the impact of the revised criteria on the existing
stock of ratings, Moody's has assumed a two-notch-downgrade
for servicers or cash managers whose ratings are currently on review for
possible downgrade. If those bank ratings experience more than
two-notch downgrade, Moody's will place additional
structured finance transactions on review for possible downgrade.
Conversely Moody's may confirm some structured finance ratings depending
on the outcome of the bank ratings reviews.
Besides the ratings placed on review today, Moody's notes
that the operational risk methodology affects some structured finance
ratings that were already on review for possible downgrade. When
concluding these rating reviews, Moody's will incorporate
the revised criteria in its analysis and disclose its findings in the
related announcements.
Moody's will complete the review of the ratings watch listed today
because of this new methodology by September 2011, as required by
European regulations. If transactions sponsors implement structural
remedies as described in the guidelines, Moody's will confirm
some of the ratings placed on review.
The lead analyst and rating office for each of the transactions affected
are generally different from the contact and office listed at the end
of this press release. For each transaction, the lead analyst
name is available on the issuer page and the rating office is available
on the ratings tab of the issuer on www.moodys.com.
List of ratings placed on review for possible downgrade:
Issuer: AQUILA (ECLIPSE 2005-1) plc
....GBP377M Class A Notes, Aaa (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Mar 22,
2005 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
....GBP20M Class B Notes, Aa1 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Jan 22,
2010 Upgraded to Aa1 (sf)
Issuer: Atlante Finance Srl
....EUR1202.5M Class A Notes,
Aaa (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
May 30, 2006 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
....EUR28.8M Class B Notes, Aa3
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on May
30, 2006 Definitive Rating Assigned Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: BELLATRIX (ECLIPSE 2005-2) plc
....GBP280M Class A Notes, Aaa (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Aug 11,
2005 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: CENTAURUS (ECLIPSE 2005-3) plc
....EUR0.05M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Dec
22, 2005 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: Cornerstone Titan 2005-1 p.l.c.
....GBP319.62M Class A1 Notes,
Aaa (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Oct 13, 2005 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
....GBP82.86M Class A2 Notes,
Aaa (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Oct 13, 2005 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
....GBP38.48M Class B Notes,
Aa3 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
May 22, 2009 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
....GBP0.05M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Oct
13, 2005 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: Cornerstone Titan 2007-1 p.l.c.
....EUR661M Class A-1 Notes,
Aaa (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Mar 9, 2007 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
....EUR333M Class A-2 Notes,
Aa3 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Oct 8, 2009 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
....EUR0.1M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Mar
9, 2007 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: DRACO ECLIPSE (2005-4)
....GBP210.9M Class A Notes,
Aaa (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Dec 20, 2005 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: European Property Capital 3 p.l.c.
....EUR311.5M Class A Notes,
Aaa (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Sep 25, 2009 Confirmed at Aaa (sf)
Issuer: European Property Capital 4 p.l.c.
....GBP261.325M Class A Notes,
Aaa (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Oct 19, 2006 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: FIP Funding S.r.l.
....EUR600M Class A1 Notes, Aa2 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Nov 30,
2008 Confirmed at Aa2 (sf)
....EUR1393.56M Class A2 Notes,
Aa2 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Nov 30, 2008 Confirmed at Aa2 (sf)
Issuer: Fornax (Eclipse 2006-2) B.V.
....EUR104.481M Class A Notes,
Aa1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Nov 18, 2009 Downgraded to Aa1 (sf)
....EUR263.193M Class B Notes,
Aa1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Nov 18, 2009 Downgraded to Aa1 (sf)
....EUR0.1M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Sep
22, 2006 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: German Residential Funding p.l.c.
....EUR1700M Class A1 Notes, Aaa (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Aug 22,
2006 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: Hercules (Eclipse 2006-4) plc
....GBP666M Class A Notes, Aa2 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Jun 10,
2009 Downgraded to Aa2 (sf)
Issuer: Imser Securitisation 2 S.r.l.
....EUR102.663M Class A1a Notes,
Aa3 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
May 28, 2009 Confirmed at Aa3 (sf)
....EUR175.896M Class A1b Notes,
Aa3 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
May 28, 2009 Confirmed at Aa3 (sf)
....EUR186.02M Class A2a Notes,
Aa3 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
May 28, 2009 Confirmed at Aa3 (sf)
....EUR35M Class A2b Notes, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on May 28,
2009 Confirmed at Aa3 (sf)
....EUR53.555M Class A3a Notes,
Aa3 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
May 28, 2009 Confirmed at Aa3 (sf)
....EUR75M Class A3b Notes, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on May 28,
2009 Confirmed at Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: INDUS (ECLIPSE 2007-1) plc
....GBP0.1M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Apr
13, 2007 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: Island Refinancing S.r.l.
....EUR257M Class A - 2007 Notes,
Aaa (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Dec 13, 2007 Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: JUNO (ECLIPSE 2007-2) LTD
....EUR0.6M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on May
30, 2007 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: Quokka Finance p.l.c.
....EUR400M Class A Notes, Aa1 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Oct 13,
2009 Downgraded to Aa1 (sf)
Issuer: TALISMAN-3 FINANCE PLC
....EUR27.5M Class B Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Dec
12, 2007 Upgraded to Aaa (sf)
....EUR27.5M Class C Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Jun
4, 2010 Confirmed at Aaa (sf)
....EUR0.05M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Jun
7, 2006 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: Talisman-4 Finance plc
....EUR570M Class A Notes, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on May 25,
2010 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: TALISMAN-5 FINANCE PLC
....EUR415M Class A Notes, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Dec 4,
2009 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: TAURUS CMBS (PAN-EUROPE) 2006-3 P.L.C.
....EUR336M Class A Notes, Aa2 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Oct 2,
2009 Downgraded to Aa2 (sf)
Issuer: TAURUS CMBS (PAN-EUROPE) 2007-1 LIMITED
....EUR407.6M Class A1 Notes,
Aa1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Oct 26, 2009 Downgraded to Aa1 (sf)
Issuer: TAURUS CMBS (UK) 2006-2 P.L.C.
....GBP364M Class A Notes, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Jul 10,
2009 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: Titan Europe 2006-1 p.l.c.
....EUR433.76M Class A Notes,
Aa1 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Jul 1, 2010 Downgraded to Aa1 (sf)
Issuer: TITAN EUROPE 2006-2 p.l.c.
....EUR0.05M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on May
31, 2006 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: TITAN EUROPE 2006-3 p.l.c.
....EUR471.975M Class A Notes,
Aa2 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Mar 9, 2010 Downgraded to Aa2 (sf)
....EUR0.05M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Jun
27, 2006 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: Titan Europe 2006-5 p.l.c.
....EUR0.05M Class X Notes, Aaa
(sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Dec
21, 2006 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
Issuer: TITAN EUROPE 2007-2 LIMITED
....EUR971.8M Class A1 Notes,
Aaa (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on
Jun 19, 2007 Definitive Rating Assigned Aaa (sf)
....EUR243M Class A2 Notes, Aa1 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade; previously on Oct 15,
2009 Downgraded to Aa1 (sf)
London
Viola Karoly
Analyst
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
London
Christophe de Noaillat
Senior Vice President
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
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 reviews ratings of European structured finance transactions following new operational risks criteria