Hong Kong, April 30, 2019 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has today revised to positive
from stable the outlook for Longfor Group Holdings Limited ("Longfor").
At the same time, Moody's has affirmed Longfor's Baa3
issuer and senior unsecured ratings.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The revision to positive for Longfor's outlook reflects our
expectation that the improvement in the company's financial metrics
will be sustained at levels that are strong when compared with its Baa3-rated
Chinese property peers over the next 12-18 months,"
says Kaven Tsang, a Moody's Senior Vice President.
"Furthermore, Longfor will continue to grow its investment
property portfolio, which will further strengthen the company's
cash flow stability and debt servicing abilities," adds Tsang,
who is also Moody's Lead Analyst for Longfor.
Specifically, Moody's expects Longfor's revenue/adjusted
debt will improve to 100%-105% over the next 12-18
months from around 96% in 2018.
Meanwhile, its EBIT/interest will remain strong at 7.0x-7.5x
over the next 12-18 months — despite a slight decline in
its profit margin — compared with 7.4x in 2018.
Moody's also expects that Longfor's rental income/gross interest
will continue to rise to around 95% over the next 12-18
months from 84% in 2018.
These financial metrics are strong when compared with its Baa3-rated
Chinese property peers.
Longfor's financial strength is a result of its balanced approach
towards business growth, cash flow stability and disciplined financial
management.
The company has prudent sales growth and land bank expansion targets,
with an aim to control its debt growth and risks. It has also carefully
scaled its construction progress according to market demand.
Moody's expects that Longfor will grow its contracted sales —
including its share in joint ventures — to RMB240 billion in 2020
from RMB200 billion in 2018. Meanwhile, its rental income
will grow to RMB6.5-RMB7.0 billion over the next
12-18 months from RMB4.1 billion in 2018.
Additionally, the company will control its year-over-year
debt growth at around 15%-20% per annum over the
12-18 months from its total reported debt of RMB119.8 billion
at 31 December 2018.
Longfor's Baa3 issuer rating reflects its strong brand name,
good geographic diversification and track record of resilient sales growth
through cycles. The company has an adequately balanced land bank
across major regions in China (A1 stable), which can support business
growth over the next three to four years.
Longfor's growth strategy in residential development will expose the company
to industry cyclicality and execution risks, as well as increased
funding needs. However, the company's prudent approach to
financial management and good access to bank lending and the capital markets
would buffer it against stress during a market downturn.
Longfor's liquidity is strong, underpinned by its prudent
liquidity management, strong ability to generate operating cash
flow and good access to funding. Its cash/short-term debt
was strong at 3.85x at 31 December 2018.
Moody's expects that the company's cash holdings and operating
cash flow will be sufficient to cover its short-term debt and total
committed outstanding land payments over the next 12 months.
Longfor's issuer and senior unsecured ratings are unaffected by subordination
to claims at the operating company level. This is because despite
its status as a holding company with a majority of claims in the operating
subsidiaries, creditors of Longfor benefit from the group's diversified
business profile, with cash flow generation across a large number
of operating subsidiaries and different business segments in property
development, retail mall and apartment leasing. Such business
diversification mitigates structural subordination risk.
Upward ratings pressure could emerge if Longfor grows its operating scale
while (1) maintaining a strong liquidity position, with its cash/short-term
debt of more than 2.5x; (2) improving its revenue/debt to
more than 105%-115% and EBIT/interest to more than
6.0x; or (3) strengthening its recurring rental income/interest
coverage to above 95%-100%.
A ratings downgrade is unlikely given the positive outlook.
However, Moody's could revise the outlook to stable if the
company shows (1) a significant deterioration in sales; (2) a weakening
in its liquidity position, with its cash/short-term debt
below 1.5x; or (3) a more aggressive debt-funded expansion
that results in a weakening in its credit metrics, such that revenue/debt
fails to trend towards 105%, EBIT/interest falls below 5.5x-6.0x
on a sustained basis, or recurring rental income/interest coverage
fails to progress towards 95%.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Homebuilding And Property
Development Industry published in January 2018. Please see the
Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of
this methodology.
Longfor Group Holdings Limited is a leading developer in China's residential
and commercial property development sector. Founded in 1994,
the company began its business in Chongqing and has since established
a solid brand name in the Chongqing municipality.
As of 31 December 2018, Longfor had an attributable land bank of
45.6 million square meters in gross floor area, spanning
44 cities in five major regions in China.
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.
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when it maintains an overall relationship with Moody's. Unless
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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
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Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
The first name below is the lead rating analyst for this Credit Rating
and the last name below is the person primarily responsible for approving
this Credit Rating.
Kaven Tsang
Senior Vice President
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Hong Kong Ltd.
24/F One Pacific Place
88 Queensway
Hong Kong
China (Hong Kong S.A.R.)
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Franco Leung
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Hong Kong Ltd.
24/F One Pacific Place
88 Queensway
Hong Kong
China (Hong Kong S.A.R.)
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077