Approximately EUR2.2 billion of debt securities affected.
Milan, December 18, 2009 -- Moody's Investors Service has downgraded several notes issued by Sestante
Finance S.r.l.: Sestante Finance S.r.l.
Series 2004 ("Sestante 2004"), Sestante Finance S.r.l.
Series 2005 ("Sestante 2005"), and Sestante Finance S.r.l.
Series 2006 ("Sestante 2006"). A detailed list of the rating actions
can be found at the end of the press release.
All notes were placed on review on 24th of July 2009 due to worse-than-expected
performance. Today's rating actions conclude the review and take
into account increased loss expectations for the three mortgage portfolios
backing the notes. On the 26th of January 2009 Moody's had already
downgraded the class C2 notes of Sestante 2006 to Ba1 from Baa3 and had
confirmed all other ratings following a reviewed prompted by the exposure
of these transactions to Lehman. At that time, the rating
agency had taken comfort from the size of the credit enhancement available
in these transactions. However, since this review,
delinquencies and defaults have increased steeply in all three transactions.
In Sestante 2006, delinquencies 90+ days were at 7.70%
of current balance on the last payment date in October 2009. Cumulative
defaults had reached 4.77% of original balance. In
Sestante 2005, delinquencies 90+ reached 5.32%,
while defaults increased to 3.45%. In Sestante 2004,
delinquencies 90+ days were at 5.81% and defaults had
increased to 3.74%. Recovery flows have been very
limited in all transactions, remaining below 1% of cumulative
defaults.
Moody's notes that all three transactions have depleted their reserve
funds. On the last payment date in October 2009, Sestante
2004 was unable to pay the whole amount of the scheduled amortisation
of the class C2 notes. Both Sestante 2005 and Sestante 2006 recorded
an unpaid principal deficiency ledger (PDL) in the same period,
amounting to 0.38% and to 1.39%, respectively,
of the current outstanding amount of the class A, B and C1 notes.
Moody's notes that if delinquencies and defaults increase further,
a portion of the pro-rata class C1 and C2 interest may remain unpaid
on the next payment dates.
As part of its analysis, Moody's has assessed updated loan-by-loan
information to determine the credit support consistent with target rating
levels and the volatility of the distribution of future losses.
As a result, Moody's has updated its MILAN Aaa credit enhancement
(MILAN Aaa CE) assumptions to 10.5%, 14% and
20% for Sestante 2004, Sestante 2005 and Sestante 2006,
respectively, from 8.75%, 8.75%
and 10% of the current pool balance.
Taking into account the cumulative amount of defaulted loans and applying
a roll-rate and severity analysis on the rest of the portfolio,
Moody's has increased its loss expectations for the portfolios to 3.7%,
3.9% and 6.4% from 2.75%,
2.75% and 3% of original balance in Sestante 2004,
Sestante 2005 and Sestante 2006, respectively. The loss expectation
and the MILAN Aaa CE are the two key parameters Moody's uses to calibrate
its loss distribution curve, which is one of the core inputs in
the cash flow model it uses to rate RMBS transactions. These updated
assumptions reflect the collateral performance to date as well as Moody's
expectations for this transaction, in the context of a weakening
macro-economic environment in Italy.
During the review, Moody's has also assessed the ability of the
servicer, Meliorbanca S.p.A. (Baa3/P-3/D),
to reduce delinquencies and new defaults and increase the net present
value of recoveries on defaulted assets. The 2010-2012 industrial
plan of Meliorbanca's parent group Banca Popolare dell'Emilia
Romagna (not rated) provides for Meliorbanca's specialisation in
corporate and investment banking and advisory, with no focus on
residential lending and servicing. Moody's believes that
this strategy and the consequent staff, branch and general cost
reduction will have negative implications for the servicing of the securitised
portfolios, unless appropriate measures are taken.
Under the Sestante RMBS transaction series, Meliorbanca securitised
first-lien mortgage loans granted to individuals, all of
whom used these loans to acquire, construct or refurbish residential
properties in Italy. The issued class A, B and C1 notes were
backed by a portfolio of mortgage loans. The class C2 notes in
all transactions are repaid by excess spread, in terms of both interest
and principal.
DETAILED LIST OF THE RATING ACTIONS:
Issuer: Sestante Finance Srl Series 2004
Class A Notes, Downgraded to Aa1; previously on 24th of July
2009 Aaa Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class B Notes, Confirmed at Aa3; previously on 24th of July
2009 Aa3 Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class C1 Notes, Downgraded to Ba1; previously on 24th of July
2009 A3 Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class C2 Notes, Downgraded to Ba3; previously on 24th of July
2009 Baa3 Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Issuer: Sestante Finance Srl - Series 2005
Class A Notes, Downgraded to Aa1; previously on 24th of July
2009 Aaa Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class B Notes, Downgraded to A2; previously on 24th of July
2009 Aa3 Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class C1 Notes, Downgraded to Ba3; previously on 24th of July
A3 Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class C2 Notes, Downgraded to Ca; previously on 24th of July
2009 Baa3 Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Issuer: Sestante Finance S.r.L. Series 2006
Class A1 Notes, Downgraded to Aa2; previously on 24th of July
2009 Aaa Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class A2 Notes, Downgraded to Aa2; previously on 24th of July
2009 Aaa Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class B Notes, Downgraded to Baa3; previously on 24th of July
2009 Aa3 Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class C1 Notes, Downgraded to Caa1; previously on 24th of July
2009 A3 Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Class C2 Notes, Downgraded to C; previously on 24th of July
2009 Ba1 Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade
Moody's ratings address the expected loss posed to investors by the legal
final maturity of the notes. Moody's ratings address only the credit
risks associated with the transactions. Other non-credit
risks have not been addressed, but may have a significant effect
on yield to investors.
The principal methodologies used in rating and monitoring the transaction
is "Moody's Approach to Rating Italian RMBS" published in December 2004
and "Revising Default/Loss Assumptions Over the Life of an ABS/RMBS Transaction"
published in December 2008, which can be found at www.moodys.com
in the Rating Methodologies sub-directory under the Research &
Ratings tab. Other methodologies and factors that may have been
considered in the process of rating this issuer can also be found in the
Rating Methodologies sub-directory on Moody's website. Further
information on Moody's analysis of this transaction is available on www.moodys.com.
In addition, Moody's publishes a weekly summary of structured finance
credit, ratings and methodologies, available to all registered
users of our website, at www.moodys.com/SFQuickCheck.
London
Barbara Rismondo
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Milan
Nikoletta Knapcsek
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service
Telephone:+39-02-9148-1100
Moody's takes action on notes issued by Sestante Finance S.r.l. Italian RMBS