Hong Kong, March 27, 2018 -- Moody's Investors Service has upgraded CITIC Resources Holdings
Limited's (CITIC Resources) corporate family rating to Ba3 from
B1.
At the same time, Moody's has changed the rating outlook to stable
from negative.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The upgrade of CITIC Resources' corporate family rating to Ba3
reflects our expectation that the company will sustain its trend of improvement
in debt leverage," says Chenyi Lu, a Moody's Vice President
and Senior Credit Officer, and the International Lead Analyst for
CITIC Resources.
"Furthermore, the rating action also reflects our expectation that
the company's liquidity conditions will prove satisfactory over the next
12 to 18 months," says Jin Wu, a Moody's Vice President and
Senior Credit Officer, and also the Local Market Lead Analyst for
CITIC Resources.
CITIC Resources has exhibited a trend of debt deleveraging. As
such, debt/EBITDA (not including adjustments for its joint-venture
oil businesses) improved to 8.4x at the end of 2017 from 13.3x
at the end of 2016, driven by improving earnings on the back of
recovering crude oil prices and its modest level of debt reduction in
2017.
Moody's expects debt/EBITDA will fall to around 7.9x -7.8x
over the next 12 to 18 months as crude oil prices are unlikely to decline
materially and as the company's production will increase as capital
expenditures are implemented.
CITIC Resources' liquidity position has also improved after it refinanced
two term loans, including a USD490 million term loan with a 5-year
shareholder loan of USD500 million, in June 2017.
Moreover, the company had a cash balance of HKD1.4 billion
at the end of 2017 which was sufficient to cover its short-term
debt of HKD386 million at that time, planned capital expenditures,
and dividends of HKD196 million over the next 12 months.
CITIC Resources' Ba3 corporate family rating reflects the company's
standalone credit profile and a three-notch uplift based on Moody's
assessment of a high likelihood of extraordinary financial support from
its parent CITIC Group Corporation (CITIC Group, A3 negative) in
a financial distress situation.
The extraordinary financial support has considered (1) CITIC Resources'
important role as an overseas platform for resources development within
the CITIC Group; (2) the high reputational risk for CITIC Group,
should CITIC Resources default; and (3) the track record of parental
support, as evidenced by the provision of a USD500 million shareholder
term loan in 2017.
CITIC Resources' standalone credit profile further reflects the company's
established production record at its Karazhanbas oilfield and the improvements
in the profitability of its Seram Block and Yuedong oilfield.
On the other hand, its standalone credit profile is constrained
by (1) its small scale in the oil exploration and production (E&P)
business; (2) the fluctuations in its revenues owing to the volatility
in oil, coal and metal prices; and (3) its still weak credit
metrics.
The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectations that CITIC Resources'
operational profile will remain largely stable, and that the company
will sustain its trend of deleverage and continue to obtain financial
support from its parent, CITIC Group.
CITIC Resources' Ba3 rating could experience upgrade pressure if
the company (1) grows its business scale, (2) shows improvements
in the production and debt capital structure of its oilfields, including
those under joint ventures; and (3) reduces its debt leverage,
such that E&P debt/average daily oil production is below USD30,000
or adjusted debt/EBITDA is below 6.0x on a sustained basis.
On the other hand, the rating would experience downgrade pressure
if Moody's assesses that parental financial support for the company has
weakened. Such a situation could be caused by a decline in the
strategic importance of CITIC Resources to its parent, a decline
in the shareholding held by CITIC Group, or a material weakening
of CITIC Group's credit quality.
The principal methodology used in this rating was Independent Exploration
and Production Industry published in May 2017. Please see the Rating
Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this
methodology.
CITIC Resources Holdings Limited is an energy and natural resources investment
holding company, with interests in aluminum smelting; coal;
import and the export of commodities; manganese; and bauxite
mining and alumina refining. It also has interests in the exploration,
development and production of oil. The company serves as the principal
natural resources and energy arm of its parent, CITIC Group.
The Local Market analyst for this rating is Jin Wu, +86 (21)
20574021.
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.
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
the rating.
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.
Chenyi Lu
VP - Senior Credit Officer
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
Gary Lau
MD - Corporate Finance
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