Hong Kong, October 14, 2016 -- Moody's Investors Service has upgraded Cheung Kong Property Holdings Limited's
issuer rating to A2 from A3.
At the same time, Moody's has assigned a provisional (P)A2 senior
unsecured rating to the new USD3 billion Guaranteed Medium Term Note (MTN)
program of CK Property Finance (MTN) Limited, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Cheung Kong Property Holdings Limited (CKP).
The MTN program is unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed by CKP.
The ratings outlook is stable.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The upgrade reflects Moody's expectation that CKP can sustain a
strong financial profile that positions it in the A2 rating over the next
2 years," says Franco Leung, a Moody's Vice President
and Senior Credit Officer.
"While CKP may invest in non-property projects in the future,
Moody's expects the company will maintain its focus on its property
businesses and its prudent approach in financial management, which
involves keeping debt leverage low and liquidity strong,"
adds Leung, who is also the Lead Analyst of CKP.
CKP maintains a cautious approach in its property development businesses
in Hong Kong as well as China, and may restrain its appetite for
large land acquisitions in the near term.
Moody's also believes that it has good experience operating through
the cycles, and will achieve growth in contracted sales and revenue
in the next 2 years, while keeping the growth in debt subdued.
Therefore, the company will likely enjoy strong cash inflows from
its property development businesses.
Accordingly, Moody's estimates that CKP's financial
profile in the next two years will remain strong, as measured by
adjusted net debt/net capitalization below 10% and EBIT/interest
of around 12x.
Its debt service ability will also be resilient, as measured by
non-property development EBIT/interest of around 5x. Such
a profile positions the company at the A2 rating level.
With ample cash on hand and positive operating cash flow in the coming
two years, the company may invest in non-property projects.
Judging from the investment and financial discipline of the company,
Moody's expects the company to take on an amount of investment that
will be small relative to the property business. Moreover,
the company will likely consider projects that can make immediate EBIT
contribution. Under the increased investments scenario, Moody's
expects its adjusted net debt/net capitalization will be below 15%
in the next two years.
In this way, Moody's does not expect the above-mentioned
strong financial profile to be impacted by such investments.
CKP's liquidity position is extremely strong. It reported a cash
balance of around HKD50.3 billion at end-June 2016 which
was substantial compared with its reported debt of HKD57.2 billion.
The company has also well managed the maturity of its debt as only around
HKD4.5 billion, or 7.9%, will be due
in the next 12 months.
CKP's A2 issuer rating reflects the strong recurring income obtained from
its investment properties, its strong market position in Hong Kong's
property development market, the diversified character of its property
operations, its good access to the bank and capital markets,
and its prudent approach to financial management.
The A2 rating also reflects the diversified state of the company's property
operations, which include property development, property investment,
and owning-and-operating hotels and serviced apartments.
The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectation that CKP will maintain
its prudent approach to financial management, stable income from
its investment properties and hotels, and strong liquidity position.
Upward rating pressure could emerge if CKP (1) increases the scale of
stable income streams and its coverage ratio on interest expenses;
and (2) increases in geographic diversifications to reduce its high reliance
on the China property market where competition is strong and regulatory
risk is high.
Downward rating pressure could emerge if the company (1) changes its prudent
financial management which could result in a change in its strong liquidity
position or low debt leverage position, for example, adjusted
net debt/net total capitalization exceeds 15%; (2) disposes
of investment properties and/or hotels, such that non-property
development EBIT/interest falls below 3.0x-3.5x;
or (3) has invested in substantial non-property investments that
will increase the business and financial risks of the company.
The principal methodology used in these rating was Homebuilding And Property
Development Industry published in April 2015. Please see the Rating
Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this
methodology.
Cheung Kong Property Holdings Limited is a leading property developer
in Hong Kong and listed in Hong Kong in June 2015 after the reorganization
of the property businesses of Hutchison Whampoa Limited and Cheung Kong
(Holdings) Limited. Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited listed in Hong
Kong in 1972.
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.
Franco Leung
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
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077
Gary Lau
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: (852) 3758 -1350
SUBSCRIBERS: (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
SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 3551-3077