New York, June 29, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") upgraded
the ratings of Golden State Buyer, Inc. (borrowing entity
of Golden State Medical Supply, Inc., collectively,
"Golden State"), including the Corporate Family Rating to B2 from
B3, Probability of Default Rating to B2-PD from B3-PD,
first lien senior secured term loan and revolver to B1 from B2,
and second lien senior secured term loan to Caa1 from Caa2. The
outlook is stable.
The ratings upgrade reflects Golden State's improving credit profile
supported by Moody's expectation that Golden State will maintain
debt/EBITDA below 6x through 2021 with good free cash flow. EBITDA
growth since the time of its leveraged buyout in June 2019 is driving
debt/EBITDA down. Golden State has been benefitting from some meaningful
product adds in its non-exclusive business selling to the US government
(selling via Multiple Award Schedules, specifically, the Federal
Supply Schedule) that also boost operating margins. While Moody's
believes these opportunities are temporary, Golden State will continue
to grow revenue and earnings through 2021 by adding new products to its
offering to the government and winning the majority of re-compete
bids for already contracted products that expire in 2020 and 2021.
Ratings upgraded:
Golden State Buyer, Inc.
Corporate Family Rating to B2 from B3
Probability of Default Rating to B2-PD from B3-PD
First lien senior secured credit facilities to B1 (LGD3) from B2 (LGD3)
Second lien senior secured term loan to Caa1 (LGD5) from Caa2 (LGD5)
Outlook action:
The outlook is stable.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The B2 Corporate Family Rating reflects Golden State's moderately high
financial leverage in light of high customer concentration with the US
Department of Veteran's Affairs and the Department of Defense, which
account for all of its revenues. Moody's estimates that debt/EBITDA
for the 12 months ended March 31, 2020 approximated 5.9x
and forecasts an improvement to under 5.5x in 2021. A key
constraint is contract re-bidding risk. In order to grow
earnings, Golden State must compete for new and existing government
contracts, as well as expand the share of generic drugs that manufacturers
sell to the government through resellers. More than 20 National
Contracts are up for re-bid through 2021, however,
Moody's expects Golden State will re-bid and win the majority
of these contracts. A large percent of revenue is derived from
long-term, exclusive contracts with relatively high win-rates,
resulting in lower earnings volatility as compared to generic manufacturers
in non-government markets.
The stable outlook reflects Moody's view that Golden State will continue
to generate good free cash flow, offset by moderately high debt/EBITDA
above 5x over the next 12-18 months.
Golden State's liquidity profile will be good over the next 12 months.
Golden State reported cash of $28 million at March 31, 2020,
including $14 million drawn on its revolver. Moody's
expects that the revolver will be repaid in full and that Golden State
will generate more than $20 million in free cash flow over the
next 12 months. Mandatory debt amortization is modest at $3
million per year and capital expenditures are low, typically less
than $1 million per quarter. The revolver has a 7x springing
maximum first lien net leverage financial covenant that is tested once
borrowings exceed 35% ($14 million). The covenant
steps down to 6.50x in March 2021. Moody's does not expect
the company to test the covenant based on modest future borrowing expectations.
ESG considerations are material to the rating. Moody's regards
the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under Moody's ESG framework,
given the substantial implications for public health and safety.
The rapid and widening spread of the coronavirus outbreak, deteriorating
global economic outlook, falling oil prices, and asset price
declines are creating a severe and extensive credit shock across many
sectors, regions and markets. The combined credit effects
of these developments are unprecedented.
Beyond the outbreak, ESG considerations include Golden State's
leveraged buyout in June 2019 which resulted in high financial leverage,
a governance risk. Moody's believes Golden State's
financial policy will be balanced to include voluntary debt repayment
over time.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
The ratings could be downgraded if Moody's expects Golden State's
debt/EBITDA to be sustained above 6x. Failure to successfully manage
its re-bid of expiring national contracts each year could also
result in a downgrade.
The ratings could be upgraded if Golden State can sustain debt/EBITDA
below 4.5x while generating good free cash flow. Demonstrating
new national contract adds and improving supplier concentration would
also be needed.
Golden State Buyer, Inc., doing business via its operating
subsidiary, Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. is a
repackager and distributor of generic pharmaceuticals, primarily
supplying US government agencies, such as the Department of Veteran
Affairs and the Department of Defense. The company is owned by
private equity sponsor Court Square Capital Partners. Reported
revenue for the twelve months ended March 31, 2020 was approximately
$440 million.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Distribution &
Supply Chain Services Industry published in June 2018 and available at
https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1121974.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and
sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and
Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's
Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of
debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures
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same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant
to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing
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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
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provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional
rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may
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For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
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and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
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if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
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Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
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review.
Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social
and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.
At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s)
announced and described above.
The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was
issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed
by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt
am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph
3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies.
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for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Morris Borenstein
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Jessica Gladstone, CFA
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
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JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
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