Hong Kong, July 07, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has upgraded Studio City Finance Limited's
senior unsecured ratings to B1 from B2, and has assigned a B1 rating
to its new proposed senior unsecured notes.
The outlook on Studio City Finance's ratings is negative.
Studio City Finance plans to use the proceeds from the new notes to refinance
Studio City Company Limited's senior secured notes due in 2021 and
partially fund its capital spending.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The upgrade of Studio City Finance's senior unsecured rating
reflects lower subordination risk for senior unsecured bondholders,
following the planned redemption of the company's secured debt,"
says Sean Hwang, a Moody's Assistant Vice President and Analyst.
Studio City Finance's senior unsecured ratings are now on par with
the company's B1 corporate family rating, given Moody's
expectation that after the refinancing, senior unsecured obligations
will dominate the company's liability structure.
"In addition, the planned note issuance and equity offering
are credit positive because they will boost the company's liquidity
and offset the impact of coronavirus-induced operating disruptions
on its capital structure," adds Hwang.
Along with the proposed notes offering, Studio City International
Holdings Limited plans to raise approximately USD450 million -
USD500 million in new equity. Melco Resorts & Entertainment
Limited (MRE), the ultimate parent company, will commit to
purchasing any equity not taken up by other investors to ensure approximately
USD450 million - USD500 million of gross proceeds are raised.
Net equity proceeds will be contributed to Studio City Finance.
Moody's expects the equity and bond transactions will increase Studio
City Finance's liquidity which should be sufficient to cover the
company's cash needs over the next 12 months, including its
ongoing cash burn and phase two expansion capital spending. The
company will also have no material debt maturities until 2024, once
the 2021 notes are repaid.
Moody's also believes that this development demonstrates parental
support for Studio City Finance and Melco group's prudent financial
policy.
That said, the rating outlook remains negative, reflecting
Moody's expectation for a steep drop in earnings and sizeable negative
free cash flow this year amid coronavirus-related disruptions and
the uncertainty around recovery prospects.
Studio City Finance reported a negative EBITDA of USD18 million for the
first quarter of 2020, compared with USD85 million in positive EBITDA
a year earlier. Moody's believes the loss will be deeper
in the second quarter, given the very low level of gaming activity
in Macao SAR.
While Moody's expects Studio City Finance's earnings and cash
flow to improve gradually from the second half of 2020 once disruptions
ease, we believe the company's financial metrics in 2021 will
fall short of 2019 levels. In addition, there is significant
downside risk to this assumption.
Studio City Finance's B1 ratings continue to incorporate its standalone
credit quality and a one-notch uplift, reflecting Moody's
expectation of extraordinary support from MRE in times of need,
given Studio City Finance's strategic importance to its parent.
The standalone credit quality reflects the improved competitive standing
of its Studio City property following a successful ramp up of casino operations
since its opening in 2015, which is counterbalanced by the risk
associated with the company's geographic concentration in Macao
SAR.
In terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations,
the ratings factor in Melco group's conservative financial policy,
as evidenced by Studio City International Holdings Limited's proposed
equity offering.
Moody's regards the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under its ESG
framework, given the impact of the related disruptions on the company's
operations and substantial implications for public health and safety.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
Given the negative outlook, a ratings upgrade is unlikely.
But Studio City Finance's outlook could return to stable if the company
improves its earnings and maintains a balanced financial policy,
such that its debt/EBITDA falls below 7.5x-8.0x and
EBITDA/interest exceeds 1.8x on a sustained basis.
On the other hand, Moody's could downgrade Studio City Finance's
ratings if (1) its operations are unlikely to recover sufficiently or
(2) it engages in aggressive debt-funded capital spending,
resulting in tight liquidity and high leverage on a sustained basis.
Specifically, credit metrics indicative of a downgrade include its
debt/EBITDA above 7.5x-8.0x and EBITDA/interest below
1.8x on a sustained basis.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Gaming Industry published
in December 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1099757.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
Studio City Finance Limited is a holding company incorporated in the British
Virgin Islands. Through its subsidiaries, it develops and
operates the Studio City property, an Asian-focused integrated
gaming and entertainment resort located at Cotai in Macao SAR.
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Sean Hwang
Asst Vice President - Analyst
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Hong Kong Ltd.
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Chris Park
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