London, 03 July 2018 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") has
today upgraded the corporate family rating of eDreams ODIGEO S.A.
(eDreams or the company) to B1 from B2 and upgraded the company's
probability of default rating (PDR) to B1-PD from B2-PD.
Concurrently Moody's has upgraded the rating on the company's
€425 million Senior Secured Global Notes due 2021 to B2 from B3.
The outlook on all the ratings has been changed to stable from positive.
Today's rating action reflects:
• The company's continued deleveraging profile with Moody's-adjusted
debt at 3.8x at 31 March 2018
• Strong EBITDA growth in the fiscal year 2018, ended 31 March
2018
• The company's position as the leading European flight-centric
online travel agency (OTA)
A list of affected ratings is provided at the end of this press release.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The B1 CFR takes into consideration: 1) eDreams' strong competitive
positioning within the OTA industry in Europe, particularly within
the flight segment and in its key markets of France, Spain,
Italy and Germany; 2) continued migration from high-street
travel agencies to the online travel market; 3) growth in the airline
passenger market; 4) reduced leverage in fiscal 2018, and conservative
financial policies expected to drive further deleveraging.
The ratings also reflect: 1) a geographic concentration in Southern
Europe and France; 2) industry risks, including value chain
disintermediation from airlines or other intermediaries and risks of exogenous
shocks; 3) exposure to paid search costs and overall sensitivity
to variable costs per booking; 4) execution risks related to the
company's price transparency strategy, albeit with solid results
of this strategy to date.
In fiscal 2018 eDreams grew underlying bookings by 3% and revenue
margin by 5%, with company-adjusted EBITDA increasing
by 10% to €118 million from €107 million. During
this period the company has continued to implement its price transparency
strategy across its business, which aims to present an initial price
on search closer to the final booking price, with fewer additional
fees and charges as customers complete a booking. This has had
an adverse effect on booking and revenue margin growth in fiscal 2018
but with improved margins as customer loyalty improves resulting in lower
marketing and overall customer acquisition costs. In addition EBITDA
growth has been supported by cost saving initiatives carried out in the
year. As a result Moody's-adjusted leverage reduced
to 3.8x as at 31 March 2018, from 4.3x as at 31 March
2017. Leverage is expected to reduce further over the next 12-18
months from earnings growth and a conservative financial policy targeting
debt repayments and deleveraging.
LIQUIDITY
The company retains adequate liquidity with cash balances of €172
million and availability of €127 million under its super senior revolving
credit facility at 31 March 2018. This is expected to provide solid
headroom to support seasonal working capital variations and the company
is expected to continue to generate strong cash flows on an annual basis.
STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
The company's capital structure consists of (1) a super-senior
revolving credit facility of €127 million maturing in 2021;
(2) a super-senior guarantee facility of €30 million maturing
in 2021; and (3) €425 million of Senior Secured Notes maturing
in 2021. The Senior Secured Global Notes are rated B2 which reflects
their ranking behind the super-senior facilities and their security
which is limited largely to share pledges.
OUTLOOK
The stable outlook assumes that the company will continue to deliver earnings
and EBITDA growth in the mid-single digits after the completion
of its transparency strategy, and that this strategy will be rolled
out without significant adverse effects on trading results. It
also assumes that the company will maintain conservative financial policies
and that there will no material debt funded acquisitions or dividends
in the near to medium term, with liquidity remaining satisfactory.
WHAT WOULD CHANGE THE RATING UP / DOWN
Upward pressure on the rating could occur if the company achieves a further
period of solid revenue and EBITDA growth following the completion of
its new pricing strategies. Quantitatively the ratings could be
upgraded if Moody's-adjusted debt/EBITDA were to trend substantially
below 3.0x on a sustainable basis, with Moody's-adjusted
free cash flow (FCF) to debt above 15%, and with liquidity
remaining satisfactory.
WHAT COULD CHANGE THE RATING - DOWN
Negative rating pressure could develop if Moody's-adjusted debt/EBITDA
were to exceed 4.0x, if Moody's-adjusted FCF to debt
were to reduce below 5%, or if the company's liquidity profile
were to weaken. Negative pressure could also develop if there is
significant disruption to the market or distribution chain resulting in
reducing revenue margin or profitability.
LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS
Issuer: eDreams ODIGEO S.A.
Upgrades:
.... Corporate Family Rating, Upgraded
to B1 from B2
.... Probability of Default Rating,
Upgraded to B1-PD from B2-PD
.... BACKED Senior Secured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Upgraded to B2 from B3
Outlook Actions:
....Outlook, Changed To Stable From
Positive
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Business and Consumer
Service Industry published in October 2016. Please see the Rating
Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this
methodology.
COMPANY PROFILE
eDreams is the largest OTA in Europe in the flights segment. It
was formed in 2011 when Axa (now Ardian) and Permira acquired Opodo and
merged it with their existing portfolio travel companies to create a European
rival to Expedia. eDreams' parent, eDreams ODIGEO S.A.,
was listed in Spain in 2014. Approximately 53% of the total
shares are free float while the sponsors Permira and Ardian retain around
47% of the total shares. In fiscal 2018 eDreams reported
revenue margin and company-adjusted EBITDA of €509 million
and €118 million respectively.
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.
Martin Robert Hallmark
Senior Vice President
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Richard Etheridge
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454