London, 15 February 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") has
today upgraded the ratings of four notes in Dowson 2021-1 plc.
The rating action reflects the increased levels of credit enhancement
for the affected notes.
Moody's affirmed the ratings of the notes that had sufficient credit enhancement
to maintain their current ratings.
....GBP 199.8M Class A Notes,
Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on Apr 22, 2021 Definitive Rating
Assigned Aaa (sf)
....GBP 29.4M Class B Notes,
Upgraded to Aa1 (sf); previously on Apr 22, 2021 Definitive
Rating Assigned Aa2 (sf)
....GBP 23.5M Class C Notes,
Upgraded to A1 (sf); previously on Apr 22, 2021 Definitive
Rating Assigned A3 (sf)
....GBP 16.2M Class D Notes,
Upgraded to Baa3 (sf); previously on Apr 22, 2021 Definitive
Rating Assigned Ba1 (sf)
....GBP 13.1M Class E Notes,
Affirmed B1 (sf); previously on Apr 22, 2021 Definitive Rating
Assigned B1 (sf)
....GBP 11.8M Class F Notes,
Affirmed Caa2 (sf); previously on Apr 22, 2021 Definitive Rating
Assigned Caa2 (sf)
....GBP 29.3M Class X Notes,
Upgraded to Caa1 (sf); previously on Apr 22, 2021 Definitive
Rating Assigned Caa2 (sf)
The Notes are backed by a static pool of UK auto finance contracts originated
by Oodle Financial Services Limited ("Oodle") (NR). The portfolio
consists of Hire Purchase ("HP") agreements granted to individuals residing
in the United Kingdom.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The rating action is prompted by an increase in credit enhancement for
the affected tranches.
Increase in Available Credit Enhancement
Sequential amortization led to the increase in the credit enhancement
available in this transaction.
The credit enhancement for Classes B, C, D increased to 30.9%,
19.7%, 11.9% from 22.1%,
14.1%, and 8.5% since closing.
Revision of Key Collateral Assumptions:
As part of the rating action, Moody's reassessed its default probability
and recovery rate assumptions for the portfolio reflecting the collateral
performance to date.
The performance of the transaction has continued to be stable since closing,
with 90 days plus arrears currently standing at 1.1% of
current pool balance. Cumulative defaults currently stand at 2.6%
of original pool balance.
The portfolio expected default assumption is 17.0% of the
current portfolio balance, the assumption for the fixed recovery
rate is 30% and the portfolio credit enhancement ("PCE")
is 40%.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was 'Moody's Global Approach
to Rating Auto Loan- and Lease-Backed ABS' published in
September 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBS_1264141.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
Factors that would lead to an upgrade or downgrade of the ratings:
Factors or circumstances that could lead to an upgrade of the ratings
include: (1) performance of the underlying collateral that is better
than Moody's expected, (2) an increase in available credit enhancement,
(3) improvements in the credit quality of the transaction counterparties,
and (4) a decrease in sovereign risk.
Factors or circumstances that could lead to a downgrade of the ratings
include: (1) an increase in sovereign risk, (2) performance
of the underlying collateral that is worse than Moody's expected,
(3) deterioration in the notes' available credit enhancement, and
(4) deterioration in the credit quality of the transaction counterparties.
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.
The analysis relies on an assessment of collateral characteristics to
determine the collateral loss distribution, that is, the function
that correlates to an assumption about the likelihood of occurrence to
each level of possible losses in the collateral. As a second step,
Moody's evaluates each possible collateral loss scenario using a
model that replicates the relevant structural features to derive payments
and therefore the ultimate potential losses for each rated instrument.
The loss a rated instrument incurs in each collateral loss scenario,
weighted by assumptions about the likelihood of events in that scenario
occurring, results in the expected loss of the rated instrument.
Moody's quantitative analysis entails an evaluation of scenarios
that stress factors contributing to sensitivity of ratings and take into
account the likelihood of severe collateral losses or impaired cash flows.
Moody's weights the impact on the rated instruments based on its
assumptions of the likelihood of the events in such scenarios occurring.
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of
debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures
in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the
same series, category/class of debt, security 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.
The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated
agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.
These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy
for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on
its website www.moodys.com.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social
and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1288235.
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.
Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's
office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.
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.
Yunkun Zhang
Associate Lead Analyst
Structured 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
Olga Gekht
Senior Vice President/Manager
Structured 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