USD $315 million of debt securities affected
New York, March 30, 2011 -- Moody's Investors Service announced today that it has upgraded the ratings
of the following notes issued by Navigator CDO 2006, Ltd.:
U.S. $40,000,000 Class A Floating Rate
Senior Secured Revolving Notes Due 2020 (current outstanding balance of
$32,663,125), Upgraded to Aa1 (sf); previously
on July 8, 2009 Downgraded to Aa2 (sf);
U.S. $265,000,000 Class A Floating Rate
Senior Secured Term Notes Due 2020 (current outstanding balance of $216,393,205),
Upgraded to Aa1 (sf); previously on July 8, 2009 Downgraded
to Aa2 (sf);
U.S. $26,000,000 Class B-1 Floating
Rate Secured Deferrable Term Notes Due 2020, Upgraded to Baa3 (sf);
previously on July 8, 2009 Confirmed at Ba1 (sf);
U.S. $7,000,000 Class B-2 Fixed
Rate Secured Deferrable Term Notes Due 2020, Upgraded to Baa3 (sf);
previously on July 8, 2009 Confirmed at Ba1 (sf);
U.S. $15,500,000 Class C Floating Rate
Secured Deferrable Term Notes Due 2020, Upgraded to Ba3 (sf);
previously on July 8, 2009 Confirmed at B1 (sf);
U.S. $12,500,000 Class D Floating Rate
Secured Deferrable Term Notes Due 2020 (current outstanding balance of
$10,437,972), Upgraded to Caa1 (sf); previously
on July 8, 2009 Confirmed at Caa3 (sf);
U.S. $10,000,000 Class 1 Combination
Notes Due 2020 (current rated balance of $7,289,426,
Upgraded to Baa1 (sf); previously on July 8, 2009 Downgraded
to Baa3 (sf).
RATINGS RATIONALE
According to Moody's, the rating actions taken on the notes
result primarily from an increase in the transaction's overcollateralization
ratios and an improvement in the credit quality of the underlying portfolio
since the rating action in July 2009.
The overcollateralization ratios of the rated notes have improved since
the rating action in July 2009. Based on the latest trustee report
dated March 7, 2011, The Class A, Class B, Class
C, and Class D overcollateralization ratios are reported at 128.2%,
113.2%, 107.3%, and 103.7%,
respectively, versus June 2009 levels of 116.4%,
104.9%, 100.3%, and 96.9%,
respectively, and all related overcollateralization tests are currently
in compliance. The overcollateralization ratios have benefited
from the delevering of the Class A Notes, which were paid down by
$43 million or 15% since July 2009. In addition,
the Class D overcollateralization ratio has increased in part due to the
diversion of excess interest to delever the Class D Notes in the event
of a Class D overcollateralization test failure, including on the
March 2010 payment date, when $2.1 million of interest
proceeds reduced the outstanding balance of the Class D Notes by 17%.
Moody's also notes that the Class C Notes and Class D Notes are
no longer deferring interest and that all previously deferred interest
has been paid in full.
Improvement in the credit quality is observed through an improvement in
the average credit rating (as measured by the weighted average rating
factor) and a decrease in the proportion of securities from issuers rated
Caa1 and below. In particular, based on the latest trustee
report dated March 7, 2011, the weighted average rating factor
is currently 2683 compared to 2890 in the June 2009 report, and
securities rated Caa1/CCC+ or lower make up approximately 6.4%
of the underlying portfolio versus 13.1% in June 2009.
Additionally, defaulted securities total about $3.8
million of the underlying portfolio compared to $29 million in
June 2009.
Due to the impact of revised and updated key assumptions referenced in
"Moody's Approach to Rating Collateralized Loan Obligations" and
"Annual Sector Review (2009): Global CLOs," key
model inputs used by Moody's in its analysis, such as par,
weighted average rating factor, diversity score, and weighted
average recovery rate, may be different from the trustee's reported
numbers. In its base case, Moody's analyzed the underlying
collateral pool to have a performing par and principal proceeds balance
of $315.6, defaulted par of $8.5 million,
a weighted average default probability of 28.99% (implying
a WARF of 3800), a weighted average recovery rate upon default of
44.51%, and a diversity score of 65. These
default and recovery properties of the collateral pool are incorporated
in cash flow model analysis where they are subject to stresses as a function
of the target rating of each CLO liability being reviewed. The
default probability is derived from the credit quality of the collateral
pool and Moody's expectation of the remaining life of the collateral
pool. The average recovery rate to be realized on future defaults
is based primarily on the seniority of the assets in the collateral pool.
In each case, historical and market performance trends and collateral
manager latitude for trading the collateral are also factors.
Navigator CDO 2006, Ltd., issued in September 2006,
is a collateralized loan obligation backed primarily by a portfolio of
senior secured loans.
The principal methodologies used in this rating were "Moody's Approach
to Rating Collateralized Loan Obligations" published in August 2009
and "Using the Structured Note Methodology to Rate CDO Combo-Notes"
published in February 2004.
Moody's Investors Service did not receive or take into account a
third-party due diligence report on the underlying assets or financial
instruments related to the monitoring of this transaction in the past
six months.
Moody's modeled the transaction using the Binomial Expansion Technique,
as described in Section 2.3.2.1 of the "Moody's Approach
to Rating Collateralized Loan Obligations" rating methodology published
in August 2009.
For securities whose default probabilities are assessed through credit
estimates ("CEs"), Moody's applied additional default
probability stresses by assuming an equivalent of Caa3 for CEs that were
not updated within the last 15 months. In addition, Moody's
applied a 1.5 notch-equivalent assumed downgrade for CEs
last updated between 12-15 months ago, and a 0.5 notch-equivalent
assumed downgrade for CEs last updated between 6-12 months ago.
In addition to the base case analysis described above, Moody's also
performed sensitivity analyses to test the impact on all rated notes of
various default probabilities. Below is a summary of the impact
of different default probabilities (expressed in terms of WARF levels)
on all rated notes (shown in terms of the number of notches' difference
versus the current model output, where a positive difference corresponds
to lower expected loss), assuming that all other factors are held
equal:
Moody's Adjusted WARF -- 20% (3040)
Class A Revolving: +1
Class A Term: +1
Class B-1: +2
Class B-2: +2
Class C: +2
Class D: +3
Moody's Adjusted WARF + 20% (4560)
Class A Revolving: -2
Class A Term: -2
Class B-1: -2
Class B-2: -2
Class C: -2
Class D: -2
Moody's notes that this transaction is subject to a high level of
macroeconomic uncertainty, as evidenced by 1) uncertainties of credit
conditions in the general economy and 2) the large concentration of speculative-grade
debt maturing between 2012 and 2014 which may create challenges for issuers
to refinance. CDO notes' performance may also be impacted
by 1) the manager's investment strategy and behavior and 2) divergence
in legal interpretation of CDO documentation by different transactional
parties due to embedded ambiguities[use the following only for synthetic
CDOs and for deals with meaningful swaps.
Sources of additional performance uncertainties are described below:
1) Recovery of defaulted assets: Market value fluctuations in defaulted
assets reported by the trustee and those assumed to be defaulted by Moody's
may create volatility in the deal's overcollateralization levels.
Further, the timing of recoveries and the manager's decision
to work out versus sell defaulted assets create additional uncertainties.
Moody's analyzed defaulted recoveries assuming the lower of the
market price and the recovery rate in order to account for potential volatility
in market prices.
2) Weighted average life: The notes' ratings are sensitive
to the weighted average life assumption of the portfolio, which
may be extended due to the manager's decision to reinvest into new
issue loans or other loans with longer maturities and/or participate in
amend-to-extend offerings. Moody's tested for
a possible extension of the actual weighted average life in its analysis.
3) Other collateral quality metrics: The deal is allowed to reinvest
and the manager has the ability to deteriorate the collateral quality
metrics' existing cushions against the covenant levels. Moody's
analyzed the impact of assuming lower of reported and covenanted values
for weighted average rating factor, weighted average spread,
weighted average coupon, and diversity score. However,
as part of the base case, Moody's considered spread levels
higher than the covenant levels due to the large difference between the
reported and covenant levels.
4) Exposure to credit estimates: The deal is exposed to a large
number of securities whose default probabilities are assessed through
credit estimates. In the event that Moody's is not provided the
necessary information to update the credit estimates in a timely fashion,
the transaction may be impacted by any default probability stresses Moody's
may assume in lieu of updated credit estimates.
Further information on Moody's analysis of this transaction is available
on www.moodys.com. In addition, Moody's publishes
a weekly summary of structured finance credit, ratings and methodologies,
available to all registered users of our web site, at www.moodys.com/SFQuickCheck.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
Information sources used to prepare the credit rating are the following:
parties involved in the ratings, public information, and confidential
and proprietary Moody's Investors Service information.
Moody's Investors Service considers the quality of information available
on the issuer or obligation satisfactory for the purposes of maintaining
a credit rating.
Moody's adopts all necessary measures so that the information it uses
in assigning a credit rating is of sufficient quality and from sources
Moody's considers to be reliable including, when appropriate,
independent third-party sources. However, Moody's
is not an auditor and cannot in every instance independently verify or
validate information received in the rating process.
Please see ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on Moodys.com
for the last rating action and the rating history.
The date on which some Credit Ratings were first released goes back to
a time before Moody's Investors Service's Credit Ratings were fully digitized
and accurate data may not be available. Consequently, Moody's
Investors Service provides a date that it believes is the most reliable
and accurate based on the information that is available to it.
Please see the ratings disclosure page on our website www.moodys.com
for further information.
Please see the Credit Policy page on Moodys.com for the methodologies
used in determining ratings, further information on the meaning
of each rating category and the definition of default and recovery.
New York
Min Xu
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
New York
Ramon O. Torres
Senior Vice President
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's Investors Service
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's upgrades the ratings of CLO notes issued by Navigator CDO 2006, Ltd.
