Asia Pacific Weekly
April 18 - 25, 2018

This week we take a close look at the Chinese property market through two reports, one focusing on the sector’s increasingly challenging operating conditions and the second on the projected 2018 metrics for developers.

And another report on Hong Kong property companies highlights improving retail and stable office rents, as well as slowing primary residential presales. These reports coincided with the China and Hong Kong property briefings held in Hong Kong yesterday, and with our briefing tomorrow in Singapore on the Chinese and Indonesian property markets.


IN THIS EDITION

Research »

Rating Events »

Announcements »

Moody's Events »

Moody's Training Seminars »

Contact Us »

Our cross-sector report on Australian credit discusses market challenges including rising funding costs, still high and volatile energy prices, and competition from disruptive market entrants. We view these challenges as manageable for most of our rated issuers, although the retail sector faces greater threats.

And our annual credit analysis for Singapore highlights the city-state’s very high per-capita income, diverse and competitive economy, strong fiscal position, robust institutional framework, and low susceptibility to event risk.

Best regards,

MinYe

Min Ye
Managing Director – Regional Head Asia Pacific

To access the information within this email we ask that you register to Moodys.com. Registration is complimentary.

Research

Property - China: Scale and financial strength are key to navigating tougher business conditions
[23 Apr] The residential property market in China will become tougher for developers during the next 12 months, because of tightening domestic credit conditions for the sector, and the resulting slowdown in nationwide sales.

Property - China: Projected 2018 financials suggest rated developers’ credit quality will diverge more
[23 April] Tightening credit conditions will slow sales growth, reduce liquidity, and accelerate industry consolidation, while the tightened onshore credit environment will also slow debt growth in 2018.

Property – Hong Kong: Improving retail and stable office rents will support rated companies’ credit quality
[23 April] Improving retail and stable office rents and higher residential development income will support a 5%-10% increase in weighted-average EBITDA for our ten rated Hong Kong property companies over the next 12-18 months, while primary residential presales growth may slow.

Hong Kong-listed Chinese Life Insurers: Credit profiles improve as business transformation continues
[20 April] The life insurers’ improved financial results in 2017 reflected their focus on growing high-value products rather than total business scale.

Hong Kong-listed Chinese P&C Insurers - China: Non-motor lines sustain overall business growth and underwriting profitability
[20 April] The 2017 results of the property and casualty insurers showed that their non-motor lines sustained overall business growth and underwriting profitability, and will remain a crucial driver of premium growth.

Cross-Sector - Australia: Australian issuers well placed to manage market challenges
[19 April] The challenges facing issuers over the next 12-18 months – including rising funding costs, still high and volatile energy prices, and competition from disruptive market entrants – are generally manageable, although the retail sector faces greater threats.

Moody's: Singapore's credit profile reflects wide range of strengths
[19 April] Singapore's credit profile reflects the city-state's very high per-capita income, diverse and competitive economy, strong fiscal position, robust institutional framework and low susceptibility to event risk.

Pharmaceuticals - Global: Stable outlook reflects modest earnings growth, but M&A event risk is rising
[19 April] The global pharmaceutical industry will see annual earnings growth of 1%-2% over the next 12 to 18 months, supporting a stable outlook on the sector, reflecting in turn solid underlying fundamentals.

CLOs -- Global; ESG investment restrictions are credit neutral
[19 April] The investment exclusions of certain industries based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria is credit neutral for rated collateralized loan obligations (CLOs).

RMBS and ABS - Australia: Structural features mitigate risks in warehouse deals; diversification of funding sources positive
[18 April] The new prudential standards introduced in January have contributed to a rise in the number of financial institutions that are providing funding for warehouse deals, which is credit positive.

Government of Papua New Guinea -- B2 negative
[18 April] The credit profile of Papua New Guinea reflects significant pressure on government financing, stemming from large gross borrowing requirements, and external liquidity challenges, as reflected by a continuing foreign-exchange backlog.

Passenger Airlines - Global : Pricing power, route mix to determine credit implications of carbon transition
[18 April] The passenger airline sector will be exposed to new costs from global decarbonization agreements, but the extent of airlines' international networks and their ability to pass through carbon-offset costs will define the credit risk of the transition.

Moody’s Credit Outlook on 19 and 23 April

[23 Apr] China cuts banks’ required reserve ratio, a credit positive; Hitachi plan to reduce its number of group companies is credit positive; US bans Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE from buying US components, a credit positive for its rivals.

[19 Apr] China’s launch of tax-deferred retirement insurance pilot program is credit positive for insurers; Pakistan’s new Shariah regulations for Islamic banks are credit positive; Primary aluminum producers to benefit from price surge after US sanctions Rusal.

Rating Events

AUSTRALIA
[23 Apr] Moody's assigns provisional ratings to Liberty's first prime and non-conforming RMBS transaction for 2018
[20 Apr] Moody's takes rating actions on two Interstar Millennium Series RMBS
[20 Apr] Moody's upgrades RESIMAC Bastille Trust 2016-1NC
[20 Apr] Moody's changes outlook on Alinta Energy to positive from stable, affirms
Ba1 rating
[19 Apr] Moody's assigns (P)B1 to senior unsecured notes to be issued by Nufarm Australia
[18 Apr] Moody's upgrades two Liberty Series RMBS

CHINA
[20 Apr] Moody's assigns A1 rating to proposed notes guaranteed by CNOOC Limited
[20 Apr] Moody's affirms Huarong's A3/P-2 ratings, outlook stable
[19 Apr] Moody's upgrades Class B Notes of Toyota Glory 2017 Phase II Auto Loan Credit Asset-backed Securities
[19 Apr] Moody's assigns first-time Ba3 CFR to Speedcast; Ba3 to its proposed term loan
[18 Apr] Moody's assigns first-time B3 rating to Tongyi; outlook stable
[18 Apr] Moody's assigns Ba2 rating to Future Land Holdings' proposed USD notes

INDONESIA
[20 Apr] Moody's assigns a definitive Ba3 rating to Star Energy's senior secured notes

JAPAN
[23 Apr] Moody's affirms Resona, Saitama Resona, and Kinki Osaka banks at A2/P-1; outlook stable
[23 Apr] Moody's assigns definitive ratings to SMBC 38th RMBS
[23 Apr] Moody's upgrades Kansai Urban Banking Corporation to A2, outlook stable
[23 Apr] Moody's affirms Minato Bank's A2 rating; outlook stable
[19 Apr] Moody's affirms A1 IFSR of Sumitomo Life; outlook stable
[18 Apr] Moody's adds details on SoftBank's rated senior notes

PHILIPPINES
[19 Apr] Moody's assigns Baa2 to Philippine National Bank's USD note drawdown

SINGAPORE
[23 Apr] Moody's takes rating actions on 7 Shriram-sponsored ABS in India
[20 Apr] Moody's assigns Aa1 to OCBC's AUD senior notes
[19 Apr] Moody's assigns definitive Aaa to OCBC's Series 5 mortgage covered bonds

Announcements

CHINA
[19 Apr] Moody's: Guangzhou R&F's ratings unaffected by issuance of USD notes

JAPAN
[20 Apr] Moody's: ITOCHU's plan to raise stake in FamilyMart UNY will not impact its rating

Moody's Events

Moody's Briefing – China and Indonesia Property Briefing
Singapore, 26 April

Moody's and ICRA India Securitization Conference
Mumbai, 15 May

Moody’s and ICRA 4th Annual India Credit Conference
Mumbai, 7 June 2018

Moody’s 4th Annual India Credit Conference (Singapore)
Singapore, 19 June 2018

Click below to access teleconference / webcast replay. (*Free registration is required)

Moody’s Webcast: Tongyi Industrial Group Co., Ltd.

Moody's Training Seminars

HONG KONG
Advanced Bank Risk Analysis, 2-4 May
Corporate Debt Restructuring, 3-4 May
Corporate Cash Flow Analysis, 8-10 May
Analyzing Sovereign and Country Risk, 8-9 May
Corporate Credit Rating Analysis, 9-11 May
Fundamentals of Bank Credit Risk Analysis, 10-11 May
Covenants & Documentation, 4 Jun
Fundamentals of Corporate Credit, 11-14 Jun
Advanced Corporate Credit Analysis, 16-18 Jul
Counterparty Credit Risk, 14-15 Aug
Introduction to Derivatives, 16-17 Aug
Bank Regulation: Impact and Implications of Evolving Regimes, 16-17 Aug
Advanced Corporate Credit Analysis, 29-31 Aug
Insurance Credit Analysis, 10-12 Sep
Corporate Cash Flow Analysis, 9-11 Oct
Advanced Bank Risk Analysis, 29-31 Oct
Corporate Credit Rating Analysis, 31 Oct-2 Nov
Analyzing Sovereign and Country Risk, 1-2 Nov
Moody’s Project Finance Masterclass, 3-5 Dec

SINGAPORE
Bank Regulation: Impact and Implications of Evolving Regimes, 26-27 Apr
Corporate Credit Rating Analysis, 2-4 May
Risk Culture Building, 12-13 Jun
Corporate Cash Flow Analysis, 12-14 Jun
Structured Finance, 20-22 Jun
Fundamentals of Bank Credit Risk Analysis, 16-17 Oct
Bank Regulation: Impact and Implications of Evolving Regimes, 18-19 Oct
Advanced Bank Risk Analysis, 19-21 Nov
Analyzing Sovereign and Country Risk, 22-23 Nov
Corporate Cash Flow Analysis, 27-29 Nov
Corporate Credit Rating Analysis, 27-29 Nov
Covenants & Documentation, 30 Nov
Fundamentals of Corporate Credit, 11-14 Dec

SYDNEY
Insurance Credit Analysis, 11-13 Jun
Fundamentals of Bank Credit Risk Analysis, 14-15 Jun
Fundamentals of Corporate Credit, 28-31 Aug
Insurance Credit Analysis, 3-5 Sep
Analyzing Sovereign and Country Risk, 6-7 Sep
Fundamentals of Bank Credit Risk Analysis, 29-30 Nov

CONTACT US
Cynthia Zhao
Senior Vice President
North China - Beijing
+86.10.6319.6566
James Flitton
Vice President
Singapore
+65.6398.8338
Kelly Moy
Associate Managing Director
North Asia
+852.3758.1323
Maria Lee
Senior Vice President
South China - Hong Kong
+852.3758.1338
Yasushi Furuya
Vice President
Japan
+81.3.5408.4272
Vineet Gupta
Vice President
India
+91.750.625.0104
Asia Pacific Client Desk
Research & Subscriptions
+852.3551.3077
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