Fitch Ratings Gives French Holding Company AA and Stable Outlook

Posted on April 29, 2015 by MTN Blog Team

Fitch-agency-cuts-Italy-and-Spain-ratings

Medium Term Notes blog update is courtesy of Reuters. Fitch Ratings has rated EPIC BPI-Groupe a AA rating and given them a stable outlook. The EPIC BPI-Groupe is the holding company for the French State’s participation in OSEO Group’s operating company OSEO S.A. and is fully-owned by the state. An excerpt from Reuters is below.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed EPIC BPI-Groupe (EPIC) Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at ‘AA’ with a Stable Outlook, and its Short-term foreign currency IDR at ‘F1+’. Fitch has also affirmed Bpifrance Financement’s EUR4bn certificate of deposit programme, EUR20bn euro medium term notes programme and EUR4bn negotiable medium-term notes at Long-term ‘AA’ and Short-term ‘F1+’. The bonds issued under these programmes benefit from an unconditional and irrevocable first-call guarantee from EPIC BPI-Groupe. Fitch rates the holding company EPIC, but not BPI-Groupe SA or its subsidiaries (including Bpifrance Financement) represented by Bpifrance Group. Fitch rates EPIC on a top-down basis under its public-sector entity rating criteria, due to EPIC’s status as a public agency, its tight control by the French State (AA/Stable/F1+) and to a lesser extent, its strategic importance for the government. As a result, the ratings of EPIC are equalised with those of, and credit-linked to, France. KEY RATING DRIVERS EPIC would benefit from very strong state support in case of need. Although the French government has no legal obligation to prevent a default, Fitch assumes that it is highly motivated to provide support on a long- or short-term basis and that it has the legal and financial means to enable EPIC to meet its debt service obligations on time. By virtue of its status, EPIC’s assets and liabilities cannot be liquidated or transferred to entities other than the French State. EPIC is 100% owned by the French government and its missions are carried out through BPI-Groupe SA and its subsidiaries that make up Bpifrance Group. Bpifrance Group is subject to a strong administrative, legal and financial oversight by the French State which defines its missions. As part of public policy, Bpifrance Group’s commitments are monitored by parliament through annual performance reports. Bpifrance Group is a strategic tool for French economic policy through co-lending (with commercial banks) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps. Its public missions have been reinforced with export financing and by a framework-agreement with Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD; AA/Stable/F1+) to foster the international development of French SMEs. Underpinned by the absence of high fixed costs as it has no significant branch network, Bpifrance Group continues to post a sound cost/income ratio on its different activities. Under its 2014-2017 strategic plan, Bpifrance Group expects to continue to post sound budgetary performance, with a low cost of risk and a positive operating income of EUR502m at end-2017 (2014: EUR389m). Bpifrance Group benefits from diversified sources of funding, through EPIC’s debt financing division subsidiary (Bpifrance Financement), allowing it to limit its refinancing risk. Since 2015, its funding is also underpinned by the eligibility of Bpifrance Financement’s securities for the public sector purchase programme of the European Central Bank. Bpifrance Financement has a solid and safe liquidity profile, with a confirmed amount of liquidity reserves of EUR9.6bn at end-2014, representing one year of business activity. This translates into a solid liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) under Basel III regulations (600% at end-2014). The breakdown of exposures by product and by sector is diversified in terms of both exposure and number of counterparties. Bpifrance Group has a strict policy on large exposures, thereby limiting high individual exposure and favouring portfolio diversification. RATING SENSITIVITIES EPIC’s ratings are credit linked to the sovereign. A positive or negative rating action on the sovereign would result in a similar rating action on the issuer. Changes to EPIC’s legal status that weaken potential support from the state could also lead to a downgrade. A movement in the ratings of EPIC would affect the ratings of guaranteed bonds issued by Bpifrance Financement.

Hertz Closes On Private Offering For Asset Backed Medium Term Notes

Posted on April 17, 2015 by MTN Blog Team

Medium Term Notes update is courtesy of MarketWatch. Hertz, most well known for their vehicle rental company, has closed on a private offering of $780 million medium term rental car asset backed notes. The details from Hertz’s press release, found on MarketWatch, is below.

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.HTZ, +0.24% (“Hertz” or the “Company”) today announced that Hertz Vehicle Financing II LP (“HVF II”), a wholly owned special purpose subsidiary of the Company, successfully issued $780.0 million in aggregate principal amount of Series 2015-1 Rental Car Asset Backed Notes, Class A, Class B, and Class C (the “Series 2015-1 Notes”). The Company utilizes the HVF II securitization platform to finance its U.S. rental car fleet.

The expected maturity of the Series 2015-1 Notes is March 2020. The Series 2015-1 Notes are comprised of $622.44 million aggregate principal amount of 2.73% Rental Car Asset Backed Notes, Class A, $118.529 million aggregate principal amount of 3.52% Rental Car Asset Backed Notes, Class B, and $39.031 million aggregate principal amount of 4.35% Rental Car Asset Backed Notes, Class C. The Class B Notes are subordinated to the Class A Notes. The Class C Notes are subordinated to the Class A Notes and the Class B Notes.

The net proceeds from the sale of the Series 2015-1 Notes are expected to be used (i) to repay a portion of the outstanding principal amount of HVF II’s Series 2013-A Variable Funding Notes and HVF II’s Series 2014-A Variable Funding Notes and (ii) to make loans to Hertz Vehicle Financing LLC (“HVF”), a wholly owned special purpose subsidiary of the Company. HVF is expected to use the proceeds of any such loans to acquire or refinance vehicles to be leased to The Hertz Corporation or DTG Operations, Inc., each wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company, for use in their daily rental operations. The offering closed on April 14, 2015.

About Hertz

Hertz operates the Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly car rental brands in more than 10,800 corporate and licensee locations throughout 145 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Hertz is the largest worldwide airport general use car rental company with more than 1,700 airport locations in the U.S. and more than 1,300 airport locations internationally. Product and service initiatives such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, NeverLost®, Carfirmations,Mobile Wi-Fi and unique vehicles offered through the Adrenaline, Dream, Green and Prestige Collections set Hertz apart from the competition. Additionally, Hertz owns the vehicle leasing and fleet management leader Donlen Corporation, operates the Hertz 24/7 hourly car rental business and sells vehicles through its Rent2Buy program. The Company also owns Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation (“HERC”), one of the largest equipment rental businesses with more than 350 locations worldwide offering a diverse line of equipment and tools for rent and sale. HERC primarily serves the construction, industrial, oil, gas, entertainment and government sectors.

AltaGas Completes $125 Million Medium Term Notes Offer

Posted on April 15, 2015 by MTN Blog Team

Medium Term Notes blog update is courtesy of Reuters. AltaGas, a gas, power and utility business focusing in clean energy and serving the United States and Canada, has completed $125 million issue of medium term notes.

AltaGas Ltd. (“AltaGas”) (ALA) today announced that it has completed its US$125 million issue of senior unsecured medium-term notes (the “Offering”). The notes carry a floating rate coupon of three month LIBOR plus 0.85 percent and mature on April 17, 2017.

The net proceeds resulting from the Offering will be used to pay down existing indebtedness and for general corporate purposes.

The Offering was made through a syndicate of investment dealers co-led by BMO Capital Markets as sole bookrunner and TD Securities Inc. under AltaGas’ Short Form Base Shelf Prospectus dated August 23, 2013 and Prospectus Supplement dated January 7, 2014.

AltaGas is an energy infrastructure business with a focus on natural gas, power and regulated utilities. AltaGas creates value by acquiring, growing and optimizing its energy infrastructure, including a focus on clean energy sources. For more information visit: www.altagas.ca

Turkey’s First Privately Owned Bank’s MTN Receive Fitch Ratings

Posted on April 6, 2015 by MTN Blog Team

Medium Term Notes blog update is courtesy of Reuters. The first privately owned investment and development bank in Turkey, Turkiye Sinai Kalkinma Bankasi A.S.’s (TSKB) MTNs received Fitch Ratings of a BBB-. Below is an excerpt from Reuters.

Fitch Ratings has assigned Turkiye Sinai Kalkinma Bankasi A.S.’s (TSKB) USD750m medium term note programme Long- and Short-term ratings of ‘BBB-‘ and ‘F3′ respectively. The ratings apply only to issuance of senior unsecured notes. The ratings are senior programme ratings and do not imply that the ratings will be assigned to all notes issued under the programme. Senior notes under the MTN programme will represent direct, unconditional, unsecured, and unsubordinated obligations of the bank. However, Fitch reserves the right to not rate certain instruments issued under the programme. The programme is to be listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. Notes issued may be in any currency or of any tenor. KEY RATING DRIVERS The programme’s ratings reflect the ratings that are expected to be assigned to senior notes issued under the programme, and are in line with TSKB’s Long- and Short-term Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) of ‘BBB-‘ and ‘F3′ respectively. The bank’s IDRs in turn reflect the policy role of TSKB and are based on a high probability of support, if required, from the Turkish government. TSKB is 50%-owned by Turkiye Is Bankasi A.S. (BBB-/Stable) and performs a public mission, as defined in its statutes, of attracting foreign capital investments to Turkey and participating in the development of the country’s capital markets. RATING SENSITIVITIES As the MTN programme is rated in line with TSKB’s foreign currency IDRs, the rating is primarily sensitive to changes to the IDRs. TSKB’s IDRs are sensitive to a change in Turkey’s sovereign ratings and also to a material reduction in the level of state-guaranteed debt or an erosion of its policy role, either of which Fitch would consider as a reduction in the state’s commitment to TSKB, and therefore potentially an indication of a reduced propensity to provide support, in case of need.

Noble Group Repurchases Medium Term Notes

Posted on April 3, 2015 by MTN Blog Team

Medium Term Notes blog update profiles Noble Group, a commodity trader in Asia, buying back its $20 million medium term notes. This update is courtesy of the Business Times.

Asia’s largest commodity trader, Noble Group, on Thursday said it has repurchased US$20 million in aggregate principal amount of the 3.625 per cent US dollar fixed rate medium term notes due in 2018.

The medium term notes were issued in March 2013.

Noble said the purchase represents about 5 per cent of the total aggregate principal amount of the notes.

It added that the repurchased notes had been cancelled on Wednesday in line with the terms and conditions of the notes.

As at Wednesday, US$380 million in aggregate principal amount of the medium term notes was outstanding.

These notes are listed on the official list of the Singapore Securities Exchange Trading Limited (SGX-ST).

“SGX-ST’s approval in-principle for the listing of the notes is not to be taken as an indication of the merits of the medium term notes, the company or its subsidiaries,” said Noble.

World’s Leading Shopping Center Company, Scentre Group Seeks Euro Medium Term Notes

Posted on April 2, 2015 by MTN Blog Team

Medium Term Notes blog update is courtesy of the Australian Business Review. One of the world’s leading shopping center companies, Scentre Group, announced it is seeking $778 million in euro medium term notes.

Scentre Group is raising £400 million ($778 million) under its euro medium term note (EMTN) programme. The issue comprises of seven-year fixed-rate guaranteed notes with a coupon of 2.375 percent.

The proceeds of the issue will be used to repay borrowings under the company’s revolving bank facilities.

Australian companies, looking to cut dependence on bank loans, have turned to the European debt market in a big way over the past year, as they take advantage of historically low interest rates to implement long-pending growth plans. Other issuers in the Euro market include the Big Four banks, Transurban and Sydney airport.

Scentre (SCG)was spun off from mega mall owner Westfield Group last year by merging the Australian and New Zealand assets of the group with Westfield Retail Trust. It raised nearly more than $3 billion from the European debt markets last year to repay its bridge loan facility.