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Moody’s reviews the subordinated debt ratings of certain Brazilian bank issuers for downgrade in the Cayman Islands

Sao Paulo, November 27, 2012 — Moody’s Investors Service has placed on review for downgrade the ratings assigned to subordinated debt issued by Banco Bradesco S.A. Grand Cayman Branch, Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A., and its direct and indirect leasing subsidiaries that currently have systemic support incorporated in their ratings.

The rating actions reflect Moody’s opinion that the global trend towards imposing losses on junior creditors in the context of future bank resolutions may reduce the predictability of such support being provided to holders of subordinated debt, as junior obligations are intended to absorb losses on behalf of senior creditors and depositors. This view is discussed in the special comment “Supported Bank Debt Ratings at Risk of Downgrade due to New Approaches to Bank Resolution,” published in February 2011.

LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS

The following subordinated debt ratings were placed on review today:

Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A.: (P)Baa2 foreign currency subordinated debt rating

Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. (Cayman Branch): Baa2 foreign currency subordinated debt rating

Banco Bradesco S.A. (Grand Cayman Branch): Baa1 foreign currency subordinated debt rating

BFB Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil: Baa1 local currency subordinated debt rating

Dibens Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil: Baa1 local currency subordinated debt rating

Itaubank Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil: Baa1 local currency subordinated debt rating

RATINGS RATIONALE

The review for downgrade on the banks’ subordinated debt ratings reflects Moody’s revised approach to notching the ratings of these instruments from a bank’s standalone credit assessment instead of from its supported deposit rating. Moody’s currently incorporates one notch of systemic support in the subordinated and junior subordinated debt ratings of the listed Brazilian banks.

During the rating review, Moody’s will consider removing systemic support from these debt instruments, based on an assessment of the ability and the willingness of local regulators to impose losses on holders of subordinated debt outside a liquidation process.

Upon the conclusion of the review and in line with “Moody’s Guidelines for Rating Bank Hybrid Securities and Subordinated Debt”, published in November 2009, Moody’s expects to position the ratings of senior subordinated debt one notch below the Adjusted Baseline Credit Assessment (Adjusted BCA) , which reflects a bank’s stand-alone financial strength including parental and cooperative support. Junior subordinated debt ratings may be positioned two notches below the Adjusted BCA while deeply subordinated junior debt may be positioned three notches below the adjusted BCA.

LAST RATING ACTIONS

The last rating action on Banco Bradesco S.A. was on 27 June 2012, when Moody’s downgraded the bank’s global local currency deposit ratings, in the context of a global reassessment sovereign linkage.

The last rating action on Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. was on 27 June 2012, when Moody’s downgraded global local currency issuer ratings, in the context of a global reassessment sovereign linkage.

The last rating action on BFB Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil was on 27 June 2012, when Moody’s downgraded BFB Leasing’s issuer and subordinated debt ratings to A3 and Baa1, respectively.

The last rating action on Dibens Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil was on 27 June 2012, when Moody’s downgraded Dibens Leasing’s issuer and subordinated debt ratings to A3 and Baa1, respectively.

The last rating action on ItaúBank Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil was on 27 June 2012, when Moody’s downgraded ItaúBank Leasing’s issuer and subordinated debt ratings to A3 and Baa1, respectively.

The principal methodology used in these banks’ was Moody’s Consolidated Global Bank Rating Methodology published in June 2012. Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES

The Global Scale Credit Ratings on this press release that are issued by one of Moody’s affiliates outside the EU are endorsed by Moody’s Investors Service Ltd., One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E 14 5FA, UK, 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 has issued a particular Credit Rating is available on www.moodys.com.

Banco Bradesco S.A., Grand Cayman Branch

Itau Unibanco Holding S.A.Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. (Cayman Islands)

For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt, this announcement provides relevant 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 relevant regulatory disclosures in relation to the rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider’s credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides relevant 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.

Moody’s considers the quality of information available on the rated entities, obligations or credits satisfactory for the purposes of issuing these ratings.

Moody’s adopts all necessary measures so that the information it uses in assigning the ratings 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 Moody’s Rating Symbols and Definitions on the Rating Process page on www.moodys.com for further information on the meaning of each rating category and the definition of default and recovery.

Please see ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the last rating action and the rating history. The date on which some ratings were first released goes back to a time before Moody’s ratings were fully digitized and accurate data may not be available. Consequently, Moody’s 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.

In addition to the information provided below please find on the ratings tab of the issuer page at www.moodys.com, for each of the ratings covered, Moody’s disclosures on the lead rating analyst and the Moody’s legal entity that has issued each of the ratings.

Ceres Lisboa VP – Senior Credit Officer Financial Institutions Group Moody’s America Latina Ltda. Avenida Nacoes Unidas, 12.551 16th Floor, Room 1601Sao Paulo, SP 04578-903 Brazil JOURNALISTS: 800-891-2518 SUBSCRIBERS: 55-11-3043-7300Maria Celina Vansetti-Hutchins MD – Banking Financial Institutions Group JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376 SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653 Releasing Office: Moody’s America Latina Ltda. Avenida Nacoes Unidas, 12.551 16th Floor, Room 1601Sao Paulo, SP 04578-903 Brazil JOURNALISTS: 800-891-2518 SUBSCRIBERS: 55-11-3043-7300(C) 2012 Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and/or its licensors and affiliates (collectively, “MOODY’S”). All rights reserved.

CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (“MIS”) AND ITS AFFILIATES ARE MOODY’S CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND CREDIT RATINGS AND RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS PUBLISHED BY MOODY’S (“MOODY’S PUBLICATIONS”) MAY INCLUDE MOODY’S CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES. MOODY’S DEFINES CREDIT RISK AS THE RISK THAT AN ENTITY MAY NOT MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL, FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AS THEY COME DUE AND ANY ESTIMATED FINANCIAL LOSS IN THE EVENT OF DEFAULT. CREDIT RATINGS DO NOT ADDRESS ANY OTHER RISK, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: LIQUIDITY RISK, MARKET VALUE RISK, OR PRICE VOLATILITY. CREDIT RATINGS AND MOODY’S OPINIONS INCLUDED IN MOODY’S PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT STATEMENTS OF CURRENT OR HISTORICAL FACT. CREDIT RATINGS AND MOODY’S PUBLICATIONS DO NOT CONSTITUTE OR PROVIDE INVESTMENT OR FINANCIAL ADVICE, AND CREDIT RATINGS AND MOODY’S PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AND DO NOT PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PURCHASE, SELL, OR HOLD PARTICULAR SECURITIES. NEITHER CREDIT RATINGS NOR MOODY’S PUBLICATIONS COMMENT ON THE SUITABILITY OF AN INVESTMENT FOR ANY PARTICULAR INVESTOR. MOODY’S ISSUES ITS CREDIT RATINGS AND PUBLISHES MOODY’S PUBLICATIONS WITH THE EXPECTATION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH INVESTOR WILL MAKE ITS OWN STUDY AND EVALUATION OF EACH SECURITY THAT IS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR PURCHASE, HOLDING, OR SALE.

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All information contained herein is obtained by MOODY’S from sources believed by it to be accurate and reliable. Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error as well as other factors, however, all information contained herein is provided “AS IS” without warranty of any kind. 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. Under no circumstances shall MOODY’S have any liability to any person or entity for (a) any loss or damage in whole or in part caused by, resulting from, or relating to, any error negligent or otherwise or other circumstance or contingency within or outside the control of MOODY’S or any of its directors, officers, employees or agents in connection with the procurement, collection, compilation, analysis, interpretation, communication, publication or delivery of any such information, or (b) any direct, indirect, special, consequential, compensatory or incidental damages whatsoever (including without limitation, lost profits), even if MOODY’S is advised in advance of the possibility of such damages, resulting from the use of or inability to use, any such information. The ratings, financial reporting analysis, projections, and other observations, if any, constituting part of the information contained herein are, and must be construed solely as, statements of opinion and not statements of fact or recommendations to purchase, sell or hold any securities. Each user of the information contained herein must make its own study and evaluation of each security it may consider purchasing, holding or selling.

NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF ANY SUCH RATING OR OTHER OPINION OR INFORMATION IS GIVEN OR MADE BY MOODY’S IN ANY FORM OR MANNER WHATSOEVER.

MIS, a wholly-owned credit rating agency subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation (“MCO”), hereby discloses that most issuers of debt securities (including corporate and municipal bonds, debentures, notes and commercial paper) and preferred stock rated by MIS have, prior to assignment of any rating, agreed to pay to MIS for appraisal and rating services rendered by it fees ranging from $1,500 to approximately $2,500,000. MCO and MIS also maintain policies and procedures to address the independence of MIS’s ratings and rating processes. Information regarding certain affiliations that may exist between directors of MCO and rated entities, and between entities who hold ratings from MIS and have also publicly reported to the SEC an ownership interest in MCO of more than 5%, is posted annually at www.moodys.com under the heading “Shareholder Relations — Corporate Governance — Director and Shareholder Affiliation Policy.”

Any publication into Australia of this document is by MOODY’S affiliate, Moody’s Investors Service Pty Limited ABN 61 003 399 657, which holds Australian Financial Services License no. 336969. This document is intended to be provided only to “wholesale clients” within the meaning of section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001. By continuing to access this document from within Australia, you represent to MOODY’S that you are, or are accessing the document as a representative of, a “wholesale client” and that neither you nor the entity you represent will directly or indirectly disseminate this document or its contents to “retail clients” within the meaning of section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, credit ratings assigned on and after October 1, 2010 by Moody’s Japan K.K. (“MJKK”) are MJKK’s current opinions of the relative future credit risk of entities, credit commitments, or debt or debt-like securities. In such a case, “MIS” in the foregoing statements shall be deemed to be replaced with “MJKK”. MJKK is a wholly-owned credit rating agency subsidiary of Moody’s Group Japan G.K., which is wholly owned by Moody’s Overseas Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCO.

This credit rating is an opinion as to the creditworthiness or a debt obligation of the issuer, not on the equity securities of the issuer or any form of security that is available to retail investors. It would be dangerous for retail investors to make any investment decision based on this credit rating. If in doubt you should contact your financial or other professional adviser.

 

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