Rating Action:
Moody's downgrades Gazprom's foreign currency rating to Baa2; negative outlook
Global Credit Research - 23 Dec 2014
London, 23 December 2014 -- Moody's Investors Service has today downgraded to Baa2 from Baa1 the foreign currency rating of OJSC Gazprom ("Gazprom") and its supported entities, following the lowering of Russia's foreign currency bond ceiling to Baa2 from A3. The outlook on the foreign currency rating is negative. Concurrently, Moody's placed Gazprom's Baa1 local currency rating on review for downgrade.
This action reflects the ongoing severe and rapid deterioration in the operating environment in Russia and the heightened risk of a more prolonged and more acute economic downturn than originally anticipated.
It also follows Moody's decision on Monday 22 December to lower Russia's foreign currency bond ceiling to Baa2 from A3, foreign currency deposit ceiling to Ba1 from Baa2, and local currency bond and deposit ceilings to Baa1 from A3.
For additional information on the changes to the country ceilings, please refer to the related announcement
https://www.moodys.com/research/--PR_315606.
RATINGS RATIONALE
Today's rating action reflects recent volatility in the rouble exchange rate, which has surpassed the heightened levels already experienced in 2014. To counter this trend, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) has been increasing its key interest rates, although its efforts have had limited impact in stabilising the currency. Since the beginning of 2014, the CBR has increased interest rates by 11.5 percentage points in total.
These developments will likely lead to a severe deterioration in the operating environment for Russian corporates namely higher inflation, unemployment and debt-servicing costs as well as lower domestic demand, resulting in a deeper and more protracted decline in domestic economic activity than previously anticipated. Moody's now expects Russian GDP to contract by 5.5% in 2015 and 3% in 2016.
Moody's believes that even for the corporates that do not have refinancing needs in foreign currency, the likely continued severe deterioration of the operating environment might lead to a substantial weakening in their credit profiles.
Whilst Moody's acknowledges the strengths of Gazprom's franchise, it notes that under current economic conditions the probability of negative government intervention has increased, and the company's operations may become less insulated from potential sovereign stress.
RATIONALE FOR NEGATIVE OUTLOOK
In Moody's view, the negative outlook on Gazprom's foreign currency bond rating reflects the sensitivity of its ratings to changes in sovereign creditworthiness, notwithstanding the current differential between Gazprom's and the government's ratings.
WHAT COULD CHANGE THE RATINGS UP/DOWN
Moody's could downgrade Gazprom's ratings as a result of a material deterioration in the company's operating environment and business profile, and/or a deterioration in sovereign creditworthiness.
Upward pressure on the company's ratings is unlikely at present. Moody's could stabilise the outlook on Gazprom's ratings if the rating agency were to stabilise the outlook on Russia's government bond rating, provided that there is no material deterioration in the company's operating and financial performance, as well as liquidity.
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGIES
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Global Integrated Oil & Gas Industry published in April 2014. Other methodologies used include the Government-Related Issuers methodology published in October 2014. Please see the Credit Policy page on
www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.
Headquartered in Moscow, Russia, Gazprom is one of the world's largest integrated oil and gas companies and is focused on the exploration, production and refining of gas and of oil (via its subsidiary Gazprom Neft JSC (Baa2, RUR), as well as the transportation and distribution of Russian gas to domestic, former Soviet Union (FSU) and European markets. Gazprom also owns and operates the Unified Gas Supply System (UGSS) in Russia, which is the world's largest gas transportation, storage and processing system, comprising nearly 168,300 kilometres of high-pressure trunk pipelines and 25 underground gas storage facilities, and is the leading exporter of gas to western Europe. In 2012, Gazprom generated sales of approximately $153.6 billion and EBITDA of $56.1 billion (adjusted).
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt, this announcement provides certain 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 certain 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 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 rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this 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.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.
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.