Approximately $450 Billion of hybrid and subordinated debt affected 
  New York, November 18, 2009 -- Moody's Investors Service has placed under review for possible downgrade  the ratings of 775 hybrid and subordinated debt securities issued by 170  bank families in 36 countries following a change to its rating methodology  for these instruments. A detailed list of ratings affected is available  on the company's website at 
http://v3.moodys.com/page/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBC_121275. 
  
  The reviews follow the rating agency's announcement that it has  changed the way in which it rates these securities to take into account  the fact that some recent government interventions in troubled banks have  not helped, and have even been to the detriment of, the holders  of these types of securities. For example, in some cases,  support packages have been contingent upon a bank's suspension of  coupon payments on these instruments as a means to preserve capital. 
  
  Prior to the crisis, Moody's had incorporated into its ratings  an assumption that support provided by national governments and central  banks to shore up a troubled bank would, to some extent, benefit  the subordinated debt holders as well as senior creditors. 
  
  The new methodology also better captures the potential for losses that  can occur in restructurings outside liquidation, such as through  coupon suspension, principal write-downs, good bank/bad  bank structures, and distressed exchanges. These risks can  be exacerbated by the hybrid's features. Therefore,  the review of individual securities will take into account various structural  features of the instruments. These include whether or not coupon  payments can be skipped and under what circumstances, and whether  such missed payments are cumulative or non-cumulative. 
  
  Moody's anticipates that 40% of the potentially affected  hybrid ratings could be lowered by one to two notches, 50%  could be lowered three to four notches, and the remainder could  be lowered by five or more notches. 
  
  As the likely extent and form of government support -- or intervention—  is an important part of the analysis, the reviews will incorporate  policy differences between countries and the relationships of individual  banks with the government. While it is clear that governments and  regulators, to the extent contractually and legally possible,  may support coupon skips and/or principal write-downs for hybrids  issued by troubled banks, the timing of such actions is uncertain,  depending on country-specific considerations. 
  As a result, ratings on one class of securities, junior subordinated  debt, are likely to continue to benefit from the uplift of government  support -- at least in the near term. This is especially the  case for banks in countries such as Japan, where a previous banking  crisis has led to a well-defined resolution process and where junior  subordinated debt has been supported during a time of financial distress.  It is also the case in certain emerging markets, where banks are  an important part of the economic development of the country and therefore  likely to benefit from high levels of government support. 
  
  For banks in the countries or regions particularly hard hit by the crisis,  which have enjoyed extraordinary levels of support, we expect junior  subordinated debt ratings to be anchored closer to the intrinsic financial  strength of the bank as government support gradually diminishes. 
  The rating agency expects to complete the reviews of individual ratings  over the next three months and will announce the outcome of each review  as it is completed. Banks with ratings already under review may  be excluded from this review, and the changes to their hybrid ratings  will be made at the same time the reviews on their other ratings are resolved. 
  
  "Moody's Guidelines for Rating Bank Hybrid Securities and  Subordinated Debt" is available on moodys.com. In  conjunction with the new methodology, the rating agency has also  published a Frequently Asked Questions to address some of the issues that  were raised during the comment period. 
  
  Moody's will be holding teleconferences about the methodology on  Thursday 19 November at 12pm Hong Kong/ 1pm Tokyo/ 3pm Sydney time for  the Asian markets and at 10am EST/ 3pm GMT for the Americas and Europe.  For more information or to register, go to 
www.moodys.com/events.