Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena’s Challenging Restructuring Plan Is Credit Negative
for Subordinated Bondholders
Last Monday, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS, B2 negative, E/caa3)5
published its 2013-17
restructuring plan, prepared under guidelines agreed upon with the European Commission (EC). The plan
faces higher implementation obstacles than MPS’s 2012-15 restructuring plan. We believe the plan has high
execution risks, and a failure to raise the required capital from private shareholders would force the Italian
Treasury to become a shareholder and likely cause subordinated creditors to sustain a loss in the event of a
bank rescue.
From details disclosed so far, the entire restructuring plan hinges on the success of a planned €2.5 billion
share issue in 2014, which we believe will be a challenge without the emergence of a “white knight”
investor. So far, no such investor has appeared.
If the capital increase is unsuccessful, the Italian Treasury would partly convert into equity the €4.1 billion
of state aid it has granted to MPS. In such an event, there is a heightened risk that European or Italian
authorities would require subordinated creditors to share the cost of the recapitalisation. MPS has about
€30 billion in senior subordinated debt outstanding and €6 billion in preferred stock and junior
subordinated debt, and has already stopped payment of non-cumulative coupons on its preferred stock.
Proceeds from the share issue would be used in 2014 to repay €3 billion of the expensive (9% coupon, with
step-up) €4.1 billion of state aid that MPS has already received. Repayment would potentially reduce MPS’s
cost of funding by strengthening its creditworthiness and reducing bail-in risk.
Full details of the plan – particularly related to revenues – will only be disclosed after the EC’s final and
formal approval of the plan, which we expect in mid-November. But in addition to the share issue, other
elements appear very challenging given the adverse operating environment, including the following:
» The 50% cost-to-income target for 2017 (from 80% in 2012), considering that the bank’s brand has
suffered and that this will constrain revenues
» A planned headcount reduction of 5,300 (in addition to 2,700 since 2011) to cut costs, which will likely
encounter strong union opposition
» The €900 million net income target for 2017 (from a €3.2 billion loss in 2012), which will be
constrained by significant deleveraging and a required reduction of MPS’s loan-to-deposit ratio by 34
percentage points to 100%
» The 9% return on tangible equity target, which, even if MPS achieves, will still be lower than the cost of
capital