Groupama failed to call a Dated Subordinated bond at the first call date in 2009, but before the year ended had come to the market and refinanced it, calling at the second call date. Then, it skipped and cancelled a coupon on the Tier 1 in 2012, because it could, not because it needed to. We doubt that it would opt to do something like that again, as it did not help its solvency and it hurt its reputation.
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Unipol did not call its Dated Subordinated bonds in 2011 and 2013 and they are still out there, floating and reminding investors of the risks and the reputation.
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It is hard to say which of the above is worse, but if we deducted a point from each the score would be 0 to Unipol and -1 to Groupama.
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Insurers are in the business of meeting financial promises and cannot afford to have any material subsidiary default on its obligations. For this reason, the existence of a Cross Default Clause on the senior debt of Unipol Gruppo Finanziario SpA (UGF) is not a concern, as senior debt of most groups has Events of Default and Cross Default clauses.
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To the extent that the clause is there to protect senior bondholders at the ultimate holding company, they are a positive factor and not of consequence to the subordinated debt of subsidiaries.
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For subordinated debt that will count as solvency capital for regulatory purposes, it is required that there cannot be acceleration of repayment. This is supportive of tighter spreads at UGF’s senior debt.
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If Unipol prices inside Groupama in the Undated Subordinated space, it must be inside in Senior. Whether investors like Unipol’s new undated subordinated bond or not, it is more protected than the one of Groupama and makes the Senior UNIIM €00mn 4.375% look better today.