BT's Junior Subordinated Hybrid Securities Rated 'BB+' And Assessed As Intermediate Equity Content
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LONDON (S&P Global Ratings) Feb. 10, 2020--S&P Global Ratings today assigned its 'BB+' issue rating to the €500 million junior subordinated hybrid securities to be issued by British Telecommunications PLC (BBB/Stable/A-2), wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group PLC (BT; BBB/Stable/A-2). The rating reflects our notching for subordination and the risk of loss absorption or cash conservation. We assess the securities as having intermediate equity content until the first interest reset date.
BT views the securities' issuance as a strategic and prudent balance sheet strengthening tool to support its long-term issuer credit rating and senior creditors. We understand that BT intends to maintain or replace these securities as a long-term form of capital on its balance sheet.
We categorize the proposed securities as having intermediate equity content, because they are subordinated in liquidation to all BT's senior debt obligations, cannot be called for at least 5.25 years, and are not subject to features that could discourage or materially delay deferral.
We derive our 'BB+' rating on the security by notching down from our 'BBB' rating on BT. The two-notch difference reflects our deducting:
- One notch for subordination, because our long-term issuer credit rating on BT is 'BBB-' or above; and
- An additional notch for the risk of loss absorption or cash conservation, because of coupon deferability. In this case, coupon deferral is discretionary and not limited in time.
The notching indicates that we consider the issuer relatively unlikely to defer the coupon. Should our view change, we may increase the number of notches we deduct to derive the issue rating.
In addition, given our view of the intermediate equity content of the proposed securities, we allocate 50% of the related payments on the security as a fixed charge and 50% as equivalent to a common dividend. The 50% treatment of principal and accrued interest also applies to our adjustment of debt.