S&P affirms Ratings BBB- ratings on Hyundai Steel
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has affirmed its BBB- long term corporate credit and debt ratings on Korea based steelmaker Hyundai Steel Co.
S&P said that "At the same time, we kept the outlook on the ratings at stable. However, we lowered the standalone credit profile for Hyundai Steel to bb from bb+ while reflecting two notches of support from its parent Hyundai Motor Group, whose core company is Hyundai Motor Co, instead of one notch."
Mr Sangyun Han, a credit analyst at Standard & Poor's, said that "The rating affirmation reflects our expectation that a strong likelihood of support from the group would offset deterioration in the financial risk profile for Hyundai Steel over the next 12 to 18 months. We expect the financial risk profile to deteriorate until 2013 as a result of its investment in a new blast furnace but to recover from 2014, when the blast furnace is due to commence operation. Also, we believe the new blast furnace is likely to increase the company's strategic importance to the group, whose credit quality has strengthened, as evidenced by our raising of the ratings on Hyundai Motor in March 2012."
S&P said that "Our lowering of the SACP for Hyundai Steel to bb from bb+ reflects our view that measures of the company's credit quality are unlikely to be commensurate with the current SACP over the next 12 to 18 months, because of investment in the new blast furnace and a challenging environment for the steel industry amid moderating demand for steel."
S&P said that "The stable outlook reflects our expectation that investment in the new blast furnace is likely to weaken the company's financial risk profile in 2012 and 2013, but operation of the new blast furnace will likely produce a recovery in 2014. Also, the stable outlook reflects a strong likelihood that the group will support Hyundai Steel in the event of financial distress, given the steelmaker's increasing importance to the group."
It concluded that "We may lower the ratings on the company if the ratio of its FFO to debt falls below 12% on a sustained basis, likely as a result of weak operating cash flow due to challenging market conditions or heavier than expected capital investment. Also, we may lower the rating if the company's relationship with the group weakens significantly. On the other hand, we could raise the rating if the financial risk profile for the company improves, such as if it exceeds 25% of FFO to debt on a sustained basis. Also, we could raise the rating if the company's relationship with the group strengthens significantly."
Source - Standard & Poor's