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The Gist
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THE BASICS
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September 1, 2023
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economy-ss-9
Economic Updates
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May 8, 2025 DOWNLOAD
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Archives: CreditSights Issuer List

Bonds Market Movements Top Picks Issuer List
  • Top Picks
  • ING Groep
Sovereign Bonds

ING Groep

  • Sector: Financial Services
  • Sub Sector: Banks
  • Region: Europe
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Fundamental View

AS OF 01 Nov 2024
  • ING displays robust and consistent asset quality, good earnings, solid capital ratios and a well-balanced funding profile.

  • These attributes are supported by its strong franchise in retail and wholesale banking in the Benelux region, its good geographic diversification, and its focus on low risk residential mortgage lending.

  • At the same time, it has sizeable exposures to cyclical industry sectors in its Wholesale Banking division, although these have been reduced in recent years.

Business Description

AS OF 01 Nov 2024
  • ING was founded in 1991 by a merger between Nationale-Nederlanden and NMB Postbank Group. It is now the largest Dutch financial institution by total assets.
  • ING Bank is focused on retail and commercial banking in the Benelux countries, with direct banking franchises in Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, as well as Poland, Romania, Turkey and the Philippines.
  • In April 2016, it completed the process of divesting all of its insurance business (in Europe, the US and Asia), under the Restructuring Plan conditions imposed by the European Commission after it received state aid in 2008-2009.
  • In November 2016, ING announced that its resolution entity would be its holding company, ING Groep NV. ING Groep is now the issuing entity for all TLAC/MREL-eligible debt (AT1, Tier 2 and senior unsecured), and its sole operating entity is ING Bank N.V.

Risk & Catalysts

AS OF 01 Nov 2024
  • Exposure to Russia has been coming down meaningfully, and the book is well covered (€1.0 bn offshore exposure with >€0.5 bn cover from guarantees). It also has €400 mn of equity in its Russian subsidiary. We highlight this as Russian exposure is continuing to attract interest and led to some additions to Stage 3 exposures year to date. To put these figures in context, the figures for Russian offshore exposure and equity in Russia at the beginning of the war in February 2022 were €5.3 bn (€2.2 bn covered by risk transfers to third parties) and €0.2 bn.

  • ING’s CET1 ratio will trend down towards its 12.5% target in the coming years, bringing it more in line with other major peers.

  • Customer deposits fund over 60% of ING’s balance sheet. 85% of deposits are insured.

Key Metric

AS OF 01 Nov 2024
€ mn Y20 Y21 Y22 Y23 3Q24
Return On Equity 4.6% 8.8% 7.1% 14.4% 14.8%
Total Revenues Margin 1.9% 2.0% 1.9% 2.3% 2.3%
Cost/Income 63.2% 60.5% 60.3% 51.2% 49.1%
CET1 Ratio (Transitional) 15.5% 15.9% 14.5% 14.7% 14.3%
CET1 Ratio (Fully-Loaded) 15.5% 15.9% 14.5% 14.7% 14.3%
Leverage Ratio (Fully-Loaded) 4.8% 5.9% 5.1% 5.0% 4.7%
Liquidity Coverage Ratio 137.0% 139.0% 134.0% 143.0% 146.0%
Impaired Loans (Gross)/Total Loans 2.1% 1.8% 1.7% 1.8% 1.9%
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CreditSight View Comment

AS OF 02 May 2025

After divesting its insurance operations, the remaining business, ING Bank, has stayed a solid Benelux-based bank with a strong direct banking arm in several countries. Profitability growth has been supported by a gradual recovery in the Dutch economy, but since 2018 heavily affected by higher compliance costs after ING was hit by a money-laundering charge. Net interest revenues are declining but fundamentally, the bank looks in good shape versus several other core European banks and fee income is increasing. Capital ratios are trending downwards given distributions on offer to shareholders. In January 2025, it announced its intention to exit Russia, which would appear credit positive. We moved from Outperform to Market perform on 6 February 2025.

Recommendation Reviewed: May 02, 2025

Recommendation Changed: February 07, 2025

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Bond:
ICTPM 3.5 31
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Bonds Market Movements Top Picks Issuer List
  • Top Picks
  • Industrial Bank of Korea
Sovereign Bonds

Industrial Bank of Korea

  • Sector: Financial Services
  • Sub Sector: Banks
  • Region: Korea
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Fundamental View

AS OF 06 Sep 2024
  • IBK benefits from a legally binding solvency guarantee from the Korean government and is viewed as a Korean quasi-sovereign issuer. The bank is listed, but remains majority state-owned. Previous governments had proposed privatizing it, but subsequent governments scrapped these plans. The government intends to keep its stake above 50%, and wants IBK to focus on lending to SMEs and provide earlier stage investment capital.

  • IBK manages the difficult feat of combining its policy role to support Korean SMEs with performance that compares creditably with Korean commercial banks.

Business Description

AS OF 04 Sep 2024
  • IBK was established under its own Act in 1961 to assist the development of Korea's small business sector. It claims a 23% market share in SME lending.
  • It was listed in the early 1990s, but was re-nationalised following heavy losses in the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s. It was re-listed in 2003, and is majority owned by the government which holds 59.5%; the National Pension Scheme holds 5.6%, and other policy banks have small stakes (7.2% by Korea Development Bank and 1.8% by the Export-Import Bank of Korea).
  • Under Article 43 of the IBK Act, if the bank incurs losses they should be set against its reserves and "if the reserves are not sufficient the Government shall assume the remaining loss". Although this is a solvency guarantee and not an explicit guarantee for the timely payment of debts, we believe the Korean government will ensure IBK is in a position to make such timely payments.

Risk & Catalysts

AS OF 07 Jan 2025
  • The bank’s ratings are closely tied to the Korean sovereign’s ratings due to its quasi-sovereign status.

  • Its ratings and its default risk should therefore not be impacted by any deterioration in its financials, provided the government continues to inject new capital when needed, which it is expected to.

  • Its policy mandate requires it to use at least 70% of its funding for SMEs. Risks are mitigated by its granular SME exposures which are more than 80% secured, including guarantee from state-owned credit guarantee agencies. Korean governments have also always been quick to provide support including capital injections to IBK when needed, with the most recent injection of KRW 1.3 tn during the COVID.

Key Metric

AS OF 04 Sep 2024
KRW bn FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 1H24
Pre-Provision Operating Profit / Average Assets 1.33% 1.30% 1.49% 1.59% 2.78%
ROAA 0.5% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6%
ROAE 6.4% 9.2% 9.5% 8.8% 8.7%
Provisions/Average Loans 0.60% 0.34% 0.50% 0.67% 1.03%
Nonperforming Loans/Total Loans 1.08% 0.85% 0.85% 1.05% 1.30%
CET1 Ratio 11.1% 11.3% 11.1% 11.3% 11.6%
Total Equity/Total Assets 6.95% 6.92% 6.79% 7.10% 7.06%
NIM 1.55% 1.51% 1.78% 1.79% 1.73%
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CreditSight View Comment

AS OF 23 Sep 2024

IBK is not wholly government owned – 59.5% direct government ownership, 7.2% KDB and 1.8% KEXIM – but is a policy bank benefiting from a Korean government solvency guarantee. For a policy bank it also has a fairly good track record and manages the difficult feat of combining its policy role to support Korean SMEs with performance that compares creditably with Korean commercial banks. As the leading lender to Korea’s medium and small businesses, IBK plays a key role in the country’s economy, enhanced by the longstanding objective of numerous administrations to achieve a more diversified economy less reliant on the “chaebol”. Successive Korean governments have always been quick to provide support including capital injections to the policy banks when needed.

Recommendation Reviewed: September 23, 2024

Recommendation Changed: March 17, 2017

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Who We Recommend

International Container Terminal Services Inc

Bond:
ICTPM 3.5 31
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Bond:
WOORIB 4.875 28
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Bonds Market Movements Top Picks Issuer List
  • Top Picks
  • The Export-Import Bank of Korea
Sovereign Bonds

The Export-Import Bank of Korea

  • Sector: Financial Services
  • Sub Sector: Banks
  • Region: Korea
  • Bond: EIBKOR 5.125 33
  • Indicative Yield-to-Maturity (YTM): 4.55%
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Fundamental View

AS OF 14 Aug 2024
  • KEXIM is a pure policy bank that is directly and indirectly wholly owned by the government of the Republic of Korea, which is obliged under Article 37 of the Export-Import Bank of Korea Act to fund any losses that cannot be covered by the bank’s reserves.

  • While this is a solvency guarantee and does not explicitly guarantee the timely repayment of debt, we view it as inconceivable that the Korean authorities would fail to provide KEXIM with support in a timely manner, should this be needed, given its crucial policy role and close government links.

Business Description

AS OF 14 Aug 2024
  • KEXIM was set up in 1976 to support Korean companies in their overseas business through export credit guarantee programs, as well as providing finance for imports and for overseas investment. It provides funding for both short term trade and long term investment, and manages two government-entrusted funds: the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), a Korean official development assistance program, and the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund (IKCF), an economic cooperation program to promote exchanges with North Korea. It is also a conduit through which the government doled out COVID-19 assistance to affected companies.
  • Till 2030, KEXIM aims to preferentially focus on seven sectors (hydrogen energy, wind and solar power, rechargeable battery and energy storage systems (ESS), future mobility, 5G and next-generation semiconductors, pharmaceutical and healthcare, and digital technology and cultural content) which are considered new growth drivers of the Korean economy. It has historically focused on the shipbuilding and engineering & construction industries.
  • KEXIM is 100% owned by the Korean government: 73% directly and the remainder through stakes held by the Bank of Korea (8%) and Korea Development Bank (19%). In contrast to peer policy banks IBK and KDB, KEXIM has remained more consistently a policy bank but its role has been adjusted to ensure it complements rather than competes with the Korean commercial banks.

Risk & Catalysts

AS OF 07 Jan 2025
  • Previous Korean governments have made moves to privatise the other policy banks, but KEXIM has retained its policy bank role and government ownership, which are not likely to change.

  • Korea’s shipbuilders have long been the largest users of KEXIM’s services. Losses on exposure to the sector, in particular Daewoo Shipbuilding (DSME), pushed KEXIM into the red in 2016 but the government injected capital and its condition has recovered.

  • Together with KDB, KEXIM has played a key role in helping corporate Korea survive the COVID-19 induced crisis.

Key Metric

AS OF 14 Aug 2024
KRW bn FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23
Pre-Impairment Operating Profit / Average Assets 1.3% 1.2% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1%
ROAA 0.5% 0.1% 0.5% 0.4% 0.6%
ROAE 3.2% 0.7% 3.2% 2.7% 4.7%
Provisions/Average Loans 0.5% 1.2% 0.5% 0.8% 0.3%
Nonperforming Loans/Total Loans 2.4% 1.8% 1.9% 1.2% 0.7%
CET1 Ratio 12.9% 13.4% 13.3% 11.8% 13.0%
Total Equity/Total Assets 14.9% 14.8% 15.1% 12.6% 14.3%
Net Interest Margin (NIR/Ave Assets) 1.0% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.7%
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CreditSight View Comment

AS OF 07 Jan 2025

KEXIM is a wholly government owned policy bank benefiting from a Korean government solvency guarantee. It plays a key role in financing large-ticket exports in particular ships and large-scale overseas engineering projects. Its credit exposures include some industry and borrower concentrations especially to Korea’s shipbuilders and its financial performance has at times suffered. But the Korean government has always acted in a timely manner to endure its solvency, and with this strong backing we view it as a sound credit. We view its secondary levels as in line with where we would expect it to trade, and so continue with our Market perform recommendation.

Recommendation Reviewed: January 07, 2025

Recommendation Changed: September 22, 2020

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Bond:
ICTPM 3.5 31
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Bond:
WOORIB 4.875 28
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Bonds Market Movements Top Picks Issuer List
  • Top Picks
  • Korea Gas Corp.
Sovereign Bonds

Korea Gas Corp.

  • Sector: Energy
  • Sub Sector: Oil and Gas
  • Region: Korea
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Fundamental View

AS OF 18 Jun 2024
  • KORGAS is Korea’s sole integrated gas utility company and a quasi-sovereign credit in Korea with an effective monopoly over the exploration & production (E&P), procurement, storage & production, transmission and wholesale distribution of natural gas.

  • Its credit profile is underpinned by its dominant market position in Korea’s natural gas and hydrogen utility market, and the strong support from the Korean government. This partly mitigates its delayed and incomplete pass-through of gas procurement costs when natural gas price surges, such as in FY22.

  • We expect its credit profile to improve in FY24 supported by lower natural gas procurement costs and higher gas tariffs, which would partially mitigate concerns over its larger capex planned for FY24 and FY25.

Business Description

AS OF 19 Jun 2024
  • KORGAS is 54.6% directly/indirectly owned by the Korean Government (Central Government 26.2%, KEPCO 20.5%, Local Government 7.9%). It is Korea's sole integrated gas utility company with an effective monopoly over the exploration & production (E&P), procurement, storage & production, transmission and wholesale distribution of natural gas. It is crucial to Korea's green transition plan to increase LNG generation by 56% by 2036 from 2022. In addition, KORGAS was licensed as Korea's sole hydrogen distribution agency in 2020.
  • KORGAS is one of the largest LNG importer in the world and sells imported natural gas to domestic companies in South Korea. As of YE23, KORGAS operates 77 storage tanks at 5 LNG terminals in Incheon, Pyeong Taek, Tong Yeong, Sam Cheok and Jeju. It has 5,178 km of pipeline network nationwide, and is looking to construction additional 440 km by 2026.
  • The Korea natural gas industry is divided into wholesale and retail segments. KORGAS is the only wholesaler in Korea, and the regional city gas companies are in charge of supplying natural gas to retail consumers through regional retail pipelines. KORGAS sold 47% of its gas sales to domestic LNG-fired power generation companies (gencos), including the genco subsidiaries of KEPCO and independent power producers (IPPs), and the remaining 53% to city gas companies and heating companies in FY23.

Risk & Catalysts

AS OF 18 Jun 2024
  • Key risks to KORGAS’ standalone credit profile include: (1) Significant depreciation of the KRW against the $ ; (2) Delayed and/or smaller-than-expected retail tariffs hikes; and (3) higher-than-expected capex and investments related to Korea’s green transition.

  • However, we do not foresee these risks to materially impair KORGAS’ ability to access funding, credit rating and overall credit profile as we expect KORGAS to remain as the sole integrated gas utility company and continue to receive extremely strong financial support from the Korean government.

Key Metric

AS OF 18 Jun 2024
KRW bn FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23
Debt to Book Cap 76.6% 75.7% 75.8% 81.3% 80.7%
Net Debt to Book Cap 75.6% 74.6% 74.2% 79.8% 79.1%
Debt/Equity 327.2% 312.4% 313.3% 434.4% 418.0%
Gross Leverage 8.2x 9.4x 9.1x 9.9x 11.6x
Net Leverage 8.1x 9.3x 8.9x 9.7x 11.4x
Interest Coverage 3.9x 3.4x 4.8x 5.1x 2.2x
EBITDA Margin 13.0% 12.3% 11.4% 8.8% 8.0%
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CreditSight View Comment

AS OF 04 Jul 2024

We maintain our O/P recommendation KORGAS. We expect KORGAS’ credit profile to improve in 2H24 supported by higher tariffs and normalizing natural gas procurement costs. We expect KORGAS, which is the sole integrated natural gas utility company in South Korea to continue enjoying solid government support. We view its $ bonds as attractive compared to lower rated Chinese SOEs, BBB-rated low beta Korean corporates and other Korean quasi-sovereigns. In particular, we like its newly issued Jul-29 for the high on-market coupon; for investors looking for defensive short-dated carry, we also like its 27s.

Recommendation Reviewed: July 04, 2024

Recommendation Changed: June 27, 2023

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Bond:
ICTPM 3.5 31
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Bonds Market Movements Top Picks Issuer List
  • Top Picks
  • Sinopec Corp
Sovereign Bonds

Sinopec Corp

  • Sector: Energy
  • Sub Sector: Oil and Gas
  • Region: China
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Fundamental View

AS OF 17 Apr 2024
  • We expect the credit profile of Sinopec, which is one of the three Chinese national oil companies (NOCs) to continue to be underpinned by its strategic role in China’s energy security and the resulting strong government support.

  • We expect Sinopec’s standalone credit profile to remain supported in FY24 by resilient refined oil demand and improving demand for chemical products as industrial activities pick up and the destocking trend ends.

  • To note, we use the financials of HKEx listed Sinopec Corp (386.HK) as a proxy for the credit profile of its parent, the obligor of the outstanding $ bonds (BBG: SINOPE).

Business Description

AS OF 17 Apr 2024
  • Sinopec Group is a Chinese integrated oil and gas (O&G) company and is one of the largest globally & domestically. In FY23, 56.1% of Sinopec Corp' external revenues came from marketing and distribution (i.e. retail and direct sales of refined oil), 13.1% from chemicals, 5.4% from refining, and 5.7% from E&P. Corporate and others segment accounted for the remaining 19.7% of sales revenue, consisting of import and export business, R&D and managerial activities.
  • The refining segment purchases crude oil from third parties as well as the E&P segment of the company, and processes crude oil into refined petroleum product. Most of the gasoline, diesel and kerosene are sold internally to the marketing and distribution segment of the company; part of the chemical feedstock is sold internally to the chemical segment, and the other refined petroleum products are sold externally to both domestic and overseas customers. The marketing and distribution segment purchases refined oil products from the refining segment and third parties, and mainly distributes to domestic customers via its wholesale and retail networks.
  • In FY23, Sinopec's total oil and gas output was 504 mn barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe), up 3.1% YoY; this included 252/29 mmbbls (+0.3%/-1.9%) of domestically produced/overseas crude oil, as well as 1,338 bcf of natural gas (+7.1% YoY). The average realized price of its crude oil and natural gas was $76.6/bbl and $7.1/thousand cubit feet respectively.

Risk & Catalysts

AS OF 17 Apr 2024

Risks: Lower-than-expected domestic sales of refined oil and chemical products due to a severe economic downturn, higher-than-expected crude oil and gas feedstock costs resulted from geopolitical tensions, elevated inventory losses due to tumbling oil & gas prices, and large capex overrun result in a weaker standalone credit profile. However, we expect the strong government support to offset these downside risks. US sanction related headline risks due to US-China tension and other geopolitical risks.

Catalysts: inflow into China $ bonds as a result of improving China macro outlook and US-China relationship; stronger-than-expected recovery in chemical product demand.

Key Metric

AS OF 17 Apr 2024
RMB bn FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23
Total Debt/Capitalization 27.8% 25.3% 25.6% 27.5% 31.5%
Net Debt/Capitalization 17.3% 9.4% 7.6% 16.3% 19.8%
Total Debt/Total Equity 38.6% 33.8% 34.5% 38.0% 46.1%
Total Debt/Total Assets 19.2% 17.2% 16.7% 18.3% 21.7%
Total Debt/EBITDA 1.6x 1.5x 1.2x 1.5x 2.0x
Net Debt/EBITDA 1.0x 0.6x 0.4x 0.9x 1.3x
EBITDA/Gross Interest 12.9x 16.8x 20.1x 16.1x 14.5x
EBITDA Margin 7.3% 9.5% 9.4% 7.0% 6.8%
Note: Limited disclosure on capitalized interest in interim reports.
Scroll to view columns right arrow

CreditSight View Comment

AS OF 17 Apr 2024

We affirm our Market perform recommendation on Sinopec (A1/A+/A+). A-rated Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs), including Sinopec are trading tight due to a lack of new supply and as investors fly to quality amid macro uncertainties in China. We continue to prefer AA-rated Korean quasi-sovereign names for safe carry (like KOROIL, KORGAS, KEPCO) and higher-beta Chinese SOEs for spread pickup.

Recommendation Reviewed: April 17, 2024

Recommendation Changed: May 03, 2021

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Bond:
ICTPM 3.5 31
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Bonds Market Movements Top Picks Issuer List
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  • Korea Electric Power Corp.
Corporate Bonds

Korea Electric Power Corp.

  • Sector: Energy
  • Sub Sector: Utilities
  • Region: Korea
  • Bond: KORELE 5.5 28
  • Indicative Yield-to-Maturity (YTM): 4.858%
  • Credit Rating : AA
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Fundamental View

AS OF 22 Mar 2024
  • KEPCO is the sole integrated electricity utility company and a quasi-sovereign credit in Korea. Its credit profile is underpinned by the extremely high level of government support due to its critical policy role in ensuring the nation’s stable power supply.

  • KEPCO’s operating and net losses narrowed in FY23 thanks to electricity tariff hikes alongside lower fuel costs and its EBITDA turned around.

  • Its total debt/EBITDA and net debt/EBITDA was elevated at 18.2x/17.7x as of YE23 due to high debt burdens, and we expect its leverage metrics to improve from FY23 but remain at 7-9x due to large capex planned in FY24 and FY25 to develop its nuclear, LNG and renewable capacities.

Business Description

AS OF 22 Mar 2024
  • KEPCO is a quasi-sovereign credit and the sole integrated electric utilities company in Korea. The company was founded in 1898, 51% majority owned and controlled by the Korean government and Korean Development Bank, and listed on the Korea Stock Exchange/NYSE in 1989/1994.
  • KEPCO is the sole provider of electricity transmission & distribution infrastructure and services, and controls ~60% of the nation's installed generation capacity and ~70% of power generation through its six wholly owned gencos: Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), Korea South-East Power (KOEN), Korea Western Power (KOWEPO), Korea East-West Power (EWP), Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO), and Korea Southern Power (KOSPO). In addition, KHNP is the sole nuclear power generation company in Korea. In FY23, KEPCO purchase ~65% of wholesale power from its genco subsidiaries and ~30% from independent power plants. On a consolidated basis, electricity transmission & distribution accounts for over 95% of KEPCO's annual revenues.
  • KEPCO is a key implementation entity to carry out the Korean government's energy transition plan responding to climate change. KEPCO plans to fully stop coal generation by 2050. In order to achieve that, KEPCO plans to reduce its coal generation capacity to 23 GW in FY30 (FY23: 32.6 GW), and grow its renewable capacity to 37 GW in FY30 (FY23: 6.6 GW).

Risk & Catalysts

AS OF 22 Mar 2024
  • Key risks to KEPCO’s standalone credit profile include: 1) higher-than-expected fuel costs due to continued increase of international prices of coal, natural gas and oil as well as a significant depreciation of the KRW against the $; (2) inability to pass through high fuel costs due to insufficient tariff adjustment; and (3) higher-than-expected capex and investments related to Korea’s green transition.

  • However, we do not foresee these risks to materially impair KEPCO’s ability to access funding, credit rating and overall credit profile as we expect KEPCO to continue receiving an extremely high level of support from the Korean government.

  • KEPCO’s exposure to nuclear power operations and coal-fired power generation may post ESG concerns for investors with an ESG mandate. But this risk exposure is partially alleviated by the company’s gradual shift towards renewable energy.

Key Metric

AS OF 22 Mar 2024
KRW bn FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23
Debt to Book Cap 55.2% 55.3% 60.1% 76.9% 80.5%
Net Debt to Book Cap 54.0% 54.1% 58.7% 75.3% 78.4%
Debt/Total Equity 1.2x 1.2x 1.5x 3.3x 4.1x
Debt/Total Assets 42.9% 43.0% 46.7% 59.6% 64.3%
Gross Leverage 8.7x 5.6x 16.5x -6.9x 18.2x
Net Leverage 8.5x 5.5x 16.1x -6.8x 17.7x
Interest Coverage 4.8x 7.8x 3.1x -7.2x 1.9x
EBITDA Margin 16.5% 26.5% 9.8% (28.3%) 9.6%
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CreditSight View Comment

AS OF 06 Feb 2025

KEPCO is the sole electricity distributor and transmitter in South Korea, undertaking an irreplaceable policy role. Its credit profile is underpinned by excellent government support which allows the company to enjoy strong access to the onshore and offshore funding channels that mitigate its elevated leverage and insufficient cash coverage for short-term debt. KEPCO is in the process of implementing a financial improvement plan and aim to restore its financial soundness by 2027. Its $ bonds provide attractive yield pick-ups compared to lower-rated Chinese SOEs and BBB-rated low beta Korean corporates, in our view. We prefer the new KORELE Feb-28 and KORELE 5.5% Apr-28 for short-dated high-coupon carry and better trading liquidity.

Recommendation Reviewed: February 06, 2025

Recommendation Changed: July 24, 2023

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Bonds Market Movements Top Picks Issuer List
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  • Toyota Motor Credit
Sovereign Bonds

Toyota Motor Credit

  • Sector: Manufacturing
  • Sub Sector: Automotive
  • Country: Japan
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Fundamental View

AS OF 29 Feb 2024
  • Toyota’s slower ramp of battery electric vehicle (BEV) production and sales relative to its peers was a common investor concern a year ago. However, with the recent slowdown in consumer adoption of BEVs in North America and Europe and Toyota’s dominance in the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) market, those concerns have abated, at least for the time being. Importantly, Toyota management has indicated its profitability of its HEV portfolio is on par with its ICE portfolio profitability. We continue to believe that Toyota’s market leading position in HEVs provides consumers with a more eco-friendly option than traditional ICE vehicles that can serve as a bridge to EVs while the charging infrastructure is built out and the cost of producing EVs is reduced.

Business Description

AS OF 29 Feb 2024
  • Toyota Motor Corp. (TMC) engages in the manufacture and sale of motor vehicles and parts. The Financial Services segment offers purchase or lease financing to Toyota vehicle dealers and customers. It also provides retail leasing through lease contracts purchased by dealers. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda on August 28, 1937, and is headquartered in Toyota, Japan. In July 2000, the company established Toyota Financial Services Corporation (TFSC), a wholly owned subsidiary, to oversee the management of its finance companies worldwide.
  • Toyota Financial Services Corporation (TFSC), a wholly owned subsidiary of TMC, oversees the management of Toyota's finance companies worldwide. Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) is the company’s principal financial services subsidiary in the United States and is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary. Under terms of the credit support agreement between TFSC and TMCC, TFSC agrees to: (1) maintain 100% ownership of TMCC; (2) cause TMCC and its subsidiaries to have a tangible net worth of at least $100,000; (3) make sufficient funds available to TMCC so that it will be able to service the obligations arising out of its own bonds, debentures, notes and other investment securities and commercial paper. The terms of the credit support agreement between TMC and TFSC are very similar to the terms of the TFSC and TMCC credit support agreement.

Risk & Catalysts

AS OF 29 Feb 2024
  • Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) credit metrics stable. TMCC F3Q24 earnings before taxes increased 50% YoY and 3x sequentially. At F3Q24 the delinquency rate expanded 10 bp YoY to 0.9%, nearly double pre-pandemic levels, while the retail charge-off rate expanded 10bp YoY to 0.7%. The company notes that changes in interest rates or unemployment could increase credit losses and additional provisioning. Additionally, elevated prices and high borrowing costs have impacted some consumers’ ability to make scheduled payments resulting in an increase in consumer delinquencies and charge-offs.

Key Metric

AS OF 29 Feb 2024
¥ bn FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 F3Q24
Total Company Earning Assets 110,621 116,546 117,659 120,018 129,320
Cash and Investments 6,790 8,195 7,670 6,398 6,458
Total Liquidity 31,390 35,895 36,070 33,498 35,058
Unsecured Debt 83,172 85,513 82,288 78,949 85,744
Secured Debt 14,568 24,212 26,864 32,736 33,262
Total Debt 97,740 109,725 109,152 111,685 119,006
Allowance % Retail Rece. 0.86% 1.64% 1.66% 1.83% 1.81%
Allowance / Net Charge-offs 1.58x 4.50x 6.68x 3.03x 2.56x
Net Charge-offs % Avg. Receivable 0.56% 0.39% 0.26% 0.63% 0.72%
30+ Day Delinquency Rate 1.8% 1.2% 1.8% 2.3% 3.1%
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CreditSight View Comment

AS OF 13 May 2024

We reiterate our Underperform recommendations on notes of Toyota Motor Co. (TOYOTA: A1/A+/A+; S/S/S) and Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC: A1/A+/A+; S/S/S) based primarily on relative value. Toyota reported record profit in FY24 and announced increased investments in labor, suppliers, and BEVs in FY25 that it expects to reduce operating profit 20%. We applaud the investments that we believe should further its new energy vehicle offerings well beyond its hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which account for more than one-third of its sales. We believe the Toyota bond complex is fairly valued at current levels but will continue to underperform the broader market and the A-rated index owing to its high-A credit rating and short duration.

Recommendation Reviewed: May 13, 2024

Recommendation Changed: January 13, 2023

see more issuers DOWNLOAD PDF
Recommended Issuers

Who We Recommend

International Container Terminal Services Inc

Bond:
ICTPM 3.5 31
Read Details

BDO Unibank

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Woori Financial Group

Bond:
WOORIB 4.875 28
Read Details

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