DBRS Assigns Additional Ratings to Svenska Handelsbanken AB, Senior Unaffected at AA (low)

DBRS has today assigned additional ratings for debt instruments of Svenska Handelsbanken AB (SHB or the Bank) that were not rated previously. The rating actions are based on DBRS’s recently issued methodology for rating bank subordinated debt and hybrid capital instruments with contingent risk. Importantly, today’s rating actions do not reflect any issuer-specific credit events, nor do they impact the other ratings for SHB, including the Bank’s AA (low) Senior Unsecured Debt & Deposits rating, with a Stable trend.

Today’s rating actions impact a relatively limited subset of debt capital instruments with contingent risks, for which DBRS draws an important distinction in its ratings between those instruments where these adverse events are reversible, and those instruments where these adverse events, once triggered, are irreversible. Accordingly, instruments with reversible contingent events are generally rated like other debt instruments that otherwise have similar characteristics. Conversely, instruments with contingent events that are not reversible are viewed as more risky and more equity-like, and as such, are generally rated lower, with notching driven by DBRS’s preferred rating scale for banks.

DBRS has today published a methodology, “Rating Bank Subordinated Debt and Hybrid Capital Instruments with Contingent Risks.” This methodology addresses instruments with contingent risk features that have already been issued by European banks, and also lays out the framework for rating instruments with such features in the future. This publication builds on DBRS’s approach to rating subordinated debt and hybrid instruments, which was clarified in our press release on 21 December 2009 and is detailed in our recently published methodology, “Rating Bank Subordinated Debt and Hybrid Instruments with Discretionary Payments.”

With this backdrop and consistent with the aforementioned methodologies, DBRS has assigned new ratings of A (high), with a Stable trend, to Dated Subordinated Debt and Undated Subordinated Debt issued by SHB. The Dated Subordinated Debt has no conversion or write-down features and is therefore rated one notch below the senior rating (standard notching). The Undated Subordinated Debt has a reversible conversion feature. Undated Subordinated Debt can be converted into equity-like instruments to the extent that may be required to avoid the issuer being obliged to enter into liquidation. However, any converted amounts are to be reinstated as debt on the balance sheet, before the issuer makes dividend or other payments to shareholders. As discussed above, DBRS views reversible conversion or write-down features as adding less risk than similar features that are irreversible, as if the bank survives, the risk to the investor remains largely the same as it would be in the absence of this feature. As such, DBRS rates SHB’s Undated Subordinated Debt the same as subordinated debt without the conversion feature. The Undated Subordinated Debt ranks senior to SHB’s Capital Contribution Securities and Enhanced Capital Contribution Securities and coupon payments are deferrable, but cumulative.

DBRS has also assigned new ratings of A (low), with a Stable trend, to Capital Contribution Securities and Enhanced Capital Contribution Securities issued by SHB. Both instruments have reversible conversion features (similar to Undated Subordinated Debt). The Capital Contribution Securities and Enhanced Capital Contribution Securities can both be converted into equity-like instruments to avoid the issuer being obliged to enter into liquidation. The Enhanced Capital Contribution Securities can also be converted to the extent that may be required to avoid or remedy any breach in applicable banking regulations. Given the reversible conversion feature of these instruments, DBRS rates the SHB’s Capital Contribution Securities and Enhanced Capital Contribution Securities at the same level, three notches below the issuer’s senior debt rating. The notching reflects the junior status of these instruments and the deferrable/non-cumulative nature of the coupon payments.

Note:
The applicable methodologies are
Global Methodology for Rating Banks and Banking Organisations,
Rating Bank Subordinated Debt and Hybrid Capital Instruments with Contingent Risks,
Rating Bank Subordinated Debt and Hybrid Instruments with Discretionary Payments,
Rating Bank Preferred Shares and Equivalent Hybrids,
Enhanced Methodology for Bank Ratings – Intrinsic and Support Assessments,
which can be found on our website under Methodologies.

This rating is based on public information.

This is a Corporate (Financial Institutions) rating.