Morningstar DBRS Assigns Provisional Credit Ratings to Cars Alliance Auto Loans Germany V 2025-1
AutoDBRS Ratings GmbH (Morningstar DBRS) assigned provisional credit ratings to the Class A Notes and Class B Notes (together, the Rated Notes) to be issued by Cars Alliance Auto Loans Germany V 2025-1 (the Issuer) as follows:
-- Class A Notes at (P) AAA (sf)
-- Class B Notes at (P) AAA (sf)
Morningstar DBRS did not assign a provisional credit rating to the Class C Notes (together with the Rated Notes, the Notes) also to be issued in this transaction.
The credit ratings on the Rated Notes address the timely payment of scheduled interest and ultimate repayment of principal by the legal final maturity date.
The transaction represents the issuance of notes backed by auto loans originated by the German branch of RCI Banque S.A. (RCIB or the Seller or the Originator), through its brand Mobilize Financial Services, to borrowers residing in Germany for the purchase of new or used motor vehicles. Eurotitrisation will manage the transaction. RCIB will also act as the servicer (the Servicer) of the portfolio.
CREDIT RATING RATIONALE
Morningstar DBRS based its provisional credit ratings on a review of the following analytical considerations:
-- The transaction's structure, including form and sufficiency of available credit enhancement to withstand stressed cash flow assumptions and repay the Issuer's financial obligations according to the terms under which the Rated Notes are expected to be issued;
-- The credit quality of RCIB's provisional portfolio, the characteristics of the collateral, its historical performance, and Morningstar DBRS-projected behaviour under various stress scenarios;
-- RCIB's capabilities with respect to originations, underwriting, servicing, and its position in the market and financial strength;
-- The operational risk review of RCIB, which Morningstar DBRS deems to be an acceptable Servicer;
-- The transaction parties' financial strength with regard to their respective roles;
-- The expected consistency of the transaction's structure with Morningstar DBRS' Legal and Derivative Criteria for European Structured Finance Transactions;
-- Morningstar DBRS' sovereign credit rating on the Federal Republic of Germany, currently at AAA with a Stable trend.
TRANSACTION STRUCTURE
The transaction includes a 12-month revolving period during which the Issuer shall purchase additional collateral. During this period, the transaction will be subject to receivables eligibility criteria and concentration limits designed to limit the potential deterioration of the portfolio quality, with which the Issuer will have to comply.
The Notes amortise sequentially and the transaction incorporates a single waterfall that facilitates the distribution of the available distribution amount.
The Seller will fund an amortising general reserve account equal to 1.25% of the outstanding principal balance of the Rated Notes on the closing date that will be available to the transaction. The general reserve provides liquidity support to the Rated Notes and is available to pay senior transaction fees, swap payments, and interest payments on the Rated Notes. The general reserve also ultimately provides credit enhancement to the Rated Notes.
The transaction is expected to have interest rate swaps in place to mitigate the interest rate mismatch risk between the fixed-rate collateral and the floating-rate Rated Notes.
COUNTERPARTIES
Natixis S.A. (Natixis) has been appointed as the Issuer's account bank for the transaction. Morningstar DBRS privately rates Natixis and concluded that Natixis meets Morningstar DBRS' minimum criteria to act in its capacity. The transaction is expected to contain downgrade provisions relating to the account bank consistent with Morningstar DBRS' criteria.
RCIB has been appointed the swap counterparty for the transaction while BNP Paribas SA (BNPP) has been appointed as the standby swap counterparty. Morningstar DBRS rates RCIB privately and has a public credit rating on BNPP. The swap agreements are expected to contain downgrade provisions with respect to the swap counterparties that are consistent with Morningstar DBRS' criteria.
Morningstar DBRS' credit ratings on the Rated Notes addresses the credit risk associated with the identified financial obligations in accordance with the relevant transaction documents. The associated financial obligations of the Rated Notes are the related interest and principal amounts.
Morningstar DBRS' credit ratings do not address nonpayment risk associated with contractual payment obligations contemplated in the applicable transaction document(s) that are not financial obligations.
Morningstar DBRS' long-term credit ratings provide opinions on risk of default. Morningstar DBRS considers risk of default to be the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy the financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which a long-term obligation has been issued.
ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE CONSIDERATIONS
There were no Environmental/Social/Governance factors that had a significant or relevant effect on the credit analysis.
A description of how Morningstar DBRS considers ESG factors within the Morningstar DBRS analytical framework can be found in the Morningstar DBRS Criteria: Approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors in Credit Ratings at https://dbrs.morningstar.com/research/437781.
Morningstar DBRS analysed the transaction structure in Intex Dealmaker.
Notes:
All figures are in euros unless otherwise noted.
The principal methodology applicable to the credit ratings is: Rating European Consumer and Commercial Asset-Backed Securitisations (18 September 2024), https://dbrs.morningstar.com/research/439583.
Other methodologies referenced in this transaction are listed at the end of this press release.
Morningstar DBRS has applied the principal methodology consistently and conducted a review of the transaction in accordance with the principal methodology.
An asset and a cashflow analysis were both conducted. Due to the inclusion of a revolving period in the transaction, the analysis considers potential portfolio migration based on replenishment criteria set forth in the transaction legal documents.
For a more detailed discussion of the sovereign risk impact on Structured Finance credit ratings, please refer to "Appendix C: The Impact of Sovereign Credit Ratings on Other Morningstar DBRS Credit Ratings" of the "Global Methodology for Rating Sovereign Governments" at: https://dbrs.morningstar.com/research/436000.
The sources of data and information used for these credit ratings include the Seller and its agents. Morningstar DBRS received the following data:
-- Static quarterly gross loss data from Q1 2014 to Q4 2024;
-- Static quarterly net loss data from Q1 2014 to Q4 2024;
-- Dynamic monthly delinquency and prepayments data from January 2016 to February 2025;
-- Portfolio stratification tables and a loan-by-loan provisional portfolio selected as of 28 February 2025; and
-- A theorical amortisation of the provisional pool.
Morningstar DBRS did not rely upon third-party due diligence in order to conduct its analysis.
Morningstar DBRS was supplied with third-party assessments. However, this did not affect the credit rating analysis.
Morningstar DBRS considers the data and information available to it for the purposes of providing these credit ratings to be of satisfactory quality.
Morningstar DBRS does not audit or independently verify the data or information it receives in connection with the credit rating process.
A provisional credit rating is not a final credit rating with respect to the above-mentioned securities and may change or be different than the final credit rating assigned or may be discontinued. The assignment of final credit ratings on the above-mentioned securities are subject to receipt by Morningstar DBRS of all data and/or information and final documentation that Morningstar DBRS deems necessary to finalise the credit ratings.
These credit ratings concern expected-to-be-issued new financial instruments. These are the first Morningstar DBRS credit ratings on these financial instruments.
Information regarding Morningstar DBRS credit ratings, including definitions, policies, and methodologies, is available on https://dbrs.morningstar.com.
Sensitivity Analysis: To assess the impact of changing the transaction parameters on the credit ratings, Morningstar DBRS considered the following stress scenarios as compared with the parameters used to determine the credit ratings (the base case):
-- Expected default rate: 1.3%
-- Expected recovery rate: 60.0%
-- Loss given default (LGD): 61.0% for the AAA (sf) scenario
Scenario 1: A 25% increase in the expected default.
Scenario 2: A 50% increase in the expected default.
Scenario 3: A 25% increase in LGD.
Scenario 4: A 50% increase in LGD.
Scenario 5: A 25% increase in both the expected default and LGD.
Scenario 6: A 25% increase in the expected default and 50% increase in LGD.
Scenario 7: A 50% increase in the expected default and 25% increase in LGD.
Scenario 8: A 50% increase in both the expected default and LGD.
Morningstar DBRS concludes that the expected credit ratings under the eight stress scenarios, respectively, will be:
-- Class A Notes: AA (high) (sf), AA (high) (sf), AAA (sf), AA (high) (sf), AA (sf), AA (sf), AA (sf), A (high) (sf)
-- Class B Notes: AA (high) (sf), AA (sf), AA (high) (sf), AA (sf), AA (sf), A (high) (sf), A (high) (sf), A (sf)
For further information on Morningstar DBRS' historical default rates published by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) in a central repository, see: https://registers.esma.europa.eu/cerep-publication. For further information on Morningstar DBRS' historical default rates published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in a central repository, see https://data.fca.org.uk/#/ceres/craStats.
These credit ratings are endorsed by DBRS Ratings Limited for use in the United Kingdom.
Lead Analyst: Sergio Rodas, Senior Analyst,
Rating Committee Chair: Paolo Conti, Associate Managing Director
Initial Rating Date: 23 April 2025
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Tel. +34 (91) 903 6500
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The credit rating methodologies used in the analysis of this transaction can be found at: https://dbrs.morningstar.com/about/methodologies.
-- Rating European Consumer and Commercial Asset Backed Securitisations (18 September 2024),
https://dbrs.morningstar.com/research/439583
-- Rating European Structured Finance Transactions Methodology (19 November 2024),
https://dbrs.morningstar.com/research/443199
-- Legal and Derivative Criteria for European Structured Finance Transactions (19 November 2024),
https://dbrs.morningstar.com/research/443196
-- Operational Risk Assessment for European Structured Finance Originators and Servicers (18 September 2024),
https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/439571
-- Interest Rate Stresses for European Structured Finance Transactions (24 September 2024),
https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/439913
-- Morningstar DBRS Criteria: Approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors in Credit Ratings (13 August 2024),
https://dbrs.morningstar.com/research/437781
A description of how Morningstar DBRS analyses structured finance transactions and how the methodologies are collectively applied can be found at: https://dbrs.morningstar.com/research/439604.
For more information on this credit or on this industry, visit https://dbrs.morningstar.com or contact us at info-DBRS@morningstar.com.
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