Reuters
Moody's cuts GM's rating deeper into junk
Tuesday February 21, 3:28 pm ET
By Karen Brettell
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday cut its debt rating on General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM - News) deeper into junk territory, saying it is increasingly concerned that high wage and benefit costs are making it difficult for the automaker to compete outside of bankruptcy.
GM has said it could be on the hook for as much as $12 billion in contract obligations to its former employees at its key parts supplier Delphi Corp. (Other OTC:DPHIQ.PK - News), which it spun off in 1999.
Delphi is in talks with GM and unions to slash its labor costs. However, GM Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said on Friday that a negotiated settlement between the parties was "not guaranteed."
In the absence of material progress in reducing its union-related cost burden through negotiations, GM could resort to bankruptcy as an option to reduce this burden, Moody's said in a statement.
"Delphi alone will put them in an extremely vulnerable position," said Sean Egan, managing director of Egan-Jones Ratings Co., which predicts GM is likely to file for bankruptcy in the next 12 months.
The manufacturing costs of GM and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F - News) are significantly out of line compared to their main competitors, Toyota Motor Corp. (Tokyo:7203.T - News) and Honda (Tokyo:7267.T - News), Egan said. "This is an economy of scale business and Ford and GM are losing the race."
Moody's cut GM's long-term senior unsecured rating by one notch to "B2," five levels below investment grade, from "B1." The outlook is negative, meaning an additional cut is likely over the next 12 to 18 months.
GM's 8.375 percent bond due 2033 fell to 71.56 cents on the dollar, from 71.75 cents before the downgrade. The automaker's finance unit, General Motors Acceptance Corp.'s, 8 percent bond due 2031 dipped to 94 cents, from 94.75 cents.
Standard & Poor's lowered its ratings on GM in December by two notches to "B," five levels below investment grade, from "BB-minus," citing skepticism about GM's ability to turn around the performance of its North American automotive operations. Fitch Ratings ranks GM "B-plus," four levels below investment grade.
"This is part of the relentless march of this thing. It is painful to watch," said Dan Zaldivar, senior analyst at RBC Capital Markets.
In a separate statement, Moody's said the profile of GMAC has also weakened and now appears more like a "mid-Ba" credit, reflecting increased risks related to its connection to GM, and challenges to its liquidity and profitability.
Moody's, however, affirmed the senior unsecured rating on GMAC at "Ba1," one notch below investment grade.
"GMAC's challenges regarding its financial flexibility and liquidity in its core financing operations are likely to intensify over the next several months," Moody's said.
Several concurrent actions, however, such as the sale by GM of a controlling stake in GMAC and the development of alternative sources of funding may address GMAC's liquidity challenges Moody's said.
GM is attempting to sell the controlling stake in GMAC in an effort to restore the unit's ratings to investment grade.
(Additional reporting by Dean Patterson)