NDB’s international rating affirmed at B/Stable Outlook and withdrawn at request of bank

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has affirmed National Development Bank PLC’s (NDB) long term and short term issuer credit rating at ‘B’ with a stable outlook in their report dated 20 March. The affirmation is given on the ratings issued by S&P in December 2016. The affirmation also comes along with S&P’s withdrawal of all ratings on NDB at the bank’s request.

NDB engaged the international rater S&P in 2013 for international credit ratings as a part of the then proposed US Dollar bond which the bank envisaged to issue in the international market. The issuance of the bonds did not materialise due to unfavourable market conditions/rates which prevailed at that point of time. As such the bank presently is not in need for an international issuer rating, hence the bank’s management decided to discontinue the rating agreement with S&P.

S&P’s report states that the affirmed rating at the time of withdrawal reflected the rater’s expectation that NDB will maintain its satisfactory business and revenue diversification over the next 12 months. In the rater’s view, the bank has an adequate risk position for its size and business scale. The rater has also commented on the bank’s funding profile, capital and earnings. Infusing fresh capital to support the bank’s rapidly expanding franchise and improving the bank’s earnings for sustained shareholder value remain key strategic priorities for the bank.

The outlook on the long-term issuer credit rating was stable at the time of the withdrawal. The stable outlook reflected S&P’s view that NDB is relatively insulated over the next 12 months compared to peers from potential heightening of economic risks facing all financial institutions operating in Sri Lanka.

NDB continues its rating with Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd. for national long term rating as well as instrument ratings. The bank’s national long term rating is A+(lka) with a Stable Outlook and its Basel compliant subordinated term debt are rated at A(lka).