Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG
Transcription
Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG
Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Primary Credit Analyst: Thomas F Fischinger, Frankfurt (49) 69-33-999-243; [email protected] Secondary Contact: Alois Strasser, Frankfurt (49) 69-33-999-240; [email protected] Table Of Contents Major Rating Factors Rationale Outlook Government Support And GRE Methodology Background And Business Description: Agent Entrusted By Law For Export Guarantees Ownership, Legal Status, And Organization: Joint-Stock Company Owned By Private Austrian Banks Sovereign Support And Supervision: Dedicated Government Agent Strategy: Clearly Focused On Export And Capital Market Services Asset Quality: Excellent Because Of Guarantees Profitability: Low Asset And Liability Management: Wholesale Issuer In Capital Markets Capital: Well Capitalized Relative To Risk Assets WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 1 1352086 | 300149949 Table Of Contents (cont.) Related Criteria And Research WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 2 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Major Rating Factors Strengths: • "Almost certain" likelihood of extraordinary support from the Republic of Austria, based on critical role for and integral link to Austria. • Irrevocable, unconditional, and timely guarantees by Austria on practically all debt obligations. • Extremely low-risk loan portfolio, almost entirely comprising fully secured loans. Counterparty Credit Rating AA+/Stable/A-1+ Weaknesses: • Almost exclusive focus on low margin businesses, which additionally exposes the bank to the business cycle in the Austrian export sector. • No state ownership. Rationale The ratings on Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG (OKB) are based on our view that OKB as a government-related entity (GRE) benefits from an "almost certain" likelihood of extraordinary government support. In accordance with our criteria for GREs, we base this view on OKB's: • "Integral" link with the government, which plays a major role in defining the bank's strategy and provides unconditional, irrevocable, and timely guarantees for its bond issues. In addition, the government effectively guarantees most of OKB's assets and provides continuous support by servicing drawn asset guarantees. Even without government ownership, the state remains involved through government commissioners who participate in the bank's shareholder and supervisory board meetings; and • "Critical" role for Austria as its sole agent for the administration of the Republic's export guarantee program and provision of export financing. In this respect, OKB serves an important sector of the export-dependent Austrian economy. The role is further underpinned by OKB's assumption in 2008 of another government mandate through its subsidiary Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG (OeEB). The combination of the "integral" link and "critical" role leads us to conclude that the government would provide timely and sufficient extraordinary support to OKB in the event of financial stress. As a result, we qualify the likelihood of such extraordinary support as "almost certain". The Republic of Austria unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees timely payment of the bank's debt obligations issued under the Export Financing Guarantees Act (Ausfuhrfinanzierungsförderungsgesetz; AFFG). The ratings also reflect the bank's prudent management and stable financial profile, including an extremely low-risk loan portfolio, almost entirely made up of loans granted under OKB's export financing scheme. If OKB calls on the Republic to honor the guarantee on a loan, the underlying bank receivable is transferred to the Republic, leaving the bank with zero non-performing loans. WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 3 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG OKB is the Republic of Austria's export credit agency. It supports the government's policy objectives in the Austrian export industry by administering the Republic's export guarantee program and by providing medium- and long-term financing to banks and importers of Austrian goods. In line with our criteria for government related entities, we consider OKB to play a "critical" role for the Austrian government as sole agent for the administration of the Republic's export guarantees and provider of export financing for its export-oriented economy. We assess the bank's link with the government to be "integral", although OKB is not owned by the government. A variety of Austrian financial institutions forms a stable ownership structure for the bank in our view. However, the minister of finance appoints a government commissioner and deputy commissioner who participate in the bank's shareholder and supervisory board meetings. Most of OKB's activities are governed by specific laws, and the government explicitly guarantees practically all of OKB's debt. As most of OKB's lending is collateralized by export guarantees, most of them from Austria's export guarantee program, the government effectively guarantees most of OKB's assets, as well. As a result, we consider there to be an "almost certain" likelihood that the Austrian government would provide timely and sufficient extraordinary support to OKB in the event of financial distress. In addition, we understand that neither the government nor OKB intends to change the bank's business model despite a decline in business volume and operating profits. We are convinced that the government will support the bank even beyond guarantees as long as its policy towards export promotion does not change. The debt obligations issued by OKB are generally guaranteed by Austria under the AFFG. However, OKB also issues unguaranteed debt occasionally, especially short-term debt. As of year-end 2013, OKB had total assets of nearly €29.0 billion, compared with €41.5 billion in 2008. The decline reflects a change in the structure of export financing, with lower foreign direct investments by Austrian companies abroad. Moreover, repayments on loans exceeded new disbursements. However, we regard the reduction in balance sheet size as unimportant given the continued significance of OKB in export financing, which is highlighted by the amount of guarantees granted on behalf of the Republic. In 2013, OKB administered €3.5 billion in new export guarantees for the Republic of Austria. The volume of export guarantees administered by OKB declined for a fifth consecutive year, to €31.5 billion, from over €40.0 billion in 2009. OKB also acts on behalf of the Republic in providing guarantees other than export guarantees if entrusted by law, for example special support laws (Unternehmensliquiditätsstärkungsgesetz - ULSG) passed in 2009 and retired in 2010. We note that in 2013 the Republic of Austria refused payments to creditors of a company (Alpine) despite a conditional guarantee provided by OeKB on behalf of the government, claiming covenants were broken. We view the missed payment under the ULSG guarantee as a bona fide commercial dispute. Refinancing provided by OKB is fully secured by the Republic's export guarantees for the underlying transaction, which have to be transferred to OKB as beneficiary of the granted export guarantees. We note that OKB has never suffered a loan loss on its balance sheet. The bank's profits, which are in line with its mandate, have typically been modest and declined in 2013, to about €52.4 million from a restated €82.4 million in 2012. The decrease was mainly driven by a decline in net interest income and a decline in net gains on financial instruments. From a regulatory perspective, the bank's risk-weighted capital ratio at 204.6% in 2013 (up from 149% in 2012) and Tier 1 capital ratio at 158.7% (up from 114% in 2012) remain very strong. WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 4 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Outlook The stable outlook on OKB reflects that on Austria (see "Supplementary Analysis: Austria (Republic of)," published April 25, 2014, on RatingsDirect). We do not believe that the federal government will change its attitude toward OKB or withdraw its support, exceeding the granted guarantees in our view. The outlook also reflects our expectation that, given OKB's strategic importance for Austria as an export-oriented economy, there will be no significant changes in government support for the bank or the legal framework governing its operations. We further believe the bank will maintain its monopoly position as the government's agent for managing the country's export guarantee program. The ratings on OKB would change in line with any changes to the sovereign rating. Furthermore, the ratings could change if we were to conclude that OKB's role for or link to the Austrian state had weakened. We currently consider this a remote possibility, however. Government Support And GRE Methodology We view OKB as a GRE and apply our criteria for rating GREs (see "Rating Government-Related Entities: Methodology And Assumptions," published Dec. 9, 2010). Under our criteria for assessing the likelihood of extraordinary government support, we view OKB as having an: • "Integral" link with the government, which plays a major role in defining the bank's strategy and provides unconditional, irrevocable, and timely guarantees for its bond issues. In addition, the government effectively guarantees most of OKB's assets and provides continuous support by servicing drawn asset guarantees. Even without government ownership, the state remains involved through government commissioners who participate in the bank's shareholder and supervisory board meetings; and • "Critical" role for Austria as its sole agent for the administration of the Republic's export guarantee program and provision of export financing. In this respect, OKB serves an important sector of the export-dependent Austrian economy. The role is further underpinned by OKB's assumption in 2008 of another government mandate through OeEB. OeEB supports the Austrian government in meeting its international development obligations by financing private-sector investments in developing and transitional countries, backed by government guarantees. The combination of the "integral" link and "critical" role leads us to conclude that the government would provide timely and sufficient extraordinary support to OKB in the event of financial stress. As a result, we qualify the likelihood of such extraordinary support as "almost certain". Stand-alone credit profile not assessed We have not assessed OKB's stand-alone credit profile, as the bank's rating is entirely determined by that on Austria. We currently consider the likelihood that this situation will change as remote. Background And Business Description: Agent Entrusted By Law For Export Guarantees OKB was established in 1946 to provide specialized services, namely administering export guarantees issued by WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 5 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Austria and export-loan financing. In addition, the bank engages in capital market activities and information management. The bank does not accept deposits from the general public or engage in commercial lending or other commercial banking activities. As of year-end 2013, OKB had total consolidated assets of nearly €29 billion and a staff of nearly 400. OKB holds a number of equity investments, most importantly a 51% stake in OeKB EH Beteiligungs- und Management AG, a holding company for OeKB Versicherung AG and PRISMA Kreditversicherungs-AG, both of which operate as private credit insurers. OKB announced in mid-2014 that the two companies would merge, but continue to operate as separate brands. The bank also has a majority stake (70%) in Österreichischer Exportfonds GmbH, Austria's export refinancing specialist for small and midsize enterprises. In 2008, OKB founded OeEB, at the government's request, to facilitate private-sector investments in developing and transitional countries, complementing Austria's official development assistance strategy. The contribution of these equity investments to OKB's consolidated balance sheet remains marginal. Since 1950, OKB has been involved in financing and promoting Austrian exports. With the adoption of the Export Promotion Act in 1964 and the Export Guarantees Act (Ausfuhrförderungsgesetz, AusfFG) in 1981, the bank became the sole agent for administering export guarantees issued by Austria. A change in legislation in 2003 has meant that the government can in principle transfer the legal monopoly over export support services and the task of administering export financing and guarantees to another entity. However, this would require a formal bidding process and OKB could rely on a two-year notice period before its mandate ended. If this were to happen, the sovereign guarantees on OKB's existing liabilities would remain in place and would be grandfathered. We believe that the option of transferring the agency role to another entity is currently remote. We partly base this on our view of the integration between OKB and the government has been strengthened by OeEB's mandate. Export Guarantees Act valid until 2017 OKB grants export guarantees according to the underlying law (AusfFG), which is valid until Dec. 31, 2017. The ceiling for outstanding export guarantees is €50 billion, of which currently only 63% are in use, leaving some room for future flexibility. We expect the Austrian government will extend the AusfFG well ahead of its scheduled expiry date as it has done in the past. All granted guarantees would remain valid until their agreed maturity even if the Act were repealed. Austria's export guarantees comply with the guidelines of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, the EU, and the International Union of Credit and Investment Insurers. The guarantees cover, in particular, political and commercial risks. In 2013, OKB processed 811 export guarantees totaling €3.5 billion, slightly down from the levels of previous years. The bank processes and performs credit analysis in respect of the guarantees, but the guarantees themselves must be authorized by the government. Austria has issued guarantees totaling €199.6 billion since 1950. As of 2013, cumulative claims paid over that period totaled €8.0 billion, with recoveries at €3.5 billion and write-offs at €3.6 billion. Austria's net claims outstanding in 2013 equaled €0.9 billion. As in the years before 2013, the export guarantee scheme generates small profits, some of which are accumulated to cover unexpected losses. We observe that claims are generally low, although there are political and economic risks in some countries for which Austria guarantees exports. Because Austria is the issuer of the guarantees, OKB's profitability is not affected by write-offs or claims paid. WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 6 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Export financing (Export Financing Guarantees Act), valid until 2018 OKB's second major line of business is to provide medium- and long-term refinancing to banks and foreign companies involved in Austrian export transactions. The AFFG originally dates from 1967 and has been regularly adapted since then, with expiry now set for end-2018. The latest change was in 2014. Under the Act, OKB's borrowing related to export financing receives an unconditional and irrevocable guarantee from the Republic of Austria. The current limit for such guarantees is €45 billion. With utilization of the guarantee exposure limit standing at €28.8 billion at year-end 2013, there remains plenty of headroom for expansion of export financing. Furthermore, the Ministry of Finance is authorized to reimburse the bank for exchange rate losses related to borrowings in foreign currencies. The bank pays a fee for these guarantees. Export financing facilities are subject to a guarantee issued by Austria or a high-quality credit insurer or guarantor, and the rights from the guarantee and underlying export contract have to be assigned to OKB as collateral. In 2013, the bank issued new financing commitments worth €5.1 billion, a level similar to the levels seen between 2009 and 2011. As repayments exceeded loan disbursals, however, disbursements outstanding fell for a fifth consecutive year, to €22.0 billion from €28.4 billion in 2011. Other activities OKB engages in non-export-related financial activities, which have only a very modest effect on its balance sheet and profitability. These include primarily: • Organizing and administering issues of domestic bonds and money-market instruments, notably Austria's bond offerings; • Acting as the clearing house and central counterparty for the Vienna Stock Exchange via a subsidiary; • Acting as the central depository for securities in Austria, assigning security identification numbers; • Acting as the official notification office under the Capital Markets Act; • Settling over-the-counter transactions through an electronic platform; • Performing financial clearing and risk management functions in the energy market, including carbon dioxide emission certificate trading; and • Providing information services. Ownership, Legal Status, And Organization: Joint-Stock Company Owned By Private Austrian Banks OKB is an Austrian bank established as a joint-stock company under the Austrian Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz) and regulated by the Austrian Banking Act (Bankwesengesetz), which qualifies the bank for access to liquidity from the European Central Bank (ECB). Its capital stock of €130 million in common shares is owned by leading Austrian banks and is not quoted on any exchange. The shareholders may transfer OKB shares, but only with the consent of the supervisory board. Furthermore, all the shareholders have preemption rights. In practice, however, changes to the shareholder structure are rare (see table 1). WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 7 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Table 1 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG--Shareholder Structure 2014* Share (%) CABET-Holding-GmbH (UniCredit Bank Austria Group) 24.8 UniCredit Bank Austria AG 16.1 Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen 12.9 Schoellerbank AG 8.3 AVZ Finanz-Holding GmbH 8.3 Raiffeisen Zentralbank Oesterreich AG 8.1 BAWAG PSK Bank für Arbeit und Wirtschaft und Österreichische Postsparkasse AG 5.1 Raiffeisen OeKB Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH 5.0 Oberbank AG 3.9 Bank für Tirol und Vorarlberg AG 3.1 BKS Bank AG 3.1 Österreichische Volksbanken-AG 1.5 *As of June 30, 2014. A substantial part of the bank's export financing business is placed with its shareholders. Nevertheless, other than regulated dividend payouts, OKB does not offer its shareholders preferential terms on export financing. The bank's organizational structure is relatively uncomplicated. A two-member board of executive directors manages day-to-day operations. The executive directors are appointed by a 23-member supervisory board, 15 of which are appointed by the shareholders and eight by the employees. Sovereign Support And Supervision: Dedicated Government Agent Strong government support is evident in the guarantees for OKB's debt and the bank's exclusive and legally defined role in administering Austria's export guarantees. In particular, we note continuous increases in the guarantee limits under the AusfFG and the AFFG. The liability limit under the AusfFG has increased to €50 billion from €35 billion in the past decade, while the limit under the AFFG rose to €45 billion from €25 billion over the same period. In 2003, amendments to the acts opened the possibility for the government to choose a different agent for its export financing and guarantee programs, subject to a two-year notice period. If this were to occur, the sovereign guarantees on existing liabilities for OKB's funding would remain in place. At present, we consider it unlikely that the government would award the administration of the programs to another entity, in view of OKB's track record and the numerous mandates it fulfills for the government. The close relationship between OKB and the government was further strengthened by the creation of OeEB, a bank that facilitates private-sector investments in developing and transitional countries and complements the government's development assistance strategy. Although the development bank was created on behalf of the Austrian government, it is a subsidiary of OKB. All economic and political risks are assumed by the Austrian state, however. Because of the sovereign support extended to OKB's debt, the bank has a 0% risk weighting (the amount of capital a bank should have in relation to its total risk-adjusted assets). The bank also benefits from certain regulatory WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 8 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG exemptions from the Austrian Banking Act and the Capital Requirements Regulation. In addition, OKB holds a minimum liquidity reserve with the ECB. Large exposures from the bank's export financing business are not subject to risk capital limits because of the sovereign guarantees. Exemptions also exist for certain minimum liquidity ratios and requirements limiting the open foreign currency positions of OKB's liabilities, for which Austria has issued exchange-rate guarantees. The government has no direct representation on OKB's supervisory board, but the minister of finance appoints a government commissioner and deputy commissioner who participate in the bank's shareholder and supervisory board meetings. The AFFG authorizes these appointees to examine the bank's books and participate in, but not vote on, all internal debates relating to borrowings subject to sovereign guarantees under the Act. Strategy: Clearly Focused On Export And Capital Market Services OKB's strategy remains clearly focused on providing export and capital market services, in our view. There are no plans to change the bank's business model or strategy, which we regard as positive. We understand that both the government and the bank are content with OKB's role as an export and capital markets specialist. As such, we do not expect OKB's status as the government's exclusive agent in administering export guarantees and providing export financing to change. The bank has no intention of taking on higher risk or competing with commercial banks, which would dilute its policy mandate and weaken its balance sheet. Overall, we view OKB as having a stable and profitable franchise. Nevertheless, its focus on export-related businesses exposes it to conditions in the Austrian export sector. This was particularly apparent during the 2009 global financial crisis and the subsequent years of low economic growth in Europe, when fluctuations in foreign direct investment flows somewhat limited the bank's discretionary activities. Asset Quality: Excellent Because Of Guarantees OKB's exceptional asset quality results from its clearly defined business model and conservative lending policies, in our view. The bank restricts its lending to mainly medium- and long-term loans to banks. These financing activities enable the borrower banks to refinance their own loans to Austrian exporters, foreign buyers of Austrian products, or Austrian enterprises for equity investments abroad. The loans OKB grants require a guarantee for the underlying transactions, which has to be issued by the Austrian government or, less frequently, credit insurers. The rights from the guarantees (except guarantees by aval) and the underlying export contracts are assigned to OKB as collateral. As a result, we expect the bank's asset quality to remain very strong as long as the business model is unchanged. OKB's three major shareholders account for about two-thirds of its receivables. We are convinced that established checks and balances, the presence of a government commissioner at bank meetings, and the present guarantee approval mechanisms will prevent governance issues resulting from the fact that the government is not a shareholder in the bank. WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 9 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG OKB itself remains well protected against failures of commercial banks because its claims would be legally insulated from any bankruptcy proceedings, taking seniority over other claims. As of year-end 2013, loans and advances to banks and customers, plus financial assets, accounted for 84.5% of OKB's consolidated balance sheet, or 193% including guarantees. OKB's export promotion activities (as measured by loans and advances, financial assets, and guarantees) have declined by an average 7.4% annually over the past five years (see table 4), in stark contrast to an average increase of 13% annually over 2005-2008. Given continued uncertainty about the global economy, we believe that the decline in loans and advances could continue over the next few years, depending on the development of export markets eligible for state guarantees and export financing. Table 2 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG--Key Balance Sheet Data (Consolidated) --Year-ended Dec. 31-(Mil. €) 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 520.6 124.3 586.2 83.1 189.3 989.8 711.1 21,364.3 24,549.0 28,736.8 28,192.3 30,294.0 35,555.8 28,746.9 1,489.2 1,526.6 1,409.7 1,406.2 1,558.7 2,037.8 2,131.3 (0.5) (0.4) (0.3) (0.2) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) 1,612.0 1,490.2 1,468.1 1,356.2 645.9 635.7 793.7 Assets Cash and cash equivalents Loans and advances to banks Loans and advances to customers Allowance for impairment losses on loans and advances Other financial instruments Interests in equity-acounted investees 67.8 64.0 57.9 52.9 49.0 54.4 16.4 102.8 101.1 90.6 83.0 79.2 82.9 91.5 Other assets 3,808.1 4,913.2 5,629.2 4,628.8 1,435.9 2,189.8 528.5 Total assets 28,964.3 32,767.9 37,978.2 35,802.3 34,251.7 41,546.0 33,019.4 381.1 1,692.7 957.8 1,411.2 980.6 1,276.1 835.9 Tangible and intangible assets, tax assets Liabilities Deposits from banks Deposits from customers Debt securities issued Provisions 674.7 674.3 601.0 608.1 516.8 421.1 343.6 24,590.0 27,281.6 33,350.4 30,396.8 29,876.1 36,538.3 28,140.2 964.3 859.9 668.9 645.8 507.4 635.9 1,006.9 Other liabilities 1,669.7 1,597.5 1,800.7 2,171.3 1,843.5 2,218.4 2,253.0 Total liabilities 28,279.8 32,106.0 37,378.8 35,233.1 33,724.3 41,089.9 32,579.6 Paid-in capital 130.0 130.0 130.0 130.0 130.0 130.0 130.0 Other capital 554.5 532.0 469.4 439.2 397.4 326.1 309.7 Total shareholders' equity 684.5 662.0 599.4 569.2 527.4 456.1 439.8 31,501 34,836 37,058 38,508 40,650 44,446 37,460 Operating income 62.4 81.7 78.4 79.3 85.2 90.6 83.5 Net income 52.7 84.9 50.4 72.2 91.7 22.6 58.8 Capital Other items Guarantees* *Guarantees under mandate of Republic of Austria and not at risk of Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG. Reporting according to Austrian GAAP until 2011, IFRS since 2012. WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 10 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Profitability: Low In keeping with its public policy mandate, OKB's profitability is highly regulated and fairly low. In 2013, profits declined to €52.4 million from €82.4 million in 2012, down from a peak of €92 million in 2009 (see table 3). The main reason for the changes in OKB's profitability in recent years is net gains and losses on financial instruments and decreasing net interest income, while operating profits have declined to a lesser extent due to decreasing administrative expenses. The decline in outstanding guarantees and loans over the past five years is likely to put further pressure on net interest, net fee, and commission income, although so far this has had no notable effect on operating profit. Although OKB's stated strategy is not to maximize profits, the bank is nevertheless committed to generating sufficient profits to support its interest stabilization fund and maintain a stable dividend payout ratio. Table 3 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG--Profit And Loss Account (Consolidated) --Year ended Dec. 31-(Mil. €) Interest and similar income Interest and similar expense Net interest income Net fee and commission income 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 461.1 623.8 774.2 790.5 1,119.6 1,318.9 1,095.4 (380.1) (527.7) (679.7) (696.5) (1,011.9) (1,210.0) (998.4) 81.0 96.2 94.5 94.0 107.3 109.0 96.9 47.9 49.6 50.1 51.2 46.0 46.4 43.1 (80.2) (82.4) (79.9) (80.1) (76.9) (71.7) (68.8) Balance of other income and expenditure 11.3 15.4 13.7 14.2 8.8 7.0 12.3 Operating profit 60.1 78.8 78.4 79.3 85.2 90.7 83.5 8.2 27.8 (13.4) 13.6 33.8 (62.6) (9.1) Administrative expenses Net gain or loss on financial instruments Pretax profit 68.3 106.6 65.1 92.9 118.9 28.1 74.3 (15.6) (23.9) (14.7) (20.7) (27.2) (5.6) (15.6) Minority interest (0.2) (0.3) (0.2) (0.2) (0.2) (0.2) (0.2) Profit for the year attributable to shareholders of the parent 52.4 82.4 50.2 72.0 91.5 22.4 58.5 Income tax and other taxes Reporting according to Austrian GAAP until 2011, IFRS since 2012. Net interest income remains the bank's main source of income. Nevertheless, given OKB's low risk business, margins on export loans are very low but stable, as underlined by the bank's ratio of operating profits to earning generating assets, which has hovered between 24 and 29 basis points since 2007. Given that OKB has never been affected by write-offs on loans and advances, and there is no requirement for loan-loss provisioning, we believe the bank can continue to operate with a low profit base. Nevertheless, write-offs or losses on its financial assets would still affect the bottom line. WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 11 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Table 4 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG--Key Ratios --Year ended Dec. 31-(%) 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 84.5 84.1 83.2 86.5 94.9 92.0 95.9 193.2 190.4 180.8 194.0 213.6 199.0 209.4 Risk provisions loans and advances plus shareholders' equity/total assets 2.4 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.1 1.3 Risk provisions for loans and advances plus shareholders' equity/Loans and advances to banks and customers and financial assets 2.8 2.4 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.2 1.4 Shareholders' equity/total assets 2.4 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.1 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Consolidated core capital ratio** 158.7 113.8* 122.8 107.6 78.5 72.7 66.9 Consolidated capital ratio§ 204.6 149.3* 163.8 144.4 104.7 94.1 86.4 Cash and equivalents plus financial assets/total assets 7.4 4.9 5.4 4.0 2.4 3.9 4.6 Cash and equivalents plus financial assets/total liabilities 7.5 5.0 5.5 4.1 2.4 4.0 4.6 Operating profit/earnings generating assets*** (in bps) 25.5 28.6 24.8 25.6 26.2 23.7 26.4 Operating profit/earnings generating assets*** and guarantees (in bps)**** 11.2 13.1 11.4 11.4 11.6 11.0 12.1 9.1 12.3 13.1 13.9 16.2 19.9 19.0 Growth in earnings generating assets*** (11.2) (12.8) 2.1 (4.8) (15.0) 20.7 17.6 Growth in earnings generating assets and guarantees*** (10.3) (9.1) (1.1) (5.0) (11.5) 19.6 17.1 Debt Loans and advances to banks and to customers, financial assets/total assets Loans and advances to banks and to customers, financial assets and guarantees/total assets Asset quality Nonperforming loans/gross outstanding loans Funding and Liquidity Profitability Operating profit/ shareholders' equity Other credit indicators *In 2013: Risk-weighted assets at €269.6 million. Austrian Banking Act exempts OKB in respect of transactions related to export promotion activities from the requirements on solvency. **Consolidated Tier 1 capital ratio. §Regulatory capital resources as percentage of total risk-weighted assets. ***Earnings generating assets: Loans to banks, loans to customers and financial assets. ****Guarantees: Under mandate of Republic of Austria and not at risk of Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG. Reporting according to Austrian GAAP until 2011, IFRS since 2012. Asset And Liability Management: Wholesale Issuer In Capital Markets OKB has ample access to liquidity. Typically for a specialist wholesale bank, OKB's main sources of funds are bond issues, particularly in international capital markets. OKB is the largest 'AA+' rated Austrian borrower, after the Austrian state, in international capital markets, with an average annual long-term funding volume of €3 billion-€4 billion. Furthermore, OKB has access to ECB refinancing facilities, particularly through repurchase agreements. Under the AFFG, Austria accords explicit, unconditional, and irrevocable guarantees for the majority of debt issued by OKB in connection with its export financing business. About 14% of OKB's outstanding debt consists of long-term liabilities of more than five years, 44% have terms of one to five years, and 42% are short-term liabilities of up to one WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 12 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG year. From time to time, OKB issues unguaranteed debt, especially short-term debt. We equalize our ratings on OKB's unguaranteed debt with those on its guaranteed debt, based on our view that there exists an almost certain likelihood of extraordinary support by the government for OKB. OKB has an unguaranteed French certificate of deposit program up to a maximum €5 billion, but actual issuances are usually small, and accounted for only 0.8% of total debt outstanding as of year-end 2013. OKB uses best-practice asset-liability management techniques to manage interest rate risk and the sensitivity of the net interest income on the balance sheet. Overall, we view the bank's asset-liability management as tightly monitored, with an emphasis on long-term lending and funding, although market developments led to an increase in liquidity holdings in 2011, peaking in 2013 with a ratio of cash and equivalents plus financial assets to total assets of 7.4%. OKB uses swaps and other derivative instruments purely as hedging instruments to achieve attractive funding. Internal requirements on the credit quality of counterparties, the use of credit enhancement, and the monitoring of current exposures are in line with industry best practices. Table 5 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG--Debt Programs Issue rating Established Guarantor Size (bil.) Euro equivalent (bil. €) Euroshelf debt issuance program AA+ 1992 Republic of Austria N/A N/A Global issuance facility (SEC) AA+ 1998 Republic of Austria N/A N/A Japanese shelf AA+ 1988 Republic of Austria ¥400.0 3.1 A$ Debt issuance program AA+/A-1+ 2010 Republic of Austria N/A N/A Euro CP program A-1+ 1985 Republic of Austria € 10 10 U.S. CP program A-1+ 1986 Republic of Austria $5 3.8 French CD program A-1+ 2002 N/A 5 €5 CP--Commercial paper. CD--Certificates of deposit. N/A--Not applicable. A$--Australian dollar. Capital: Well Capitalized Relative To Risk Assets Due to the decline in the size of OKB's balance sheet, the proportion of equity has increased to 2.4% of total assets, or €684.5 million as of year-end 2013. We view comparisons between OKB's capital adequacy and that of commercial banks as fundamentally flawed, however, because OKB has very few nongovernment guaranteed loans in its loan portfolio. From a regulatory perspective, OKB is well capitalized relative to its true risk assets, and its risk-weighted capital adequacy ratio (205%) and Tier 1 capital ratio (159%) far exceed the regulator's requirements. The bank is in full compliance with the reserve standards required by law. Given OKB's exemption from holding risk capital for assets in connection with export financing, and its otherwise very robust risk-weighted capital ratios and reserve levels, we think there is no need for OKB to raise additional equity in the near future. WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 13 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Related Criteria And Research • Credit FAQ: What's Behind Standard & Poor's Placement Of Four Austrian States On CreditWatch Negative?, June 10, 2014 • Supplementary Analysis: Austria (Republic of), April 25, 2014 • Research Update: Austria Ratings Affirmed At AA+/A-1+ On Continuing Fiscal Consolidation And Resilient Economy; Outlook Stable, March 28, 2014 • Sovereigns And Equalized GREs Commercial Paper Rating Methodology, March 29, 2012 • Rating Government-Related Entities: Methodology And Assumptions, Dec. 9, 2010 Ratings Detail (As Of August 8, 2014) Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG Counterparty Credit Rating AA+/Stable/A-1+ Certificate Of Deposit Local Currency A-1+ Counterparty Credit Ratings History 30-Jan-2013 AA+/Stable/A-1+ 17-Jan-2012 AA+/Negative/A-1+ 07-Dec-2011 AAA/Watch Neg/A-1+ Sovereign Rating Austria (Republic of) AA+/Stable/A-1+ Related Entities Austria (Republic of) Issuer Credit Rating AA+/Stable/A-1+ Transfer & Convertibility Assessment AAA Autobahnen-und Schnellstrassen-Finanzierungs-AG Issuer Credit Rating AA+/Stable/A-1+ Senior Unsecured AA+ Erdoel-Lagergesellschaft m.b.H. Issuer Credit Rating AA+/Stable/A-1+ Senior Unsecured AA+ KA Finanz AG Issuer Credit Rating A/Watch Neg/A-1 Certificate Of Deposit A/A-1 Senior Unsecured A/Watch Neg OeBB-Infrastruktur AG Issuer Credit Rating AA+/Stable/A-1+ Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG Issuer Credit Rating AA+/Stable/A-1+ *Unless otherwise noted, all ratings in this report are global scale ratings. Standard & Poor's credit ratings on the global scale are comparable across countries. Standard & Poor's credit ratings on a national scale are relative to obligors or obligations within that specific country. Additional Contact: WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 14 1352086 | 300149949 Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG SovereignEurope; [email protected] WWW.STANDARDANDPOORS.COM/RATINGSDIRECT AUGUST 8, 2014 15 1352086 | 300149949 Copyright © 2014 Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC, a part of McGraw Hill Financial. All rights reserved. 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