Ratings Assigned In FCT Eurotruck Lease II Truck Lease ABS Transaction
OVERVIEW
- We have assigned our credit ratings to the variable funding notes that FCT Eurotruck Lease II has issued, and to the credit facility loan granted to Fraikin Assets.
- The transaction is designed to refinance Fraikin Assets' existing debt, to expand the scope of the transaction to Spain and the U.K. and more generally, to achieve stability of funding over the long term. It is backed by Fraikin Assets' portfolio of operating truck leases.
- The collateral comprises the rights to the customer contracts, trucks, information technology systems, and parking slots from Fraikin's operations in France, Spain, and the U.K.
PARIS (Standard & Poor's) April 16, 2012--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services today assigned its credit ratings to the variable funding notes that FCT Eurotruck Lease II has issued, and to the credit facility loan granted to Fraikin Assets (see list below). The transaction is designed to refinance Fraikin Assets' existing debt, to expand the scope of the transaction to Spain and the U.K. and more generally, to achieve stability of funding over the long term backed by its portfolio of operating truck leases. On April 16, 2012, FCC Eurotruck Lease II became a fond commun de titrisation, FCT Eurotruck Lease II. It repaid the existing FCC notes using the funds it receives by refinancing the transaction and issuing new variable funding notes. In addition, new assets have been added to the underlying pool. These arose from Fraikin's branches in France. Further assets from Fraikin's branches in Spain and the U.K., respectively, Fraikin Alquiler, and Fraikin Ltd will be added in the coming months. Like the original assets, these assets are ring-fenced within Fraikin Assets during replenishment period. The collateral comprises the rights to the customer contracts, trucks, information technology systems, and parking slots from Fraikin's operations. RATING RATIONALE Our rating is based on the following rationale:
- Originator: Fraikin is the leading French truck leasing and fleet management company. It manages a fleet of more than 50,000 vehicles, and employs over 3,000 people across Europe. It has been using securitization since 2004, when the initial transaction was set up.
- Economic outlook: In our credit base-case scenarios, we took into account the deteriorating economic outlook for the countries in which the assets are located (see table 1).
- Credit risks: The credit analysis is based on dynamic net loss data that covers 2005 to 2010 and has annual periodicity. Overall, performance has been relatively volatile. We have therefore sized our base-case scenarios accordingly. Our assumptions on recoveries are in line with estimated recoveries within similar deals and countries and we set our stress multiple and recovery haircuts according to our consumer finance criteria. The initial portfolio shows an increased exposure to certain obligors. Based on the concentration limits set in the transaction documentation, and according to our European consumer finance criteria, we have taken into account obligor concentration assumptions in our analysis.
- Market value risk: The pool includes residual value, to which we have applied appropriate haircuts that take into account the specific truck market and manufacturer diversification. The transaction relies on external appraisers to provide vehicle valuation data to update the residual values monthly. In France and Spain, it uses l'Argus, and in the U.K., it uses CAP Motor Research Ltd. As a result, the pool asset value and the resulting borrowing base calculation is dynamically adjusted.
- Legal risks: The variable funding notes (VFNs) have been issued by FCT Eurotruck Lease II, which is a bankruptcy-remote entity under French law. We have also reviewed the bankruptcy-remoteness of the intermediary funding company (Fraikin Assets) in line with our European legal criteria (see "European Legal Criteria For Structured Finance Transactions," published on Aug. 28, 2008).
- Cash flows: Our ratings on the credit facility granted to Fraikin Assets reflect our assessment of the credit and cash flow characteristics of the underlying asset pool. We have run each proposed advance rate in our own cash flow model. Cash flow model results show that the levels of credit enhancements (derived from advance rates proposed by the arranger for each subpool) are consistent with our 'BBB (sf)' ratings. Our ratings on the class A1-A5 senior funding notes and the class A1-A5 junior funding notes reflect our assessment of the credit and cash flow characteristics of the underlying asset pool. We have run each proposed advance rate in our own cash flow model. Cash flow model results show that the levels of credit enhancements (derived from advance rates proposed by the arranger for each subpool) are consistent with our 'A (sf)' and 'BBB (sf)' ratings.
- Counterparty: Our ratings on the credit facility granted to Fraikin Assets reflect our view that the counterparty risks that the transaction is exposed to are adequately mitigated through the replacement language or draw-to-cash mechanism, which is compliant with our 2010 counterparty criteria, and commensurate with a 'A (sf)' rating (see " ," published on Dec. 6, 2010). Our ratings on the class A1-A5 senior funding notes and the class A1-A5 junior funding notes also reflect our view that the counterparty risks that the transaction is exposed to are adequately mitigated through the replacement language or draw-to-cash mechanism, which is compliant with our 2010 counterparty criteria, and commensurate with a 'A (sf)' rating (see "Counterparty And Supporting Obligations Methodology And Assumptions," published on Dec. 6, 2010).
- Rating stability: According to our methodology outlined in "Scenario Analysis: Gross Default Rates And Excess Spread Hold The Answer To Future European Auto ABS Performance," published on May 12, 2009, a scenario analysis has been performed which provides both a "what-if" analysis of two scenarios, and an examination of the performance of the transaction in the context of the 2010 Credit Stability Criteria.
- Back-up servicer: The transaction has a "warm" back-up servicer, i.e., servicing is set up to facilitate speedy transfer of the servicing responsibilities. The back-up takes over servicing if the original servicing contract is terminated.
- Liquidity: The transaction includes a liquidity facility mechanism that provides at least six months of interest and fees based on the amount of the credit facility to cover certain cash flow disruptions.
STANDARD & POOR'S 17G-7 DISCLOSURE REPORT SEC Rule 17g-7 requires an NRSRO, for any report accompanying a credit rating relating to an asset-backed security as defined in the Rule, to include a description of the representations, warranties and enforcement mechanisms available to investors and a description of how they differ from the representations, warranties and enforcement mechanisms in issuances of similar securities. The Standard & Poor's 17g-7 Disclosure Report included in this credit rating report is available at http://standardandpoorsdisclosure-17g7.com/1111496.pdf. RELATED CRITERIA AND RESEARCH
- European Structured Finance Scenario And Sensitivity Analysis: The Effects Of The Top Five Macroeconomic Factors, March 14, 2012
- Request For Comment: Counterparty And Supporting Obligations Methodology And Assumptions--Expanded Framework, Nov. 21, 2011
- Global Structured Finance Scenario And Sensitivity Analysis: The Effects Of The Top Five Macroeconomic Factors, Nov. 4, 2011
- Principles Of Credit Ratings, Feb. 16, 2011
- Counterparty And Supporting Obligations Update, Jan. 13, 2011
- Counterparty And Supporting Obligations Methodology And Assumptions, Dec. 6, 2010
- Scenario Analysis: Gross Default Rates And Excess Spread Hold The Answer To Future European Auto ABS Performance, May 12, 2009
- European Legal Criteria For Structured Finance Transactions, Aug. 28, 2008
- A Listing Of S&P's New Actions Aimed At Strengthening The Ratings Process, Feb. 7, 2008
- European Consumer Finance Criteria, March 10, 2000
RATINGS LIST FCT Eurotruck Lease II €1,011 Million Class A1 To A5 Senior And Junior variable Funding Notes And €1,011 Million Credit Facility Class Rating Amount (mil.) British pound sterling credit facility granted to Fraikin Assets BBB (sf) £0 Euro credit facility granted to Fraikin Assets BBB (sf) €619.390 A1 British pound sterling senior variable funding notes A (sf) £0 A1 euro senior variable funding notes A (sf) €174.657 A2 British pound sterling senior variable funding notes A (sf) £0 A2 euro senior variable funding notes A (sf) €68.493 A3 British pound sterling senior variable funding notes A (sf) £0 A3 euro senior variable funding notes A (sf) €102.739 A4 British pound sterling senior variable funding notes A (sf) £0 A4 euro senior variable funding notes A (sf) €128.424 A5 British pound sterling senior variable funding notes A (sf) £0 A5 euro senior variable funding notes A (sf) €102.739 A1 British pound sterling junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) £0 A1 euro junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) €12.814 A2 British pound sterling junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) £0 A2 euro junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) €5.025 A3 British pound sterling junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) £0 A3 euro junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) €7.538 A4 British pound sterling junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) £0 A4 euro junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) €9.422 A5 British pound sterling junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) £0 A5 euro junior variable funding notes BBB (sf) €7.538 A1 British pound sterling liquidity variable funding notes NR £0 A1 euro liquidity variable funding notes NR €4.031 A2 British pound sterling liquidity variable funding notes NR £0 A2 euro liquidity variable funding notes NR €1.581 A3 British pound sterling liquidity variable funding notes NR £0 A3 euro liquidity variable funding notes NR €2.371 A4 British pound sterling liquidity variable funding notes NR £0 A4 euro liquidity variable funding notes NR €2.964 A5 British pound sterling liquidity variable funding notes NR £0 A5 euro liquidity variable funding notes NR €2.371 NR--Not rated.
Primary Credit Analyst: | Florent Stiel, Paris (33) 1-4420-6690; florent_stiel@standardandpoors.com |
Surveillance Credit Analyst: | Thomas Cho, London (44) 20-7176-3896; Thomas_Cho@standardandpoors.com |
Additional Contact: | Structured Finance Europe; StructuredFinanceEurope@standardandpoors.com |
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