Financial Ratios in Corporate Credit A ...
Financial ratios derived from quantitative factors enable credit analysts to gauge a company’s... Read More
Credit risk arises when there is a potential for a borrower to default on their obligations, specifically by failing to fulfill their interest and principal payment obligations on a bond or loan. This particular risk, which originates from a contractual relationship, presents a significant performance risk that investors in fixed-income securities must effectively manage. The size of its impact is influenced not just by borrower-specific circumstances but also by the wider economic context.
In order to assess the creditworthiness of a borrower, analysts commonly utilize a set of metrics known as the “Cs”. The five criteria below pertain to the detailed, individual-level factors relevant to a specific borrower, also known as bottom-up factors.
In addition to the above borrower-specific measures, credit risk is influenced by three broad aspects.
Corporations primarily rely on business operations, investment, and financing activities for repayment, while secondary sources include asset sales, divestitures, and additional debt issuances. The associated credit risks encompass economic contraction, strategic market shifts, heightened competition, and diminished pricing power. In contrast, sovereign or public entities derive their main repayment from corporate and personal taxes and from issuing new debt, with risks tied to shrinking operating margins and escalating losses.
A borrower might be illiquid, meaning they cannot access funds to make a payment, which differs from being insolvent, where the borrower’s liabilities surpass their assets.
Probability of Default (POD)
This metric gauges the likelihood of a borrower not meeting payment obligations fully and on time. A combination of lower profitability, lower coverage (e.g., EBIT to interest expense), and increased leverage suggests a higher POD, indicating lower credit quality for corporate issuers.
Loss Given Default (LGD)
The concept of LGD pertains to the possible financial loss that an investor may experience in the event of a default. LGD is calculated by multiplying the Exposure at Default (EE) by the complement of the Recovery Rate (RR).
\[LGD = EE \times (1 – RR)\]
Where:
Expected Loss (EL)
The expected loss (EL) is a function of both POD and LGD and is expressed as:
\[EL = POD \times LGD\]
Investors assess their compensation for credit risk by comparing the expected loss to the credit spread over a given period. The credit spread, which signifies the additional yield a risky bond offers over a risk-free rate, serves as a metric for the reward an investor anticipates for bearing credit risk. Investors are deemed fairly compensated if the credit spread aligns with the expected loss.
The relationship between credit spread and expected loss can be approximated as:
\[Credit\ Spread\ \approx POD \times LGD\]
The risk of expected loss for investment-grade debt is primarily due to a rise in POD. High-yield investors seek covenant restrictions and/or security to lower LGD.
An investor reviews ClearSky Enterprises’ unsecured debt and finds a POD of 3% and an LGD of 75%. With an actual credit spread of 250 bps per year, the investor would expect to be more than fairly compensated for assuming ClearSky Enterprises’ credit risk. This is determined as follows:
\[POD \times LGD = 0.03 \times 0.75 = 2.25\%\]
Credit Spread \(>\) POD \(\times\) LGD. Thus, the investor would anticipate being more than adequately compensated for bearing ClearSky’s credit risk.
Question
For a sovereign or public entity, which of the following is most likely a primary source of repayment?
- Business operations
- Corporate and personal taxes
- Asset sales
The correct answer is B.
Sovereign or public entities primarily derive their repayment from corporate and personal taxes.
A is incorrect. Business operations are a primary source of repayment for corporations, not sovereign entities.
C is incorrect. Asset sales are a secondary source of repayment for corporations, not a primary source for sovereign entities.