Mumbai, Nov 3 (PTI) Global ratings agency Moody'sInvestors Service has revised upwards its credit outlook onReliance Industries (RIL) to stable and affirmed its Baa2ratings on the energy conglomerate's long-term issuer debt.
But the agency has warned of higher borrowings by thecountry's richest and the most profitable company over thenext 18 months to payback its creditors for the large capexit had incurred on telecom and refining & petchem expansion.
"Such payments along with additional capex towardstelecom services will constrain any reduction in netborrowings until fiscal 2019," it warned.
"We have revised our outlook on the domestic long-termissuer rating of RIL to stable from positive, while theoutlook on the foreign currency senior unsecured rating ismaintained at stable. The outlook on Reliance Holding US isalso maintained at stable," Moody's said in a note today.
"The rating affirmation at Baa2 reflects expectationthat RIL's credit metrics will recover over the next 12-18months and be better positioned for its ratings as itcontinues to increase its earnings from the recently completedand ongoing projects in the refining and petrochemicalsegments," said Vikas Halan, vice-president and senior creditofficer at Moody's.
The Baa2 ratings also reflects RIL's strong ability togenerate operating cash flows, with annual Ebitda exceedingUSD10 billion from its large-scale integrated refining andpetrochemical operations with strong margins and its nascentbut growing digital services business, he added.
"The change in the outlook on the Baa2 domestic issuerrating reflects the increase in RIL's business risks becauseof its growing digital services segment and our expectationthat the high capital spending will keep its free cash flownegative over at least next 18 months," said Halan, who isalso Moody's lead analyst for the largest corporate entity inthe country with a Rs 6 trillion market capitalisation.
He said though RIL's refining and petrochem capex isalmost complete, cash outflow will still remain high aspayments to creditors for the past capex are made over thenext 12-18 months.
"Such payments along with additional capex towardstelecom services will constrain any reduction in netborrowings until fiscal 2019."Retained cash flow adjusted to net debt improved to 16per cent in fiscal 2017 from about 14 per cent in fiscal 2016,but remains weak for its ratings, Moody's said.
The rating firm said it anticipates retained cash flow/adjusted net debt improving to over 20 per cent in fiscal2018. PTI BENRSY.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.