Moody's Says Citigroup SIV Debt Ratings Under Threat (Update2)

By Shannon D. Harrington


Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Moody's Investors Service said $64.9 billion of debt sold by Citigroup Inc.'s structured investment vehicles was cut or placed on review for a downgrade as part of a review of $130 billion of SIV debt.

The ratings company surveyed 20 SIVs since Nov. 7 and expanded its review after noticing ``significant additional deterioration'' in asset values, according to a statement today. Links Finance Corp., a SIV sponsored by Bank of Montreal with $19.1 billion of debt, may have its ratings cut, Moody's said.

SIVs, which sell short-term debt to buy longer-term, higher- yielding assets, were shut out of the short-term market as losses on subprime mortgage securities prompted investors to retreat from all but the safest of securities. Unable to finance themselves, three SIVs have defaulted and others are being bailed out by their sponsors. The world's 30 SIVs have more than $300 billion of assets.

``In recent weeks, Moody's has observed material declines in market value across most asset classes in SIV portfolios,'' the ratings company said in the statement.

Moody's cut at least $10 billion in debt in all, mostly capital notes that rank below commercial paper and medium-term notes and are usually the first to absorb losses, Henry Tabe, managing director in charge of structured finance, said in a telephone interview. The ratings company placed at least $100 billion of debt on review for a downgrade and confirmed the ratings on $11 billion, Tabe said.

`Continued Deterioration'

SIV assets on average are 38 percent financial institution debt, 16 percent asset-backed securities and 12 percent collateralized debt obligations, Moody's said.

The downgrades are ``a reflection of the continued deterioration in market value of SIV portfolios combined with the sector's inability to refinance maturing liabilities,'' Moody's said.

Citigroup, the largest U.S. bank by assets, provided $7.6 billion of emergency financing to the seven SIVs it runs earlier this month after they were unable to repay maturing debt.

Citigroup, based in New York, created the first SIV in 1988 and is the largest manager.

The SIVs' struggle for survival, and the threat of having their assets dumped on the market, prompted Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to broker talks with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp. to form an $80 billion fund to help bail them out.

HSBC Holdings Plc of London this week said it will take on $45 billion of assets from the two SIVs it manages after they were unable to finance themselves. SIVs set up by Dusseldorf- based lender IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG and London-based Cheyne Capital Management Ltd. defaulted last month after investors stopped buying their asset-backed commercial paper.

Centauri, Beta

Centauri Corp., the largest SIV run by Citigroup with $16.9 billion of debt, had its P1 commercial paper rating placed on review for downgrade as well as its AAA medium-term note program, Moody's said. Centauri's net asset value dropped to 60 percent from 85 percent since Sept. 5, Moody's said.

Beta Finance Corp., the second-largest Citigroup SIV with $16 billion of debt, had its senior debt ratings placed on review for downgrade after its net asset value declined to 60 percent from 87 percent, Moody's said.

Sedna, Dorada

Four other Citigroup SIVs, Sedna Finance Corp., with $10.7 billion of debt, Five Finance Corp., with $10.3 billion, Dorada Corp. with $8.5 billion, and Zela Finance Corp., with $2.5 billion, had their P1 commercial paper rating and AAA medium-term note programs placed on review, Moody's said.

Sedna's net asset value dropped to 56 percent, Five's declined to 63 percent, Dorada dropped to 62 percent and Zela's fell to 61 percent. A seventh Citigroup SIV, Vetra Finance Corp., wasn't part of the review.

Dorada's capital note program was reduced to Caa3 from Baa1.

Orion Finance Corp., a SIV managed by Eiger Capital with $835 million of debt, had its P1 commercial paper ratings downgraded to Not Prime, and its AAA medium-term note program to Baa3. Orion's net asset value dropped to 54 percent from 61 percent since Sept. 5, Moody's said.

Links Finance's net asset value declined to 78 percent from 94 percent since a Sept. 5 review, Moody's said. The SIV's AAA ratings may be cut after a review that will be completed within a week, Moody's said. Links' standard capital notes were cut 11 levels to the fourth-lowest ranking.

Toronto-based Bank of Montreal spokesman Ralph Marranca didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.