Fitch assigns NDB’s Basel III subordinated debt final ‘BBB(lka)’

Fitch Ratings has assigned National Development Bank PLC’s (NDB, A-(lka)/Stable) proposed Sri Lankan rupee-denominated Basel III-compliant subordinated debentures of Rs. 5 billion a final National Long-Term Rating of ‘BBB(lka)’.

The final rating is the same as the expected rating assigned on 23 October 2024 and follows the receipt of documents conforming to information already received.

The proposed debentures will mature in five years and will be listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. The bank plans to use the proceeds to further strengthen its Tier 2 capital base and to support loan growth.

The proposed debentures qualify as Basel III-compliant regulatory Tier 2 capital and include a non-viability clause whereby they will convert to ordinary voting shares, subject to the occurrence of a trigger event, as determined by the regulator.

Fitch rates the proposed debentures two notches below the bank’s National Long-Term Rating anchor. 
This reflects Fitch’s baseline notching for loss severity for this type of debt and our expectations of poor recoveries. There is no additional notching for non-performance risk, as the proposed debentures do not incorporate going-concern loss-absorption features,” the rating agency said.

NDB’s National Long-Term Rating is used as the anchor rating for this instrument because the rating reflects the bank’s standalone financial strength and best indicates the risk of the bank becoming non-viable.