JBS Investments II GmbH -- Moody's upgrades JBS to Ba1; stable outlook

Rating Action: Moody's upgrades JBS to Ba1; stable outlookGlobal Credit Research - 07 Apr 2021New York, April 07, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") upgraded JBS S.A. ("JBS")'s corporate family rating to Ba1 from Ba2 and the senior unsecured ratings of its wholly-owned subsidiaries JBS USA Lux S.A. and JBS Investments II GmbH to Ba1 from Ba2. The rating of the secured term loan under JBS USA Lux S.A. was upgraded to Baa3 from Ba1. The outlook for all ratings is stable. Ratings actions: ..Issuer: JBS S.A. .... Corporate Family Rating, Upgraded to Ba1 from Ba2Issuer: JBS Investments II GmbH$1000 million GTD global notes due 2026, Upgraded to Ba1 from Ba2$750 million GTD global notes due 2028, Upgraded to Ba1 from Ba2Issuer: JBS USA Lux S.A.$900mm GTD GLOBAL NOTES due 2028, Upgraded to Ba1 from Ba2$1000mm GTD GLOBAL NOTES due 2029, Upgraded to Ba1 from Ba2$400mm GTD NOTES due 2029, Upgraded to Ba1 from Ba2$1250mm GTD GLOBAL NOTES due 2030, Upgraded to Ba1 from Ba2$1900mm GTD SR SEC TERM LOAN due 2026, Upgraded to Baa3 from Ba1Outlook Actions:..Issuer: JBS Investments II GmbH ....Outlook, Remains Stable ..Issuer: JBS S.A. ....Outlook, Remains Stable ..Issuer: JBS USA Lux S.A. ....Outlook, Remains Stable RATINGS RATIONALE The upgrade of JBS's ratings is supported by the continued strong operating performance, which has led to further improvement in liquidity and lower refinancing risk. JBS has implemented a number of initiatives to extend debt maturities, amortize debt and reduce funding costs, supported by clear financial policies for minimum cash requirement and leverage. Accordingly, JBS' target leverage is a range between 2x-3x net debt to EBITDA, which increases to 3.75x in periods of expansion. The positive environment for the protein industry will allow JBS to further strengthen its business profile, credit metrics and liquidity.The reduction in event risks related to some litigations and investigations involving the company and its shareholders also supports the upgrade, which include the removal of the auditors' emphasis of matter on the investigations and judicial procedures from 3Q20 financial statements, as well the settlement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on their respective investigations of JBS controlling shareholder J&F Investimentos S.A. and JBS S.A. in October 2020.JBS credit profile continues to reflect the strength of its global operations as the world's largest protein producer, and its substantial diversification across protein segments, geographies and markets. JBS' strategy to expand its global footprint into value-added processed food segments has improved its business profile and resulted in more stability in its operating margin and cash flow over time. Its strong liquidity and successful liability management initiatives, which started in September 2018 and resulted in the extension of debt maturities and reduced funding costs, support the ratings. JBS has strong liquidity, with BRL19.7 billion in cash as of the end of 2020 and about BRL10 billion in revolving credit facilities. Liquidity is further supported by a comfortable debt amortization schedule.JBS' credit profile is constrained by the volatility in the protein industry, which is subject to risk factors such as weather conditions, diseases, supply imbalances and global trade variables. Despite the business diversification, the company still has large exposure to the beef segment (about 57% of revenues 54% of EBITDA) that also constrains the ratings. Corporate governance concerns continue to weigh on the company's credit profile, given the ownership concentration at J&F Investimentos, a privately held holding company owned by the Batista family, and their involvement in corruption investigations in the past.The stable outlook reflects our expectation that JBS' operational performance will remain strong, including in the beef segment, as well as in the processed and prepared foods segments in the US, Brazil and its export business. The stable outlook also reflects our expectation that strong cash flow from operations will allow JBS to further reduce funding costs and leverage.FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGSAn upgrade would be subject to the overall earnings stability of JBS, sustained conservative financial policies, and continued evidence of enhanced risk control and governance oversight, with a track record of absence of event risks related to litigations and investigations involving the company and its controlling shareholders. An upward rating movement would also require JBS to maintain strong liquidity and stable credit metrics, with leverage sustained at 2.5x or below and interest coverage (EBITA/interest expense) improving toward 6x.The ratings could be downgraded if the company's operating performance weakens, its financial policy becomes more aggressive or its liquidity deteriorates. A downgrade could be triggered by events that can increase liquidity risk or cause reputation damage, including litigations and M&A. Quantitatively, a downgrade could also occur if the company's leverage (total debt/EBITDA) stays above 3x and cash flow from operations/debt stays below 25%.The principal methodology used in these ratings was Protein and Agriculture published in May 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1113389. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, JBS S.A. (JBS) is the world's largest protein producer in terms of revenue, slaughter capacity and production. The company is the leader in beef, chicken and leather, and it is the second-largest pork producer in the US. The company has operations in more than 20 countries with more than 450 offices and plants, which support its large scale and diversification.In 2020, JBS reported consolidated revenue of BRL270.2 billion ($52 billion), with a consolidated EBITDA margin of 11%. JBS USA Beef, which represents the beef and lamb operations in the US, Canada and Australia, is the company's largest business segment, accounting for 41% of its total revenue in 2020. Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (Pilgrim's Pride, Ba3 stable) accounted for 22% of the total revenue, while the US pork business contributed with 12%. JBS S.A. Brasil (Beef Brazil) represented 15% of the total revenue for the same period, while Brazil-based Seara S.A. (Seara), which comprises poultry, pork and processed foods operations, accounted for about 10% of revenue in 2020.REGULATORY DISCLOSURESFor further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. 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Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1243406.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed by Moody's Investors Service Limited, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit rating agencies in the UK. Further information on the UK endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.The below contact information is provided for information purposes only. Please see the ratings tab of the issuer page at www.moodys.com, for each of the ratings covered, Moody's disclosures on the lead rating analyst and the Moody's legal entity that has issued the ratings.The person who approved JBS S.A. and JBS Investments II GmbH credit ratings is Marcos Schmidt, Associate Managing Director, Corporate Finance Group, JOURNALISTS: 0 800 891 2518, Client Service: 1 212 553 1653. The person who approved JBS USA Lux S.A. credit ratings is John E. Puchalla, CFA, Associate Managing Director, Corporate Finance Group, JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376, Client Service: 1 212 553 1653.Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. 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