Moody's Investors Service has today downgraded the Ba2 ratings for Dar Al-Arkan Real Estate Development Company, Saudi Joint Stock Company , Dar Al-Arkan International Sukuk Company II and the US$450 million USD Certificates ("sukuk") to Ba3. The outlook is stable.
The reason is a combination of:
(1) DAAR's weaker than anticipated operating performance continuing in the third quarter of 2010 attributed to lower land sales, resulting in a departure from Moody's original expectations where land sales are an important part of the funding mix;
(2) DAAR's weaker than anticipated financial metrics, such as Moody's adjusted debt to book capitalisation (LTM 35.3% per end of September 2010), or FFO/Debt (LTM 18.4% per end of September 2010) which are not in alignment with Moody's guidelines for the Ba2 rating category;
and (3) the negative free cash flows DAAR has generated over the first nine months of 2010