Rayonier A.M. Products Inc. -- Moody's rates Rayonier A.M.'s new secured notes B1; affirms B3 CFR

Rating Action: Moody's rates Rayonier A.M.'s new secured notes B1; affirms B3 CFR

Global Credit Research - 07 Dec 2020

Toronto, December 07, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") assigned a B1 rating to Rayonier A.M. Products Inc.'s ("RYAM") proposed $500 million senior secured notes due 2026 and affirmed the company's B3 corporate family rating (CFR), B3-PD probability of default rating and Caa2 senior unsecured bond rating. RYAM intends to use the proceeds of this offering to refinance the company's $499 million senior secured term loans (not rated). RYAM's speculative grade liquidity rating was upgraded to SGL-2 from SGL-3 and the rating outlook was changed to stable from negative.

"RYAM's existing ratings were affirmed with a stable outlook reflecting our expectations that the company will maintain good liquidity as its leverage (adjusted Debt to EBITDA) improves toward 6x in 2022", said Ed Sustar, Senior Vice President with Moody's.

Assignments:

..Issuer: Rayonier A.M. Products Inc.

....Senior Secured Regular Bond/Debenture, Assigned B1 (LGD3)

Affirmations:

..Issuer: Rayonier A.M. Products Inc.

.... Corporate Family Rating, Affirmed B3

.... Probability of Default Rating, Affirmed B3-PD

....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture, Affirmed Caa2 (LGD5)

Upgrades:

..Issuer: Rayonier A.M. Products Inc.

.... Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating, Upgraded to SGL-2 from SGL-3

Outlook Actions:

..Issuer: Rayonier A.M. Products Inc.

....Outlook, Changed To Stable From Negative

RATINGS RATIONALE

RYAM's B3 CFR is constrained by: (1) high consolidated leverage (about 6.5x adjusted debt/EBITDA expected for 2021 after duties and including Moody's standard adjustments, and 6.1x in 2022); (2) volatile lumber and pulp pricing; (3) declining markets for acetate-based specialty cellulose pulp (SC), which is primarily used to manufacture cigarette filters, and newsprint, which has experienced larger than normal declines due to stay-at home measures during the pandemic; and (4) several high cost assets that are challenged to generate cash during cyclical pricing lows. RYAM benefits from: (1) its leading global market position as a SC pulp manufacturer; (2) operational and geographic diversity through four SC facilities located in the US, Canada and France; (3) end-market and product diversity with six sawmills, one consumer paper packaging mill, one high-yield commodity pulp mill and a newsprint mill; and (4) good liquidity.

The company's new B1 rated $500 million senior secured notes are two notches above the CFR reflecting the note holders' position ahead of the company's Caa2 rated $496 million senior unsecured notes due 2024, in accordance with Moody's Loss Given Default for Speculative-Grade Companies methodology. The Caa2 rating on the company's senior unsecured notes reflects the note holders' subordinate position behind the company's new $200 million ABL facility (not rated), the new $500 million secured notes and about $88 million of secured project debt (not rated).