Marac faces long road to bank status
The company’s exposure to a weak property development sector was the main cause for the downgrade to BB+ from an investment grade BBB-, the lowest rating required to achieve bank status.
It’s currently sitting on a negative outlook, giving the company a one-in-three chance of being downgraded in the next two years.
Unless S&P is convinced the measures Marac and its parent, Pyne Gould, are undertaking will improve the company’s asset quality, it could be a long wait before New Zealand has its first locally-owned listed bank.
"We think it won’t be addressed in three, six or 12 months” and could be as long as two years, said credit analyst Derryl D’silva.
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