2022 Universal Registration Document

Key Data

25.3 Credit ratings and financial covenants
Credit ratings

At 31 December 2022, the Group’s credit ratings were as follows:

    Rating
  Agency Long-term Outlook Short-term
VINCI SA Standard & Poor’s A− Stable A2
Moody’s A3 Stable P2
ASF Standard & Poor’s A− Stable A2
Moody’s A3 Stable P2
Cofiroute Standard & Poor’s A− Stable A2
Gatwick Funding Limited (*) Standard & Poor’s BBB Negative  
Moody’s Baa2 Stable  
Fitch BBB+ Negative  

(*) Company that raises funding for London Gatwick airport.

In 2022, rating agencies confirmed or updated their views as follows:

  • as regards VINCI SA,
    • Moody’s confirmed its long-term rating of A3 with stable outlook;
    • in March 2022, Standard & Poor’s confirmed its A− long-term and A2 short-term ratings with stable outlook;
  • as regards ASF,
    • in May 2022, Moody’s confirmed its long-term rating of A3 with stable outlook;
    • in June 2022, Standard & Poor’s confirmed its A− long-term and A2 short-term ratings with stable outlook;
  • as regards Cofiroute, in June 2022, Standard & Poor’s confirmed its A− long-term and A2 short-term ratings with stable outlook.

Moody’s also revised its outlook on Gatwick Funding Limited from negative to stable, while confirming its long-term rating of Baa2.

Financial covenants

Some financing agreements include early repayment clauses applicable in the event of non-compliance with financial ratios.

The Group regularly monitors developments in relation to these financial covenants and, in an unstable macroeconomic context, has paid particular attention to finance agreements that could give rise to risks of it failing to comply with financial ratios in the short and medium term.

Talks take place with lenders as the case may be to inform them of potential instances of default related to such failures. Group entities seeking to renegotiate some of their financing terms have been able to reach agreements.

In particular, waivers and amendments were obtained by London Gatwick airport in September 2021 in relation to its bank and bond debt, which is subject to covenants, for a total amount of £2.9 billion at 31 December 2022. The agreement mainly consisted of the following:

  • an exemption from the requirement to comply, in December 2021 and June 2022, with the two financial ratios (interest coverage ratio and debt ratio) provided for in its financing agreements at 31 December 2022, these financial ratios were maintained;
  • a change to the method for calculating the debt ratio until June 2024 in order to adjust for the exceptional impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the airport’s Ebitda.

Other agreements subject to covenants do not involve material amounts (individual amounts below €300 million).

26. Net cash managed and available resources

Accounting policies

Cash and cash equivalents comprise current accounts at banks and short-term liquid investments subject to negligible risks of fluctuations of value. Cash equivalents include money market UCITS and certificates of deposit with maturities not exceeding three months at the origin. Bank overdrafts are not included in cash and are reported on the balance sheet under “Current financial liabilities”.“Cash management financial assets” comprises investments in money market securities and bonds, and units in UCITS, made with a short-term management objective, that do not satisfy the IAS 7 criteria for recognition as cash.

They are measured and recognised at their fair value. Changes in value are recognised in profit or loss.

Purchases and sales of cash management financial assets are recognised at their transaction date.

At 31 December 2022, the Group’s available resources amounted to €20.5 billion, including €9.2 billion of net cash managed and €11.3 billion of confirmed medium-term credit facilities remaining unused. These available resources enable the Group to manage its liquidity risk (see Note J.25.2 “Net financial debt maturity schedule”).