Moody's upgrades Bendigo and Adelaide Bank credit rating: what investors need to know

Moody's upgraded Bendigo and Adelaide Bank's long-term issuer credit rating, highlighting strong asset quality and funding profile.

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Key points

  • Moody’s upgraded Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s long-term issuer credit rating to A3, citing very strong asset quality, funding profile, and liquidity, with a stable outlook.
  • This upgrade may improve funding costs and market confidence, reflecting strengths in the bank’s balance sheet and risk management.
  • Going forward, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank will focus on maintaining asset quality and liquidity, using the upgraded credit rating to potentially lower capital costs and enhance strategic initiatives.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) is in focus today after Moody's upgraded the bank's long-term issuer credit rating, reflecting strong asset quality and a robust funding profile.

What did Bendigo and Adelaide Bank report?

  • Moody's upgraded BEN's long-term issuer credit rating to A3 from Baa1
  • Baseline Credit Assessment improved to a3 from baa1
  • Subordinated debt rating also lifted to Baa1 from Baa2
  • Short-term rating remains at P-2
  • Credit outlook moved to 'Stable' from 'Positive'

What else do investors need to know?

Moody's cited "very strong asset quality, very strong funding profile and strong liquidity" as reasons for the upgrade. The announcement signals confidence in Bendigo and Adelaide Bank's balance sheet strength and risk settings.

These changes are effective immediately and could help the bank with funding costs and market confidence. Investors may watch for any flow-on impacts to the bank's future borrowing and operational flexibility.

What's next for Bendigo and Adelaide Bank?

Looking ahead, management will likely focus on maintaining asset quality and liquidity, aiming to further strengthen the bank's market position. Investors may also pay attention to how the credit rating upgrade affects BEN's cost of capital and strategic initiatives.

Continuous improvement in risk management and a stable funding environment could support the bank's long-term growth and sustainability.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank shares have declined 19%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 1% over the same period.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bendigo And Adelaide Bank. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

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