TRIS Rating has affirmed a company rating of “A-” to The Federation of Savings and Credit Cooperatives of Thailand Ltd. (FSCT) with “stable” outlook. The rating reflects FSCT’s important role in promoting and developing the savings cooperative movement in Thailand. The rating is also supported by FSCT’s status as the largest savings cooperative federation in terms of both asset size and number of members, its long track record, experienced and proficient management team and staff in savings cooperative operation, improving financial performance, and the good quality of the loans FSCT has made to its members. The rating takes into consideration the legal privileges extended to primary savings cooperatives. The privileges buttress the quality of the loans made by savings cooperatives and enhance the competitive edge of savings cooperatives, including FSCT, over traditional financial institutions. However, the strengths are partially mitigated by FSCT’s relatively high leverage, a mismatch in assets and liabilities, and a looming regulatory change which may reduce the privileges currently enjoyed by savings cooperatives.
The “stable” outlook reflects the expectation that FSCT will be able to maintain its important role in the savings cooperative movement in Thailand. In addition, FSCT’s internal funding base, provided by its members, is expected to be maintained. FSCT is expected to deliver solid operating performance, leading to appropriated returns for its members.
The credit upsides are limited, given the gradually growth of savings cooperatives movement. In contrast, any changes, such as a shift to more aggressive funding policies which expose FSCT to more interest rate risk, any regulatory changes that reduce the privileges for savings cooperatives or the importance role of FSCT in the savings cooperatives movement, might negatively affect FSCT’s rating.
FSCT was established in 1972 at the initiative of the Cooperative League of Thailand (CLT) and 81 savings cooperatives. According to the Cooperatives Act, FSCT is a secondary savings cooperative. Primary savings cooperatives are members of FSCT. Currently, in terms of both asset size and number of members, FSCT is the largest of nine savings cooperative federations in Thailand. FSCT receives all the tax exemption privileges that all primary savings cooperatives enjoy. FSCT provides financial services for its members, including taking deposits and providing loans. In addition, FSCT plays an important role in the savings cooperatives movement at a national level. FSCT is involved in numerous activities to support, promote, plan for, and develop savings cooperatives in Thailand.
Loans made to cooperative members were the largest portion (62.3%) of FSCT’s total assets at the end of fiscal year (FY) 2014 (ending March 2015). Loans to cooperative members ranged between 58%-66% of total assets during the past five years. About one-third (33.9%) of FSCT’s total assets was investments and the remainder (3.7%) was cash and other assets. FSCT has a policy to provide loans for its members and non-members, but loans will be provided to members first if there is a greater demand. At the end of FY2014, loans made to cooperative members amounted to Bt44,355 million. FSCT provided loans to only 272 cooperative members, out of a total of 1,046 members at the end of FY2014. FSCT is exposed to concentration risk from the loans it has made to cooperative members. The 20 largest loans made to cooperative members comprised 50.3% of total loans at the end of FY2009, but only 35.9% at the end of FY2015. Despite the drop, the current level is considered relatively high. However, FSCT’s loan concentration risk is mitigated by the high quality of its loan portfolio.
At the end of FY2014, FSCT had only Bt8.6 million of non-performing loans (NPLs), accounting for only 0.02% of outstanding loans. FSCT’s good loan quality stems from the automatic repayment mechanism which comes with each loan and the legal privileges provided to primary savings cooperatives. FSCT has also strict underwriting criteria and guidelines for the loans it grants.
During FY2011-FY2013, FSCT faced difficulties in raising funds through its members, both in terms of deposits and promissory note (P/N). Deposits and P/N rose by only 1.6% in FY2011, 5.6% in FY2012, and 1.9% in FY2013, compared with annual rises of over 10% during FY2008-FY2010. FSCT has raised a substantial amount of funds through borrowings from commercial banks during FY2011-FY2013. Borrowings climbed from Bt7,825 million at the end of FY2008 to Bt15,665 million at the end of FY2013, accounting to 32% of total liabilities or 25% of total assets. Although the portion of borrowings from commercial banks dropped to 22.7% of total liabilities at the end of FY2014, the ratio remained relatively high. All commercial bank borrowings were short-term borrowings. In TRIS Rating’s view, wholesale funding through financial institutions carries a higher rollover risk for FSCT than using deposits and borrowings from cooperative members as its sources of funding. A higher proportion of external short-term funding brings refinancing risk and liquidity risk for FSCT. The risk is especially high during times of adverse change in the savings cooperatives system or the economy. In addition, more short-term funding means FSCT has a wider negative maturity gap between its assets and liabilities. FSCT thus carries interest rate risk to a certain extent.
FSCT had Bt4,662 million in high liquid assets, in the forms of cash or deposits at banks and short-term investments, at the end of FY2014, which were considered enough to mitigate liquidity risk from the exposure. In addition, FSCT has been able to raise its deposits from Bt23,113 million at the end of FY2013 to Bt31,352 million at the end of FY2014.
The rise in the overall spread boosted profitability. Net profit continuously rose from Bt543 million in FY2010 to Bt1,193 million in FY2014. The ratio of return on average assets (ROAA) improved from 1.1% in FY2010 to 1.8% in FY2014, while the ratio of return on average cooperative’s equity (ROAE) improved from 5.8% in FY2010 to 8.6% in FY2014. FSCT raised the dividend yield for its cooperative members from 5.6% in FY2011 to 5.8% in FY2014.
FSCT’s paid-up share capital has increased continuously. As required by FSCT’s by-laws, cooperative members need to purchase additional shares in proportion to the paid-up share capital they own. In a normal situation, FSCT’s paid-up share capital is expected to increase continuously as the paid-up share capital of each cooperative member will increase automatically, thanks to the traditional mechanism of monthly share purchased by members. FSCT’s paid-up share capital rose substantially from Bt6,257 million in FY2009 to Bt9,211 million in FY2010, due to an extra share purchase made by one cooperative member in FY2010. After the extra share purchase, FSCT’s paid-up share capital increased by 2%-8% per year during FY2011-FY2014. FSCT’s paid-up share capital was Bt11,062 million at the end of FY2014. Cooperative’s equity, including paid-up share capital, legal reserves, reserves mandated by its by-laws, unrealized gains or losses from its investments, and net profit, has also increased steadily. Cooperative’s equity rose from Bt7,708 million at the end of FY2009 to Bt14,893 million at the end of FY2014. FSCT’s ratio of cooperative’s equity to total assets has held at around 20% during the past eight years. However, this ratio is considered low. Other large, long-established savings cooperatives have a ratio of around 40%.
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