State of Mexico Bags MXP610m Loan

The State of Mexico is arranging a 19.9 year MXP610m enhanced loan from Banorte, which will pay a spread of 125bp over TIIE, which closed at 4.8450 yesterday. Moody’s has assigned a Baa3/Aa2.mx rating. The loan is payable through a trust, to which the state has pledged the flows and rights to 100% of its federal participation revenues and to 25% of its revenues from the Fondo de Apoyo para el Fortalecimiento de las Entidades Federativas. The rating reflects the underlying creditworthiness of the State of Mexico, which has a Baa2/A2.mx rating, as well as the features of the loan. These include a strong trust structure, estimates that cash flows generated will provide strong debt service coverage ratios, a moderate level of reserves and strong historical cash flows. The last rating action Moody’s took with respect to the State of Mexico was on August 27 2010, when Moody’s assigned ratings of Baa3/ Aa2.mx to its MXP2bn Municipal Lending Program.