OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings has assigned final ratings to ConQuest 2016-1 Trust's mortgage-backed floating-rate notes. The issuance consists of notes backed by Australian residential mortgages originated by MyState Bank Limited (MyState). The ratings are as follows:

AUD125.9m Class A notes: 'AAAsf'; Outlook Stable
AUD6.4m Class B1 notes: 'AA-sf'; Outlook Stable
AUD2.7m Class B2 notes: 'NRsf'.

The notes are issued by Perpetual Corporate Trust Limited in its capacity as trustee of ConQuest 2016-1 Trust.

At the cut-off date, the initial portfolio contained 555 loans with an average current loan size of AUD229,384. Investment loans represented 22.1% of the pool by balance and interest-only loans represented 21.9%. The portfolio parameters permit a weighted-average loan-to-value ratio of up to 70%, with loans with an unindexed loan-to-value ratio greater than 80% limited to 30% of the portfolio.

KEY RATING DRIVERS
Sufficient Credit Support: The class A notes have credit enhancement of 6.8%, provided by the subordinate class B1 and class B2 notes. The class B1 notes have credit enhancement of 2.0%, provided by the subordinate class B2 notes. The notes' ratings are dependent on credit to lenders' mortgage insurance, which will cover 100% of the portfolio at all times.

Portfolio Parameters Included: The transaction allows for the addition of new receivables during the revolving period in accordance with the eligibility criteria and portfolio parameters. Structural features and performance-based triggers have been included to restrict the ability to add new receivables in certain circumstances.

Sequential Principal Allocation: Principal is allocated sequentially at all times, increasing the percentage of credit support to the rated notes and mitigating potential tail-risk. The transaction requires that a minimum dollar amount of subordination must be maintained for each rated note after each subsequent note issuance or redemption.

Adequate Liquidity Support: Liquidity support will be provided via excess spread, principal draws and a liquidity facility sized at the greater of 1.2% of the invested amount of the notes at the time or AUD150,000.

RATING SENSITIVITIES
Unexpected decreases in residential property value, increases in the frequency of foreclosures and loss severity on defaulted mortgages could produce loss levels higher than Fitch's base-case, which could result in negative rating actions on the notes.

Fitch evaluated the sensitivity of the ratings assigned to ConQuest 2016-1 Trust to increased defaults and decreased recovery rates over the life of the transaction.

Its analysis found the notes' ratings were not affected under Fitch's increased default scenarios. Under Fitch's decreased recovery scenarios, the class A notes' rating was affected under the moderate (15% decrease) and severe (30% decrease) scenarios, with the rating declining by one and three notches, respectively. The class B1 notes' rating declined by at least three categories in each scenario.

The notes' ratings showed greater sensitivity to a combination of both increased defaults and decreased recoveries. The notes' ratings are dependent on lenders mortgage insurance during the revolving period.

DUE DILIGENCE USAGE
No third party due diligence was provided or reviewed in relation to this rating action.

DATA ADEQUACY
Fitch conducted a file review of 10 sample loan files focusing on the underwriting procedures conducted by MyState compared to MyState's credit policy at the time of underwriting. Fitch has checked the consistency and plausibility of the information and no material discrepancies were noted that would impact Fitch's rating analysis.