Moody's Investors Service Places Ratings for SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge, SpareBank 1 SMN, SpareBank 1 SR-Bank and Sparebanken More on Review for Downgrade

Moody's Investors Service announced that it has placed the issuer and long-term debt ratings of Norwegian regional banks SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge (A1), SpareBank 1 SMN (A1), SpareBank 1 SR-Bank (A1), Sparebanken Hedmark (A1) and Sparebanken More (A2) on review for downgrade. The current expectation is for a downgrade of up to one notch for SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge, SpareBank 1 SMN, SpareBank 1 SR-Bank and Sparebanken Hedmark and for up to two notches for Sparebanken More. The Bank Financial Strength Ratings (BFSR) of SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge (C) and Sparebanken More (C-) are also included in the review but the BFSRs of SpareBank 1 SMN (C-), SpareBank 1 SR-Bank (C-) and Sparebanken Hedmark (C-) have been affirmed. Similarly, the P-1 short term ratings of Sparebanken More have been placed on review for downgrade, but the P-1 short-term ratings of SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge, SpareBank 1 SMN, SpareBank 1 SR-Bank and Sparebanken Hedmark have been affirmed. The review also incorporates the Baa1 long- and P-2 short-term issuer ratings of SpareBank 1 Gruppen AS following the placement of its owners' senior debt ratings (those of SpareBank 1 SR-Bank, SpareBank 1 SMN, SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge and Sparebanken Hedmark) on review for downgrade; parental support assumptions are currently incorporated into SpareBank 1 Gruppen's ratings. The subordinated and junior subordinated debt ratings of SpareBank 1 SR-Bank, SpareBank 1 SMN and SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge remain on review for downgrade.