Fitch Ratings on Friday reduced the senior secured rating for Aston Martin Capital Holdings Limited to 'CCC' from 'CCC+'. The credit agency also revised the firm's Recovery Rating down to 'RR5' from 'RR4'. At the same time, Fitch left Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC's Long-Term Issuer Default Rating unchanged at 'CCC+'.
The downgrade stems from a new GBP550 million set of loan facilities put in place by the company. Fitch's recovery analysis treats these facilities as effectively ranking ahead of debt within the restricted group. The agency cited a different security package that benefits the new facilities relative to bondholders, describing that package as structurally senior. That structural distinction, together with limited visibility on the collateral underpinning the new facilities, led Fitch to conclude that recovery prospects for the existing senior secured notes have weakened.
Aston Martin completed the GBP550 million financing on 22 July 2026. The package consists of a GBP450 million senior secured term loan plus a GBP100 million delayed-draw term loan maturing in July 2031. Proceeds from the GBP450 million draw were used to repay and cancel the company's fully drawn super senior revolving credit facility of GBP170 million and a GBP20 million draw under the Yew Tree Consortium's GBP50 million shareholder loan facility. After those repayments and fees, some GBP260 million of the raised amount remains available for general corporate purposes.
Liquidity and cash flow dynamics were central to Fitch's assessment. Reported liquidity at the end of the second quarter of 2026 stood at GBP145 million, down from GBP250 million at the end of 2025, following negative free cash flow of GBP198 million in the first half of 2026. Fitch notes that the July 2026 GBP450 million drawdown would raise pro-forma liquidity to about GBP340 million as at 30 June 2026, with an additional GBP100 million accessible under the delayed-draw facility. The ratings agency does not project a need for further funding until 2028.
On full-year cash flow expectations, Fitch says the negative free cash flow recorded in the first half of 2026 should account for most of the year’s outflow. The agency forecasts a marked improvement in negative free cash flow to around GBP200 million in 2026, down from GBP422 million in 2025. That forecast is contingent on approximately 500 Valhalla deliveries, a more balanced production cadence, and lower capital expenditure of roughly GBP300 million in 2026 compared with GBP341 million the prior year.
Context for investors and credit holders
Fitch's actions signal reduced recovery expectations for holders of senior secured notes due to the structural priority and differing security of the new loan facilities. The company's near-term liquidity profile improves on a pro-forma basis after the July drawdown, but headline reported liquidity and recent negative free cash flow remain points of focus for creditors assessing balance-sheet resilience through the rate cycle.
Additional details
- New facilities completed on 22 July 2026 total GBP550 million: GBP450 million term loan and GBP100 million delayed-draw term loan maturing July 2031.
- Repayments funded by the GBP450 million draw included a GBP170 million super senior RCF and a GBP20 million draw under a GBP50 million shareholder loan facility.
- Fitch projects negative free cash flow of about GBP200 million in 2026 versus GBP422 million in 2025, supported by Valhalla deliveries and reduced capex.