FORM 6-K

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Report of Foreign Issuer

 

Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

For the month of February, 2016

 

Commission File Number: 001-15002

 

ICICI Bank Limited
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

CIN-L65190GJ1994PLC021012

 

ICICI Bank Towers,
Bandra-Kurla Complex
Mumbai, India 400 051
(Address of principal executive office)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file
annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F   X    Form 40-F      

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K
in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):

 

Yes          No   X 

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K
in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):

 

Yes         No   X 

 

Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information
contained in this Form, the Registrant is also thereby furnishing the
information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b)
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

 

Yes         No   X 

 

If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g 3-2(b): Not Applicable

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Item  
   

1. 

Press Release issued by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services

   
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 1

 

 

 

Rating On Bonds By HDFC And ICICI Bank's Bahrain Branch Placed On CreditWatch Negative After Bahrain Downgrade

 

Primary Credit Analyst:

Amit Pandey, Singapore 65 6239 6344; amit.pandey@standardandpoors.com

 

Secondary Contact:

 

Deepali V Seth Chhabria, Mumbai (91) 22-3342-4186; deepali.seth@standardandpoors.com

 

SINGAPORE (Standard & Poor's) Feb. 22, 2016--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services today placed its 'BBB-' long-term issue rating on senior unsecured bonds issued by the Bahrain branch of HDFC Bank Ltd. (BBB-/Stable/A-3) and ICICI Bank (foreign currency: BBB-/Stable/A-3) on CreditWatch with negative implications. We also placed the 'BB' long-term issue rating on ICICI Bank's Basel II compliant hybrid instrument issued by the Bahrain branch on CreditWatch with negative implications.

 

At the same time, we placed on CreditWatch with developing implications our 'cnBBB+' Greater China regional scale issue rating on HDFC's Chinese yuan (CNY) 150 million 4.30% bonds maturing 2018, and ICICI's CNY600 million 4% bonds maturing 2017. The developing implications of Greater China scale ratings reflect that the ratings could go higher or lower, whereas the issue credit rating could remain at the current level or be lowered.

 

These rating actions come after we lowered our long-term sovereign credit rating on Bahrain to 'BB/Stable'. The foreign currency rating on the host sovereign caps our view of the creditworthiness of the bank branches. Both banks have announced that they are in process of taking steps with regard to all their issuances from Bahrain to address the rating action on the host country. Standard & Poor's is studying the alternative payment structures that the banks are proposing for their effectiveness in avoiding and mitigating the sovereign risk of Bahrain.

 

We aim to resolve the CreditWatch status within a few weeks, or, at the

 

 

 

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Rating On Bonds By HDFC And ICICI Bank's Bahrain Branch Placed On CreditWatch Negative After Bahrain Downgrade

 

 

latest, in the next three months. We may lower the ratings by multiple notches if, in our view, the new structure does not reduce the sovereign risk of the host country for HDFC's and ICICI Bank's bondholders. Alternatively, if we believe the new structure insulates the bondholders, we may affirm the ratings. Under this scenario, we may also raise the Greater China regional scale rating on these bonds to 'cnA-', in line with our long-term foreign currency issuer credit ratings on the banks (BBB-/Stable) instead of the sovereign foreign currency rating on Bahrain.

 

Ratings List

 

Ratings Placed On CreditWatch Developing

 

     
  To From
Greater China Regional Scale Issue Ratings    
ICICI Bank CNY600 mil, 4.00% due 2017 cnBBB+/Watch  Dev cnBBB+
HDFC Bank CNY150 mil, 4.30% due 2018 cnBBB+/Watch  Dev cnBBB+

 

 

Ratings Placed On CreditWatch Negative

 

Global Scale Issue Ratings

 

ICICI Bank CNY600 mil, 4.00% due 2017 BBB-/Watch Neg BBB-
ICICI Bank A$150 mil, 6.125% due 2019 BBB-/Watch Neg BBB-
ICICI Bank US$340 mil, 7.25% subordinated BB/Watch Neg BB
HDFC Bank CNY150 mil, 4.30% due 2018 BBB-/Watch Neg BBB-
HDFC Bank US$500 mil, 3.00% due 2018 BBB-/Watch Neg BBB-
HDFC Bank US$595 mil, 3.00% due 2016 BBB-/Watch Neg BBB-

 

 

 

RELATED RESEARCH AND CRITERIA

 

Related Criteria

 

Financial Institutions - Banks: Bank Hybrid Capital And Nondeferrable Subordinated Debt Methodology And Assumptions, Jan. 29, 2015

 

Criteria - Financial Institutions - Banks: Assessing Bank Branch Creditworthiness, Oct. 14, 2013

 

Criteria - Financial Institutions - Banks: Banks: Rating Methodology And Assumptions, Nov. 9, 2011

 

General Criteria: Standard & Poor's National And Regional Scale Mapping Tables, Jan. 19, 2016

 

General Criteria: Use Of CreditWatch And Outlooks, Sept. 14, 2009

 

General Criteria: National And Regional Scale Credit Ratings, Sept. 22, 2014

 

Certain terms used in this report, particularly certain adjectives used to express our view on rating relevant factors, have specific meanings ascribed to them in our criteria, and should therefore be read in conjunction with such

 

 

 

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Rating On Bonds By HDFC And ICICI Bank's Bahrain Branch Placed On CreditWatch Negative After Bahrain Downgrade

 

criteria. Please see Ratings Criteria at www.standardandpoors.com for further information. Complete ratings information is available to subscribers of RatingsDirect at www.globalcreditportal.com and at www.spcapitaliq.com. All ratings affected by this rating action can be found on Standard & Poor's public Web site at www.standardandpoors.com. Use the Ratings search box located in the left column.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorised.

 

    For ICICI Bank Limited
     
     
Date: February 22, 2016   By: /s/ P. Sanker
        Name:

Mr. P. Sanker

           
        Title:

Senior General Manager (Legal)

& Company Secretary