ICRA has downgraded the rating for the Rs 12 billion  (reduced from Rs 17 billion) Lower Tier II bonds programme of Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) to [ICRA]AA- (pronounced ICRA double A minus) from [ICRA]AA (pronounced ICRA double A)†. ICRA has also downgraded the rating for the Rs 5 billion Upper Tier II bonds of OBC to [ICRA]A+ (pronounced ICRA A plus) from [ICRA]AA-.

ICRA has withdrawn the rating assigned earlier to the Rs 5 billion Lower Tier-II bonds as there is no amount outstanding against the rated instrument and these have been redeemed. The withdrawal is at the request of the bank.
 
ICRA has also downgraded the rating for OBC's Rs 30 billion Basel III compliant Tier II bonds to [ICRA]AA- (hyb) (pronounced ICRA double AA minus hybrid) from [ICRA]AA (hyb) (pronounced ICRA double AA hybrid); and the ratings for the Rs. 2,000 crore Additional Tier-I bonds to [ICRA]A (hyb) (pronounced ICRA A hybrid) from [ICRA]A+ (hyb) (pronounced ICRA A plus).
 
The letters ''hyb'' in parenthesis suffixed to a rating symbol stand for ''hybrid'', indicating that the rated instrument is a hybrid subordinated instrument with equity-like loss-absorption features; such features may translate into higher levels of rating transition and loss-severity vis-à-vis conventional debt instruments. The rated Tier-II bonds are expected to absorb losses once the ''Point of Non Viability'' trigger is invoked. The outlook on the long term ratings is Negative.

Shares of the bank declined Rs 1.1, or 0.73%, to trade at Rs 149.15. The total volume of shares traded was 316,827 at the BSE (3.49 p.m., Wednesday).