M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. today announced that Standard & Poor's ("S&P") has upgraded the Company's corporate credit and senior debt ratings to an investment grade "BBB-" from "BB+." In its announcement of the ratings action, S&P stated, "The ratings upgrade acknowledges the company's very strong and comparatively transparent financial profile as well as its successful efforts to diversify homebuilding operations beyond its longstanding core Colorado markets." S&P also stated that MDC's "measured approach to expansion has allowed the company to preserve its solid financial profile, which is characterized by strong cash flow protection measures and returns and modest leverage levels."
Larry A. Mizel, MDC's chairman and chief executive officer, said, "We are pleased that S&P has recognized the success of our strategy, as well as the strength of our operating performance, with this upgrade. With MDC's senior debt ratings of "Baa3" from Moody's Investors Service and "BBB-" from Fitch, Inc., we have joined an elite group of only four other companies in the homebuilding industry with investment grade ratings from all three major credit rating agencies."
MDC, whose subsidiaries build homes under the name "Richmond American Homes," is one of the largest homebuilders in the United States. The Company also provides mortgage financing, primarily for MDC's homebuyers, through its wholly owned subsidiary HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation. MDC is a major regional homebuilder with a significant presence in some of the country's best housing markets. The Company is the largest homebuilder in Colorado; among the top five homebuilders in Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland, Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas; and among the top ten homebuilders in Northern California, Southern California and Salt Lake City. MDC also has a growing presence in Dallas/Fort Worth and has recently entered the Houston, San Antonio, Philadelphia/Delaware Valley, West Florida, Jacksonville and Chicago markets. For more information, visit www.richmondamerican.com.
SOURCE: M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.
CONTACT: Paris G. Reece III, Chief Financial Officer, +1-303-804-7706, greece@mdch.com, or Rachel L. Neumann, Communications Director,
+1-303-804-7729, rlneumann@mdch.com, both of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.
The Richmond American Homes companies (RAH), HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation (HMC), American Home Insurance
Agency (also known as AHI Insurance Agency) (AHI) and American Home Title and Escrow Company (AHT) are
owned, directly or indirectly, by M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. and, therefore, are affiliated companies. Each of
RAH, HMC, AHI and AHT offers services independently of each other, and if you obtain a product or service
from one company, you are not required to utilize the services of, or obtain products from, the other
company. Your decision to use a company that is not affiliated with RAH, HMC, AHI or AHT will not affect
your ability to obtain products and services from these companies. See licensing information.
Certain statements on the Site, including statements regarding the MDC Companies' business, financial condition,
results of operation, cash flows, strategies and prospects, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be
identified by terminology such as "likely," "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates,"
"believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue," or the negative of such terms and other
comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the MDC Companies to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements. Additional information about the risks and uncertainties applicable to the MDC Companies' business
is contained in MDC's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including MDC's Annual Reports on
Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The MDC Companies undertake no duty to update publicly any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. However, any
further disclosures made on related subjects in MDC's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, press releases and/or presentations should be considered.
