Oct 31 (Reuters) - Ratings agency Moody's Ratings on

Friday put global auto parts supplier Tenneco's credit

ratings on negative outlook, while affirming its current credit

standing.

In placing the Northville, Michigan-based auto supplier on

negative credit watch, Moody's cited the turbulent macroeconomic

environment and implications for the global auto industry of

persistent tariffs that began with U.S. President Donald Trump's

widespread tariffs in April.

Tenneco's leverage has remained relatively high, while its

revenue margins have stayed tight in recent quarters, Moody's

analysts wrote on Friday. The company had roughly $13.4 billion

in value-add revenue, and nearly $16 billion in reported

revenue, for the twelve months ending June 30, the analysts

noted.

The decision to put Tenneco's ratings on negative watch comes

against the backdrop of fellow auto parts supplier First Brands'

bankruptcy filing on September 29. Major subprime auto lender

Tricolor Auto Holdings also filed for bankruptcy on

September 10.

Moody's analysts highlighted Tenneco's scale and geographic

presence, as well as its strong product and customer base, in

maintaining the auto supplier's current B2 speculative-grade

credit rating.

"The rating affirmations reflect that despite an uneven

quarter-to-quarter performance over the last eighteen months,

key metrics have been relatively stable but at weak levels," the

analysts wrote.