Standard & Poor's присвоило рейтинги банку ТуранАлем (Казахстан)

/REUTERS, Лондон, 18.12.00/ - Международное рейтинговое агентство Standard & Poor's присвоило банку ТуранАлем (Казахстан) долгосрочный рейтинг "В", а также краткосрочный партнерский рейтинг и рейтинг депозитных сертификатов на уровне "С", говорится в сообщении агентства. Прогноз рейтингов - стабильный. Рейтинги банка ТуранАлем отражают укрепляющиеся позиции банка в области коммерческих и розничных банковских услуг, его относительно диверсифицированную клиентскую и депозитную базу, а также растущую базу в области розничных услуг, сообщило агентство. В то же время агентство отмечает быстрое увеличение кредитного портфеля банка в 1999 и 2000 годах, которое оказывает давление на капитал и делает ТуранАлем уязвимым для экономического кризиса. В дополнение, экономика и банковский сектор Казахстана, имеющие ограниченные возможности для кредитования и богатую историю невозвращенных кредитов, создают риски для всех банков, работающих в стране. Ниже следует текст сообщения S&P из Лондона на английском языке. (The following statement was released by the rating agency) LONDON, Dec 18 - Standard & Poor's today assigned its single-'B' long-term and 'C' short-term counterparty credit and certificate of deposit ratings on Kazakhstan-based Bank TuranAlem (BTA). The outlook is stable. The ratings on BTA reflect the bank's strengthening market position in commercial and retail banking, its relatively diversified client base in loans and deposits, and its growing retail funding base. These strengths are offset by the rapid expansion of loans in 1999 and 2000, which has pressured capital and leaves BTA vulnerable to an economic downturn. In addition, the Kazakh economic and banking environment, with limited and concentrated lending opportunities and a history of high arrears in corporate payments, creates risks for all banks operating in the country. With assets of Kazakhstan tenge (KZT) 75.8 billion at Sept. 30, 2000 ($530 million at KZT143 to $1), BTA is among the three largest banks in Kazakhstan, and unlike the other two, specializes in both corporate and retail banking. Its market share of banking assets in Kazakhstan reached 14% at year-end 1999, and grew further in 2000. BTA was formed in January 1997 by the restructuring and merger of two insolvent banks, TuranBank and AlemBankKazakhstan. The bank was privatized in March 1998 and the existing management was replaced, moves that restored public confidence in the bank. BTA's rapid loan growth over the past two years has outpaced the market, and leaves the bank relatively vulnerable to an economic downturn, although BTA's good credit evaluation procedures and low level of nonperforming loans mitigate the risk to some degree. Excluding Kazkommertsbank (JSC) (B/Stable/C), BTA's profitability has been the highest among its first-tier Kazakh peers since its establishment in 1997. The earnings outlook is good given increased lending and fee-generating products and services, despite shrinking margins and the disappearance of extraordinary items (such as translation gains following the stabilization of the tenge). With its wide branch network, BTA has a strong and diversified primary funding base, which is essential in Kazakhstan given the lack of a functioning domestic interbank market. Funding has recently benefited from more abundant liquidity in Kazakhstan and a flight to quality. The bank participates in domestic and multilateral funding programs and has experience in accessing international money and capital markets, which has enabled the lengthening of the tenure of its funding profile. BTA's capital is weak, especially when considering the high growth in a volatile operating environment. Although the bank has increased its equity fivefold during its two years of operation, capital is coming under stress due to the triple-digit growth in assets. OUTLOOK: STABLE BTA's relatively strong financials and good infrastructure and systems position the bank well to take advantage of the current positive economic trends and to mature with the market. The bank is addressing the changing nature of the banking business in Kazakhstan (characterized by shrinking margins and smaller foreign exchange gains) with diversified products and revenue streams. High growth in a fragile system, however, should be viewed with caution, especially considering the short track record of the bank and its fairly weak capital, Standard & Poor's said.