OREANDA-NEWS. February 16, 2012. Fitch Ratings has downgraded Slovenia's Banka Koper d.d. (Koper) and Slovakia's Vseobecna Uverova Banka (VUB) Long-term Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to 'BBB+' from A-', reported the press-centre of KASE.

The downgrades are driven by the reduced ability of the parent bank, IntesaSanpaolo, to provide support to its

subsidiaries, as reflected in the recent downgrade of its Long-term IDR to 'A-' from 'A' (see 'Fitch Takes Rating Action on Italian Banks Following Sovereign Downgrade' dated 06 February 2012 at www.fitchratings.com). The Negative Outlooks on Koper's and VUB's IDR's reflect that on Intesa.

At the same time, Fitch has affirmed the Long-term IDRs of the following subsidiaries of UniCredit S.p.A: UniCredit

Tiriac Bank S.A. of Romania (foreign currency IDR 'BBB+'); ZAO UniCredit Bank of Russia (foreign currency IDR 'BBB+'); ATF Bank JSC of Kazakhstan (foreign currency IDR 'BBB'); and Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi A.S. (YKB) of Turkey (foreign currency IDR 'BBB-', LC IDR 'BBB'). The affirmations follow the affirmation of UniCredit S.p.A.'s Long-term IDR at 'A-' with a Negative Outlook.

ATF is rated two notches below its ultimate parent to reflect what Fitch views as the bank's low strategic importance to the group. YKB's local currency Long-term IDR is maintained two notches below UniCredit S.p.A.'s to reflect its noncontrolling stake in the bank (UniCredit indirectly owns a 50% stake in Koc Financial Services, which in turn holds an 81.8% stake in YKB). The Negative Outlooks on UniCredit's subsidiaries reflect those on the parent, while the Stable Outlook on YKB's foreign currency Long-term IDR reflects the fact that this rating is underpinned by YKB's own standalone strength, as expressed in its 'bbb-' Viability Rating.

Today's rating actions resolve the Rating Watch Negative (RWN) that was placed on certain of these banks' ratings in December 2011, and follows the recent resolution of the RWN on the ratings of Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit S.p.A.