OREANDA-NEWS. August 22, 2012. Rating agency "Expert RA Kazakhstan" has assigned reliability rating at level A+ "Very high reliability level" to JSC "APF "Astana", reported the press-centre of KASE.

As a result of the rating assessment conducted the agency highlighted as positive a fairly high yield of the Fund (K2 (12) = 3,5% as of July 1, 2012), overtaking the market in terms of growth of pension assets (increase during 11 months of the Fund's existence (as of July 1, 2012 it made up 38.5%), a rather liquid and diversified investment portfolio. Besides, the rating is positively influenced by good corporate governance and strategic planning, as well as shareholders' readiness to provide financial assistance to the Fund.

"In the first half-year 2012 APF "Astana" showed a good dynamics of pension savings collected in spite of the fact that it was registered last year following a merger of two other funds. Keeping this pace can create a base for a higher rating", - points out Vasiliy Kalabin, expert of the ratings unit of "Expert RA Kazakhstan".

As impeding factors the Agency sees the low level of capital sufficiency (K1 = 0.041 as of July 1, 2012), caused by an energetic investment policy of the Fund, fairly high level of portfolio riskiness (80.78% as of July 1, 2012), and negative profitability of the Fund in the half-year.

APF "Astana" was established in 2011 following a merger of "Eurasian accumulative pension fund" and APF "Amanat". The fund operates across the country. According to FSC, as of as of July 1, 2012 the Fund's pension accumulations made up KZT172.4 bn, pension contributions in the first half-year - KZT12.7 bn, equity - KZT6.5 bn.