OREANDA-NEWS. International rating agency Standard & Poor's affirmed Bank Petrocommerce's 'B+/B' long- and short-term international scale credit ratings and 'ruA' national scale rating, which is stipulated by the Bank's stable business development.

S&P believes that Bank Petrocommerce will be able to keep its capitalization at the moderate level (slightly above 5%) by end-2015, based on a forecast net interest margin of 4.3%, gradual loan-book growth of 12-15% and a cost of risk of up to 1.5% of its predominantly small and midsize enterprise portfolio. Besides, the agency expects that once the integration process is completed Bank Petrocommerce will implement Otkritie group's lending standards, including underwriting procedures.

At the same time, S&P revised Bank Petrocommerce's ratings outlook to negative from developing due to deteriorating macroeconomic indicators of the Russian Federation and operating conditions for the whole Russian banking sector. The agency may revise the outlook to stable if the economic and operating pressures recede and if the Bank's integration within Otkritie group is a success.

"The change of the Bank's ratings outlook is connected with the negative outlook on the overall Russian banking system risks by S&P, - says Vladimir Rykunov, President of Bank Petrocommerce. -The Bank continues active development of its business lines demonstrating positive trends, inter alia, due to continuing process of integration into Otkritie group".