OREANDA-NEWS. National Rating Agency has affirmed its national scale ‘BBB+’ credit rating on SOYUZ Investment and Financial Company PJSC (SOYUZ). The outlook for the rating is Stable. NRA assigned its first-time individual credit rating to SOYUZ, falling into the “Holding and Financial Companies” section of its rating list, on July 19, 2013 and affirmed it at this level on Sep. 30, 2014.

The rating is supported by factors, such as the large scope and social importance of SOYUZ's investment projects, implemented under public private partnership (PPP) arrangements, which allow the minimization of investment risks and generation of stable revenue flows. NRA also notes the company's experience and skills in managing investment projects, its well-matched assets and liabilities, combined with its strong liquidity position and predominantly long-term liability structure., as well as its strong and supportive strategic partners, capable of providing assistance in project management.

The rating is constrained by the company's reliance on external funding, combined with the low equity-capital-to-total-funding ratio, low profitability, projects' long payback periods and exposure to political risks at the regional and municipal levels.

NRA’s analytical products, including ratings and the contents of this press release, are statements of NRA’s independent opinion as of the date they are expressed and not statements of fact or recommendations to make any investment decisions or conduct any stock market transactions. NRA is not responsible for any results obtained from the use of opinions and/or information contained in this press release.

While NRA has obtained information from sources it believes to be reliable, NRA does not guarantee that this information is perfectly correct, complete and accurate, as it does not perform an audit or undertake any duty of due diligence or independent verification of any information it receives.