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The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited
Press Release

Date
18-Apr-19

Analyst
Muhammad Usman
muhammad.usman@pacra.com
+92-42-35869504
www.pacra.com

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This press release is being transmitted for the sole purpose of dissemination through print/electronic media. The press release may be used in full or in part without changing the meaning or context thereof with due credit to PACRA

PACRA Maintains Stability Rating of NAFA Government Securities Liquid Fund

Rating Type Stability Rating
Current
(18-Apr-19 )
Previous
(04-Dec-18 )
Action Maintain Maintain
Long Term AAA(f) AAA(f)
Short Term - -
Outlook Stable Stable
Rating Watch - -

The fund's objective is to generate an optimal return with minimum risk, to provide easy liquidity and a reasonable income to its unitholders by investing primarily in short-term Government Securities.

The rating reflects the strong credit quality and liquidity profile of the fund. This emanates from maintaining a high exposure to government securities ~44%. The fund continued to remain heavily invested in T-Bills. Fund's average exposure towards interest rate risk was sizeably minimal. In Dec-18, the duration of the fund was 49 days. The unit holding pattern of the fund represents moderate liquidity risk as top 10 investors represent 73% of the fund's assets at end-Dec 18, however, the comfort can be drawn from the liquid nature of the investments.
Going forward, the rating remains dependent on maintaining at least 70% allocation towards AAA exposure with average portfolio duration not exceeding 45 days. Meanwhile, the remaining assets of the fund must be placed with scheduled banks having very strong credit quality.

About the Entity
NBP Fund Management Limited, established in 2005, is licensed by Securities and Exchange Commission (SECP) to carry out asset management and investment advisory business. National Bank of Pakistan is the largest shareholder of the company with a stake of ~54%. During the year, Baltoro Growth Fund acquired the entire (36%) stake of Alexandra Fund Management Pte. Ltd. in the company. Baltoro Capital is a Pakistan focused private equity firm. Baltoro has made three investments in the pharmaceutical, renewable energy and financial services sectors. It is actively deploying its funds in businesses positioned to achieve extraordinary growth. The CEO of NBP Fund Management Limited, Dr. Amjad Waheed, also holds a 10% stake in the company.

The company’s nine-member Board of Directors include three independent directors and the CEO. During the year, there has been some new induction in the Board of Directors. The company is currently managing a diversified fund slate of twenty-six mutual funds and two pension funds.

The primary function of PACRA is to evaluate the capacity and willingness of an entity to honor its obligations. Our ratings reflect an independent, professional and impartial assessment of the risks associated with a particular instrument or an entity. PACRA's comprehensive offerings include instrument and entity credit ratings, insurer financial strength ratings, fund ratings, asset manager ratings and real estate gradings. PACRA opinion is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security, in as much as it does not comment on the security's market price or suitability for a particular investor.