PACRA Maintains the Stability Rating of Askari High Yield Scheme

Askari High Yield Scheme ("AHYS" or "the Fund") is categorized under an aggressive fixed income profile, with the objective of providing investors an opportunity to generate competitive returns from fixed income securities while targeting a portfolio duration of six months. As of Jun'26, the Fund's Assets Under Management (AUM) stood at PKR 304mln, compared to PKR 292mln as of Dec'25 (the last review), reflecting a modest yet steady growth in fund size during the review period. In terms of asset allocation, approximately 62% of the portfolio was invested in cash, with the remaining ~30.4% in other receivables, reflecting a largely liquid portfolio positioning during the review period. From a credit quality perspective, approximately 40% of the Fund's assets were invested in A+ rated instruments, ~22% in A- rated instruments, and ~38% in non-rated exposures, with the remainder in other avenues. The overall credit profile is considered sound and is assessed as compliant with the assigned rating criteria. The Fund's Weighted Average Maturity (WAM) stood at 365 days as of Jun'26, reflecting moderate-to-high sensitivity to interest rate movements, which is broadly consistent with the Fund's medium-risk income mandate and its strategy of capturing competitive yield across varying tenor fixed income instruments. Meanwhile, the unit holding pattern reflects a high degree of concentration, with the top 10 investors accounting for ~92% of the Fund's total holdings, of which ~41% comprise associated companies, which are typically sticky in nature, providing a degree of stability to the investor base. Nonetheless, the overall concentration level remains a key monitorable, as any large-scale redemption by non-affiliated investors could exert meaningful pressure on the Fund's liquidity position, though the Fund's predominantly cash-based portfolio provides adequate near-term comfort in this regard. In terms of performance, the Fund reported a one-year return of 16.09% as of Jun'26, against a benchmark return of 11.31%, reflecting an outperformance of approximately 478 basis points. This relative performance is considered a strong outcome for an aggressive fixed income fund. The Fund's ability to sustain this level of performance will remain contingent upon continued disciplined portfolio management and effective credit selection as market dynamics evolve.
Going forward, any material changes in the investment policy and/or compliance with the rating criteria for the assigned rating would have an impact on the ratings.

About the Entity
Pak Oman Asset Management Company Limited was incorporated on July 28, 2006, as a public unlisted company. It is licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan to carry out asset management and investment advisory services under the Non-Banking Finance Companies Regulations. The company is a majority owned subsidiary of Pak Oman Investment Company Limited (99.46%). The remaining shareholders include Oman International Development and Investment Company, SAOG (0.54%). The company’s Board of Directors comprises six members including the managing director of Pak Oman Investment Company Limited, Mr. Nauman Ansari. The board’s chairman H.H. Sayyid Juland Jaifar Salim Al-Said has over 15 years of experience at the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) (Previously known as State General Reserve Fund). The company’s diverse product slate includes nine open end funds as of Dec'25 belonging to all major categories. The AUMs of the Company stood at ~PKR 2,139mln at the end of Jun'26.