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The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited
Press Release

Date
13-Oct-22

Analyst
Wajeeha Asghar
wajeeha.asghar@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 AWT Income Fund

Rating Type Stability Rating
Current
(13-Oct-22 )
Previous
(08-Apr-22 )
Action Maintain Maintain
Long Term A+(f) A+(f)
Short Term - -
Outlook Stable Stable
Rating Watch - -

AWT Income Fund (or the "Fund") is a medium risk profile Fund. The assigned rating incorporates the medium credit quality and liquidity profile. At the end Jun'22, the Fund had allocated ~88% in banks, mainly in AAA rated banks, ~4% in TFCs/Sukuks whereas, ~4.4% in certificate of musharaka. At end Jun'22, the credit quality of the Fund remained sound, 24% of the assets were invested in AAA rated, 0.1% in AA+ while 44% were invested in AA- and ~21% in A+ rated avenues. The duration and the WAM of the Fund was reduced to 16 days (Dec'21: 30days), limiting the exposure to interest rate and credit risk. The unit holding pattern of the fund is low concentrated with top 10 investors representing ~60% of the Fund's assets, which exposes the fund to moderate level of redemption pressure.
Going forward, material changes in the Fund's asset allocation strategy, which could negatively impact the Fund's credit quality and exposure to interest rate risk, remain critical for the rating.

About the Entity
AWT Investments Limited is a public unlisted company, incorporated in 2011. It is a Non-Banking Finance Company, licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan to manage open and closed-end funds and Investment Advisory Services. The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Army Welfare Trust. The Board of Directors of the Company comprises five members. The CEO of the Company Mr. Salman Haider has recently resigned. Mr. Sajjad Anwar has joined as CEO of the Company in Mar'22. Mr. Anwar is CFA charter holder and has over 21 years of experience that involves Equity Research, Portfolio Management, Investment Advisory, Risk Management, and Finance & Accounts. For the last 15 years, he has been working in the Fund Management Industry. Before becoming CEO at AWTIL, he was performing the role of Chief Investment Officer at NBP Funds.
The Company's six-member Board of directors includes five director and the CEO. With overall assets under management of PKR 2.2bln at the end Jun'22, the company is currently managing three conventional funds and two shariah complaint 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.