Fitch affirms AccessBank’s credit rating at investment grade level

Baku, 21 September, 2015. Fitch Ratings has affirmed AccessBank’s Long Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) with ‘BBB-’ – "outlook stable” at "Investment Grade” level.

The Bank’s international credit rating was upgraded by Fitch at the end of 2014 from ‘BB+’ to ‘BBB-’ and affirmed for the first time this year in April, 2015. "We take pride that the Bank’s investment grade rating has been affirmed for the second time this year”, commented Michael Hoffmann, CEO of AccessBank on the rating affirmation. "We consider this being a major achievement in the light of the still challenging economic environment. The affirmation of the investment grade rating confirms the Bank’s ongoing commitment to responsible lending as well as our

consistent approach of being close to our clients and placing client needs first”.

Below is the full rating list:

Long term IDR: affirmed at ‘BBB-’; outlook "Stable”

Short term IDR: affirmed at ‘F3’

Viability rating: affirmed at ‘bb-’

Support rating: affirmed at ‘2’.

AccessBank was founded in 2002 by BSTDB, EBRD, IFC, KfW, the German consulting company LFS Financial Systems (LFS) and Access Holding. AccessBank provides loans to micro and small businesses and has a wide network of branches in Azerbaijan employing more than 2000 people.