OREANDA-NEWS. Expert RA Rating Agency (RAEX) downgraded GUIDEH Insurance Company reliability rating from A (High level of reliability) to B++, which means acceptable level of reliability. The rating outlook is developing, which means high probability of the rating change in the mid-term, however, downgrade, maintaining or upgrade of the rating are equally probable. Previously the company had a positive outlook. The rating had the first sublevel.

High current liquidity ratio, moderate share of business expenses as well as high reliability of investment portfolio have a positive impact on the company's reliability.

Change of the rating and the outlook was due to a number of negative factors. An auditor's report presents a qualified opinion on understatement by RUB 89.2 mln. of unearned premium reserve and incurred but not reported claims reserve, which led to distortion of financial indicators. Expert RA is Russian rating agency working on a global scale, incorporated in 1997 by Expert magazine. Expert RA was evaluated and certified as satisfying to ISO 9001:2008 demands in the following areas: assigning and actualizing expert assessments; analysis of markets and companies, survey activity; organization of business-forums, conferences and round tables. Rating methods were approved by leading international audit-consultation companies: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte. Procedural quality and information confidentiality principles are confirmed by Accenture.

Expert RA is accredited at the RF Ministry of Finance. The Agency ratings are included in the list of official requirements to banks, insurers, pension funds, issuers. Expert RA ratings have been officially recognized by FSFM, Central Bank of Russia, Vnesheconombank of Russia, MICEX-RTS, Mortgage Crediting Agency, Deposit Insurance Agency, professional associations and self-regulating organizations: VSS, Russia Association, Strategic Initiative Agency, RSA, NAPF, NLU, NSG, NFA, and hundreds of companies and agencies in the period of bids and tenders.

By now the Agency assigned about 800 individual ratings. Expert RA is the largest rating agency in Russia and CIS, it tops the list of other Russian and foreign agencies by a number of ratings assigned to banks and companies in CIS countries. Expert RA is the first (36%) at the market of legal entity credit risks, the first at the bank rating market; the first (85%) at the market of credibility ratings, assigned to Russian insurance companies in Russia.

In 2013 Expert RA expanded its portfolio to include sovereign ratings, as well as international scale for private, bank, sub-federal and municipal lenders. The Agency also employs locally accepted standards to issue ratings in countries where it has own branches (Kazakhstan and Belarus).