OREANDA-NEWS. National Rating Agency has affirmed its national scale 'A' credit rating on Orenburg Bank OJSC. The outlook for the rating is Stable. The bank was assigned NRA’s national scale 'BBB+' credit rating in November 2008. The latest rating action on Orenburg Bank (the credit rating upgrade to ‘A’ on the national scale) dates Dec. 25. 2014.

The rating is underpinned by Orenburg Bank’s stable financial condition, strong market position in its home region, consistently high loan quality and conservative underwriting policy. NRA also notes that the Government of Orenburg Oblast, the bank’s majority owner, is committed to Orenburg Bank that has significant social importance in the region.

The rating is constrained by the bank’s poor geographic diversification confined to Orenburg Oblast, and the associated risks. In addition, the bank is directly involved in many government projects, as it customers include public sector employees and pensioners, which fact places additional restrictions on the range of its lending products and does not allow it to make the best use of available resources for its growth.

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