Sistema PJSFC: Sistema rating raised to ruA by Expert RA

Sistema PJSFC (SSA) 
Sistema PJSFC: Sistema rating raised to ruA by Expert RA 
 
25-Sep-2019 / 13:00 MSK 
Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group. 
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. 
 
      Sistema rating raised to ruA by Expert RA 
 
  Moscow, 25 September 2019 - Sistema PJSFC ("Sistema" or "the Corporation") 
       (LSE: SSA, MOEX: AFKS), a publicly traded diversified Russian holding 
       company, announces that the RAEX (Expert RA) rating agency has raised 
     Sistema's credit rating from ruA- to ruA. The outlook for the rating is 
             "stable." 
 
The rating upgrade is the result of consistent deleveraging at the Corporate 
     Centre against a backdrop of increasing valuations of Sistema's assets. 
     Expert RA also noted that the rating was positively impacted by the low 
          level of foreign currency exposure following the redemption of the 
   Corporation's Eurobond in May 2019, by the lack of concentrated borrowing 
     from a single lender, and by Sistema's strong track record on corporate 
             governance and financial disclosure. 
 
 Vladimir Travkov, Sistema Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, said: 
 
 "The upgrade of our rating by Expert RA - which follows an upgrade by S&P - 
         reflects the Corporation's achievements in growing the value of our 
portfolio company, reducing debt, as well as diversifying and optimising our 
             debt portfolio." 
 
   The ruA rating meets the requirements for inclusion of Sistema's bonds in 
        the Bank of Russia's Lombard List, which will further strengthen the 
             investment appeal of our debt instruments. 
 
      *** 
 
Sistema PJSFC is a publicly-traded diversified Russian holding company 
serving over 150 million customers in the sectors of telecommunications, 
high technology, financial services, retail, paper and packaging, 
agriculture, real estate, tourism and medical services. The company was 
founded in 1993. Revenue in 2018 was RUB 777.4 bn; total assets equalled RUB 
1.5 trn as of 31 December 2018. Sistema's global depositary receipts are 
listed under the "SSA" ticker on the London Stock Exchange. Sistema's 
ordinary shares are listed under the "AFKS" ticker on the Moscow Exchange. 
Website: www.sistema.com [1] 
 
                              *** 
 
   For further information, please visit www.sistema.com [1] or 
                                                       contact: 
 
Investor Relations      Public Relations 
Nikolai Minashin        Sergey Kopytov 
Tel: [phone] Tel.: [phone] 
[e-mail]   [e-mail] 
 
ISIN:          US48122U2042 
Category Code: MSCM 
TIDM:          SSA 
LEI Code:      213800JSZ2UUK4QQK694 
Sequence No.:  21262 
EQS News ID:   879601 
 
End of Announcement EQS News Service 
 
 
1: https://link.cockpit.eqs.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=redirect&url=8dbdb321a88e3508530119f5e3de64d2&application_id=879601&site_id=vwd&application_name=news 
 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 25, 2019 06:00 ET (10:00 GMT)