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The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited
Press Release

Date
26-Oct-18

Analyst
Muhammad Obaid
muhammad.obaid@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 Entity Ratings of Escorts Investment Bank Limited

Rating Type Entity
Current
(26-Oct-18 )
Previous
(18-Apr-18 )
Action Maintain Upgrade
Long Term A- A-
Short Term A2 A2
Outlook Stable Stable
Rating Watch - -

The ratings reflect the financial strength of the bank's sponsor, Bahria Town (Pvt.) Ltd. The sponsors have injected sizeable equity into the bank; more injection is on cards. They have enabled the bank to settle off the bulk of liabilities to the deposit holders. The management team is in place and a new business strategy is in the offing. Synergistic support for Bahria Town is expected to play pivotal role in the business growth of the bank. Market for mortgage firm is huge, indeed there is sufficient room to expand in Bahria Town schemes. Going forward, revival of business operations and achieving breakeven will be the management focus; for that Housing Finance is the linchpin.The management core focus will be to achieve breakeven. The new sponsors have a rich experience of the real estate market.
The ratings are dependent on the continuous sponsor support and achievement of breakeven by the EIBL new management. Immaculate financial discipline and corporate governance is important. Any discrepancy in achieving its targets remains critical to the ratings.

About the Entity
Escorts Investment Bank Limited (EIBL), a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), started its commercial operations in 1996. After the acquisition of EIBL in Jan-18, the major shareholding is held by Bahria Town (Pvt.) Limited (76.3%) while the rest is owned by the public sector companies and general public. Bahria Town is a privately owned real-estate development company which owns, develops, and manages properties across Pakistan. It is the leading private real estate company in the country. The major ownership of BTPL is held by Chairman & CEO Mr. Malik Riaz Hussain.
The old Board resigned in Jan-18 on the day of EIBL acquisition by BTPL. EIBL’s new board (BoD) comprises seven members including the CEO. The board included two independent directors. All other members are non-executive members except the CEO. Mr. Zain Malik is the Chairman of the new board, the only representation of the sponsoring family. He carries rich experience of the real estate business, financial services and brokerage. The CEO, Mr. Naveed Amin, possess an experience of 27 years especially in the Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs).

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.