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The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited
Press Release

Date
15-Apr-22

Analyst
Madiha Sohail
madiha.sohail@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 Stability Rating of Atlas Islamic Money Market Fund

Rating Type Stability Rating
Current
(15-Apr-22 )
Previous
(15-Oct-21 )
Action Maintain Maintain
Long Term AA(f) AA(f)
Short Term - -
Outlook Stable Stable
Rating Watch - -

Atlas Islamic Money Market Fund (or the "Fund") reflects the Fund's low-risk profile. The Fund had allocated ~60% of its net assets in a bank rated ‘AA’, while ~13% in ICPs. The investment in a single bank is also giving rise to concentration risk. The overall, credit quality of the asset composition is strong. At the end Dec'21, the Fund had a duration of 23 days limiting the exposure to interest rate risk. While the WAM of the Fund was also 23 days minimizing the credit risk. The top 10 investors' concentration of the Fund, at Dec’21, was ~86%, of which ~49% are related parties, keeping redemption pressure to a low level. Further, 60% of investments in bank deposits is also providing a cushion against redemption pressure.
Going forward, the Fund is in process of diversifying its Fund's allocation by placing funds assets in Islamic window of AAA and AA+ rated banks, which would strengthen the credit quality for the assigned rating. Material changes in the Fund's asset allocation strategy, which could negatively impact the Fund's credit quality and exposure to interest rate risk, would remain critical for the rating.

About the Entity
Atlas Asset Management Limited, incorporated in August 2002 and a part of Atlas Group, is a wholly owned (100%) subsidiary of Shirazi Investments (Pvt.) Limited - the holding company of the Group. Atlas Group, established in 1962, is one of the well-known business groups of the Country with a presence in manufacturing, financial, and trading sectors.
AAML's seven-member board of directors comprises four representatives of Atlas Group, two independent directors and the CEO. The CEO of the Company, Mr. Muhammad Abdul Samad, has completed the Advanced Management Program from INSEAD and holds postgraduate qualifications from the University of Karachi and the Southeastern University, he also holds certification from IFMP. He has been associated with the Company for over fifteen years and held C-Suite positions for over a decade. He has a significant Board experience, where he has served as a director on the board of nineteen listed companies, including Atlas Battery Limited, Lucky Cement, Berger Paints, Mirpurkhas Sugar, amongst others along with vast experience of the mutual fund industry. The Company is currently managing five conventional and five shariah compliant funds, along with two in the VPS category. The assets under management stood at ~PKR 52 bln at end Dec'21.

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.