ACRA (Analytical Credit Rating Agency; Russian: Аналитическое Кредитное Рейтинговое Агентство - АКРА) is a rating agency based in Moscow, Russia. It was established in 2015,[1] with Yekaterina Trofimova as its CEO.[2]

Analytical Credit Rating Agency
IndustryFinancial services
Founded2015
Headquarters,
Russia
Key people
Yekaterina Trofimova (CEO)
Websiteacra-ratings.com

Due to the withdrawal of US-based rating agencies because of Russian legislative changes and sanctions against Russia,[3] ACRA was expected by analysts to become Russia's main ratings issuer.[4]

ACRA is deemed too demanding by a number of Russian companies, and is compared unfavorably to its competitor Expert RA, which is seen as putting its customers first.[5] In January 2017, VTB Bank refused to disclose the rating it received from ACRA, just noting that it was even lower than the 'politicized' rating assigned by Western agencies.[6] By July 2017 the agency had issued over 40 ratings.[7]

ACRA is engaged in research and forecasting and has developed ACRA Financial Stress Index (ACRA FSI), which is used to evaluate the possibility of financial crisis in Russia and Kazakhstan.

The agency was accused of benefiting from state favoritism by Expert RA, a local competitor.[8]

Partnering with CSCI Pengyuan

In 2024, ACRA signed a MoU with A Chinese credit rating agency CSCI Pengyuan to facilitate the entry of issuers to the markets of China and Russia, exchange information on rating methodologies in order to harmonize them, and perform joint analytical research. [1] As a former internal organ of People's Bank of China, the Chinese central bank, CSCI Pengyuan is generally viewed as being closely tied to the Chinese government.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Russia is so fed-up with Western credit rating agencies, it has launched its own". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Russia Economy: Foreigners Flee As Russia Crafts Domestic Rating Agency Amid Sanctions". International Business Times. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Moody's to withdraw from Russian domestic market". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  4. ^ "Fitch withdraws Russian national scale ratings". Reuters. 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  5. ^ "Putin's Truthteller Turns Pariah as Banks Cringe at Ratings". Bloomberg.com. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  6. ^ "АКРА предупредило о рисках банка «ФК Открытие»". РБК. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Russian ratings agency ACRA sees portfolio growing as foreigners leave". Reuters. 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Investors cautious as Russia enters new ratings era". Reuters. 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
edit