OP Financial Group and Pohjola Bank plc withdraw from credit ratings by Fitch

Pohjola Bank plc
OP Cooperative
Stock Exchange Release
1 December 2015 at 10.30 am (EET)

OP Financial Group and Pohjola Bank plc withdraw from credit ratings by Fitch

On 30 November 2015, Pohjola Bank plc informed Fitch Ratings of terminating the agreement related to the company's credit ratings so as to take effect at the end of the current terms of agreement on 31 December 2015. Fitch has affirmed credit ratings for both OP Financial Group and Pohjola Bank. At the time of termination of the agreement, the long-term debt rating affirmed by Fitch is A+ and the short-term debt rating F1. The credit rating outlook is stable.

In future, Pohjola Bank plc will have credit ratings for long-term and short term debt affirmed by Standard & Poor's Market Services Europe Ltd (AA-/A-1+/negative outlook) and by Moody's Investors Service Ltd (Aa3/P-1/stable outlook) which also affirm credit ratings for OP Mortgage Bank's covered bonds and for Pohjola Insurance Ltd.

In their assessment of Pohjola Bank's credit rating, the rating agencies also take account of the entire OP Financial Group's financial standing, considering that the Group is monitored as a single entity and OP Cooperative, the central cooperative, and Group member credit institutions are liable for each other's debts and commitments.

Pohjola Bank plc
OP Cooperative
Carina Geber-Teir
Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications

For more information, please contact:
Elina Ronkanen-Minogue, Head of ALM and Group Treasury, tel. [phone]
Lauri Iloniemi, Head of Group Funding, tel. [phone]

Distribution
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd
LSE London Stock Exchange
SIX Swiss Exchange
Major media
op.fi and pohjola.com

Pohjola is part of Finland's leading customer-owned financial services group OP Financial Group. It provides its customers with banking, non-life insurance and asset management services. Pohjola acts as OP's central bank and is responsible, together with OP Mortgage Bank, for OP's funding in money and capital markets. As laid down in the applicable law, Pohjola, its parent company OP Cooperative and other OP Financial Group member credit institutions are ultimately jointly and severally liable for each other's debts and commitments. Joint and several liability within OP is based on the Laki talletuspankkien yhteenliittymästä Act (Act on the amalgamation of deposit banks).
www.pohjola.com

OP Financial Group is Finland's leading financial services group providing a unique range of banking, wealth management and insurance services. OP's mission is to promote the sustainable prosperity, security and wellbeing of its owner-customers, customers and operating regions. Its objective is to offer the best and most versatile package of loyal customer benefits on the market. OP Financial Group consists of about 180 member cooperative banks, its central cooperative OP Cooperative, and the latter's subsidiaries and affiliates. The Group has a staff of 12,000 and 4.3 million customers.
www.op.fi

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The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Pohjola Pankki Oyj via Globenewswire

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