S&P Revises Outlook on Freedom Holding Corp. and Core Subsidiaries to Positive
NEW YORK, Sept. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — S&P Global Ratings has revised the outlook on the long-term credit ratings of Nasdaq-listed Freedom Holding Corp. and its four core operating subsidiaries from “stable” to “positive,” while affirming their international credit ratings.
The agency also raised the national-scale ratings of Freedom Finance JSC (Freedom Broker) and Freedom Bank Kazakhstan JSC from “kzA-” to “kzA.” The positive outlook applies to Freedom Holding Corp., Freedom Finance JSC, Freedom Finance Global PLC, Freedom Finance Europe Ltd., and Freedom Bank Kazakhstan JSC.
“The improved outlook from S&P underscores that, strategically, we are moving in the right direction. We chose not to develop each business in isolation, but to build our own global institutional ecosystem. At the same time, we are strengthening corporate governance and risk management and working to improve the efficiency of our business model across all the jurisdictions in which we operate. S&P’s positive outlook shows that this progress is being recognized by independent international rating agencies,” said Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.
S&P describes Freedom Finance as Kazakhstan’s largest retail brokerage franchise and notes the group’s growing presence in Europe, complemented by its banking and insurance businesses in Kazakhstan. The agency expects moderate balance-sheet growth and earnings diversified across businesses and geographies to support the group’s strong capitalization.
The agency also highlights Freedom’s continued development of group-wide risk management and consolidated compliance functions. S&P believes stronger controls at both group and subsidiary level should help the company monitor and manage risks as the business grows. It also expects Freedom to continue expanding its financial and non-financial businesses without putting undue pressure on capitalization.
The positive outlook means S&P could raise the ratings over the next 12 months if its assessment of economic risks in Kazakhstan improves further. The outlook revision comes against a more favorable assessment of Kazakhstan’s economic environment. On August 21, S&P upgraded Kazakhstan’s sovereign credit ratings to “BBB/A-2” from “BBB-/A-3,” with a stable outlook. The agency said resilient economic growth, easing economic imbalances and stronger regulatory oversight could contribute to better conditions for the country’s financial sector.
The latest action follows another positive S&P rating move earlier this year. In June, the agency upgraded Freedom Finance JSC, Freedom Finance Europe Ltd., Freedom Finance Global PLC and Freedom Bank Kazakhstan JSC to “BB-.”
About Freedom Holding Corp.
Freedom Holding Corp. provides financial services in 24 countries, including Kazakhstan, the United States, multiple EU countries, Uzbekistan, and Armenia. The Company’s principal executive office is located in New York City. In Kazakhstan, Freedom is actively developing its financial and digital ecosystem, which includes Freedom Bank, Freedom Broker, the insurance companies Freedom Life and Freedom insurance, as well as a lifestyle segment that features Arbuz.kz, Freedom Ticketon, and Aviata. Freedom Holding Corp. shares are traded on the U.S. technology exchange NASDAQ, the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), and the Astana International Exchange (AIX) under the ticker symbol FRHC. Freedom Holding Corp. is regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the common stock is included in the Russell 3000 Index.
Contact
Natalia Kharlashina
Freedom Holding Corp.
prglobal@ffin.kz
+77013641454
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4024829-af79-4ea6-82a8-5a4711b15483
