More than 200 members attended seminar on credit rating and investor relations yesterday (May 31) conducted by the Bahrain Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (BCICAI)

The event at the Crowne Plaza hotel was addressed by specialists from Moody's Investor Services from Dubai.

Moody's gave an insight into their credit rating, research and risk analysis.

Moody's Investors Service Dubai general manager Dr Jehad El Nakla gave an overview of the magnitude of the operations of the leading global provider of credit rating opinions, insight and tools for credit risk measurement and management.

Corporate finance managing director David Staples spoke on rating linkages between corporates and sovereigns in the GCC and outlined the Moody's methodology and gave a glimpse of the current trends in the GCC.

The effects of the European banks retrenchment and how it could affect the GCC was discussed by vice-president and senior credit officer of GCC and Islamic banks Khalid Howladar.

In a second session, Inovest Bahrain chief finance officer Mohamed Abdulla Isa spoke on "Investor Relations in the Gulf: The Present and the Possibilities" and emphasised the role of a good website and the need for effective corporate crisis communications for improving investor relations in a better way.

"The seminar gave us an interesting dimension of the capabilities, reach and the impact of credit rating. We are now better equipped to grapple with the nuances of the ratings," said BCICAI chairman T D Balraj.

"The talk on investor relations was very lucid and innovative, offering simple solution to bridge the gap between investors and the corporates.

Affiliated to the Bahrain Accountants Association, the BCICAI is the largest organised professional body of Indians in Bahrain and has been in existence for more than 12 years. – TradeArabia News Service