SE

• Read more about Varbergs Sparbank AB (publ)

Varbergs Sparbank is one of Sweden's larger savings banks and operates in and around Varberg in the Halland region of south Sweden. The bank is owned by a foundation which receives part of the bank's profit as dividends. These are reinvested in the bank's area of operations to support the local community and various associations in the Varberg region. In partnership with Swedbank AB, Varbergs Sparbank benefits from diverse products, shared IT costs, and retail mortgage financing via Swedbank Hypotek AB.

NCR explains its views on preferred shares when evaluating the financial risk of individual companies.

• Read more about Nordic Credit Rating's view on corporate preferred shares

• Read more about Axfast AB (publ)

Axfast is a commercial property management company focusing on high-end and centrally located properties in the Stockholm region. Having previously held properties in both Gothenburg and Uppsala, the company now focuses entirely on office, retail, hotel and logistics properties in Stockholm. The company's primary strategy is to manage multi-use properties for office and ground-level retail and restaurants and to grow via large one-off acquisitions and development in Stockholm's central business districts.

• Read more about LSTH Svenska Handelsfastigheter AB (publ)

Svenska Handelsfastigheter is a commercial property management company focusing on easily accessible retail properties with long-term, low-cyclicality tenants. Founded in 2015, The company has grown rapidly through new-builds and acquisitions. It is owned by management and board members, together with three pension funds: Fjärde AP-Fonden, Kåpan Pensionstiftelse, and Länsförsäkringar Liv Försäkrings AB.

The Nordic logistics property sector appears to have defied widespread expectations of a marked slowdown.

• Read more about Logistics property operators ride out COVID-19 downturn

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to reverse strong operating profits and balance sheet improvements recorded in 2019.

• Read more about Swedish savings banks face challenges in remainder of 2020

Our average credit assessment of over 300 Nordic banks remains at the 'bbb+' level.

• Read more about Nordic bank creditworthiness stable despite COVID-19 impact

• Read more about Heba Fastighets AB (publ)

Heba was founded in 1952 and has been listed since 1994, with many of the original founders' families maintaining active ownership stakes. The company primarily manages and develops residential rental properties in the greater Stockholm area. It also manages community-service properties for care of the elderly, group homes, and day care facilities in the region.

• Read more about Intea Fastigheter AB (publ)

Intea was founded in 2015 with support from pension foundations associated with, among others, Svenska Handelsbanken AB, SAAB AB and AB Volvo. The company is focused on highly specialised and purpose-built properties within the community services subsegment in Sweden. Specific markets served by Intea include the judiciary system, universities and public hospitals. Intea has chosen to avoid less-specialised community service markets such as care homes for the disabled and the elderly, nurseries, and schools, which are served by many of its peers.

• Read more about Danske Hypotek AB (publ)

Danske Hypotek is a wholly owned Swedish subsidiary of Danske Bank and has been authorised to issue covered bonds in Sweden since 2017. The company was created to provide access to Sweden's covered bond market and to finance Danske Bank's Swedish mortgage loans in the same manner and as its competitors. All of the loans financed by Danske Hypotek were acquired from Danske Bank's Swedish branch given that the company itself does not conduct any new lending business.