The Credit Analysis Training (CAT) Program for Kuwait Investment Agency

The Credit Analysis Training (CAT) Program covers the most critical knowledge and skills needed for any credit analyst. The program is focused on preparing participants to get into the role of credit analyst and be world-class financial analysts. The nine days program will offer guidelines to assess credit and prepare credit applications for approval. The program will focus on successfully identifying and differentiating good loans vs bad loans and minimizing risk and losses. It will further emphasize best practices for preparing a written credit proposal from start to finish.

The lenders use the five Cs of the credit system to determine credit worthiness of borrowers. The five Cs of credit are character,  capacity, capital, collateral, and conditions. To put things in perspective, the facilitator will use real-life examples. 

Course Outline 

Module 1: Introduction to Risk 

What is the risk? Why do firms manage risk? This module will introduce the different business and financial risks types, their sources, and best practice methods for measuring risk. It shall help participants gauge different risk types and set risk limits, describe the key factors that drive each type of risk, and identify the steps needed to choose probability distributions to estimate risk.  

By the end of the course, participants will have the essential knowledge to measure, assess,

and manage risk in an organization. This module will focus on the following:  

• defining the difference between business Risk and financial risk 
• understanding the different risk categories to be considered and how to identify and analyze risk categories 
• the reasons for corporate failure and how to identify relevant warning signals 
• performing simple risk analyses to support Credit Decision objectives 
• understanding risk mitigation techniques through facility structuring and the use of covenants 

Module 2: Credit Decision Framework 

One of the most common risk appetite challenges is data quality and integrity to establish a clear understanding of risk appetite based on measurable metrics and make fair, timely, and accurate credit decisions. This module will focus on the following: 

• applying a structured approach to assess the creditworthiness of a borrower. 
• evaluating a company’s performance based on qualitative and quantitative frameworks and tools. 
• using appropriate market indicators to understand refinancing risk and the market view on credit. 
•  identifying the key factors that drive a company’s future. 
• performance and evaluating the likely impact on its credit standing.
• using a cash flow approach to ascertain a company’s ability to service/refinance its  debt as it comes due; and 
• review debt structures to assess to what extent they meet the commercial needs of the borrower and protect the lender’s interests. 

Module 3: Working with Financial Statements and their Limitations 

Corporate financial reports are formalized statements of where a company’s funds come from, how it spends its money, and how the funds flow through the various parts of the company. Financial statements provide a great deal of information to analysts seeking to better understand a company’s business operations. 

However, those same reports can also obscure a great deal of activity. Analysts and investors need to understand the limitations of financial statement analysis. This module will help participants understand 

• the main components of an annual report and how to extract the most pertinent data, 
• the purpose of published financial statements, including the limitations they present. 
• the most significant accounting issues for credit analysis purposes; and 
• to Know, apply, and interpret critical ratio analysis of financial statements to support credit decisions. 

Module 4: Purposes of Borrowing and Types of Facilities 

While raising equity (using IPO, FPO, or convertible securities) remains one method to raise funds for a company, business owners prefer raising debt as it helps retain their control over the business. Such a decision depends on the sufficiency of cash flows to service the interest and principal payments. A highly levered company may burden the company’s operations and stock price. Consequently, the payment terms, the interest rates, the collateral, and the entire the negotiation process of every loan remains the key to devising the capital strategy of a company. 

This module will focus on the following: 

• the main reasons for companies to seek credit; and 
• to understand the sources of finance available to companies and how gearing and leverage impact financial performance and debt-service capacity