Freedom Holding Corp.

NEW YORK, March 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Freedom Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:FRHC), an international fintech group founded by entrepreneur Timur Turlov, announces that Moody's Ratings has assigned its subsidiary, Freedom Bank Kazakhstan, a long-term deposit rating of Ba3 with a stable outlook. This marks Moody's first rating of the bank and an important milestone in its development and international recognition.

The rating reflects the bank's solid capitalization, dynamic growth in its customer base and deposit portfolio, and continued development of its retail and digital businesses. Moody's also highlights the important role of Freedom Bank within the ecosystem of Freedom Holding Corp., which integrates financial and digital services.

The stable outlook reflects the agency's expectation that the bank's financial performance and business model will support balanced growth over the next 12–18 months. At the same time, the rating also takes into account the bank's high-growth phase, including the ongoing transformation of its business model, a reduction in reliance on more volatile income sources, and the continued development of its lending operations.

Freedom Bank will continue to implement its strategy to diversify income sources, develop its loan portfolio, and improve operational efficiency.

In Kazakhstan, Freedom Bank is among the country's largest financial institutions. The number of SuperApp users reached 5 million, doubling over the past year, and is expected to grow to 8 million by the end of the year.

As part of its broader growth strategy, CEO Timur Turlov plans to further scale the company's SuperApp ecosystem while expanding Freedom Holding Corp.'s international banking footprint. The company has recently expanded into Tajikistan and is in the process of acquiring a bank in Georgia. It has also agreed to acquire a bank in Turkey, strengthening its presence in a key regional market. Freedom Holding Corp.'s strong financial position is further supported by its "B-" credit rating with a stable outlook from S&P Global Ratings.

About Freedom Bank Kazakhstan

Freedom Bank Kazakhstan is a universal bank within the ecosystem of Freedom Holding Corp., providing a wide range of financial services to both retail and corporate clients, including digital banking solutions, lending, investment, and insurance products. The bank also provides access to government services through its digital platform.

About Freedom Holding Corp.

Freedom Holding Corp. provides financial services in 21 countries, including Kazakhstan, the United States, Cyprus, Poland, Spain, 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 Freedom Travel.

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 Russell 3000 Index.

Contact

PR Department

Natalia Kharlashina

Freedom Holding Corp.

prglobal@ffin.kz

+77013641454

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b27a2fb-3380-451e-a004-0360f65c4829

Freedom Bank Kazakhstan Receives Its First Moody's Rating at Ba3 with Stable Outlook