OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings says in a new presentation that the ratings of CIS utilities will continue to be pressured by weaknesses in their respective economies and domestic currencies in 2015. We expect average electricity consumption in CIS countries to be below GDP growth over the medium term.

As the ratings of most CIS utilities incorporate state support, potential privatisation and IPOs and subsequent weakening of state support may lead to a revision of companies' ratings to reflect standalone financial and operational profiles. In some cases this may result in negative rating actions.

The presentation, entitled '2015 CIS Utilities Outlook', is available at www.fitchratings.com or by clicking the link above.