Standard & Poor's Retail & Consumer Products Conference: How are the Retail & Consumer Products Companies Fairing in the Current Environment?

NEW YORK, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard & Poor's Ratings Services will hold a half-day conference on Monday, November 12, in New York City during which credit analysts will examine both ratings on consumer products and retail companies and the outlook for the sector. Standard & Poor's Chief Economist David Wyss will discuss whether or not holiday spending will be impacted by current conditions in financial markets and explore the effects of the downturn in the housing market on consumer spending.

KEY ISSUES -- Discussion on the extent to which consumer spending has been affected by the declines in housing pricing -- Analysis of the rating downgrades on retail and consumer products companies -- Assessment of Wal-Mart's influence on retailers -- Review of the current state of supermarkets -- Panel discussion on the outlook for retail and consumer products LOCATION Standard & Poor's 55 Water Street Conference Center, 37th Floor New York, NY WHEN Monday, Nov 12, 2007 8:00am - 2:00pm MEDIA CONTACT To register for the conference please contact David Wargin at 212-438-1579. About Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies , is the world's foremost provider of financial market intelligence, including independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With approximately 8,500 employees, including wholly owned affiliates, located in 21 countries, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for more than 140 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit http://www.standardandpoors.com/.