Standard&Poor's said today that there would be no impact on the ratings or outlook of Kimberly-Clark Corp. (AA/Stable/A-1+) following the company's announcement of its agreement to buy the remaining 45% which it does not own of Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty. Ltd. The 45% stake will be purchased from Amcor Ltd., an Australian packaging company, for US$375 million. The transaction further expands Kimberly-Clark's presence in Asia and the Pacific given the subsidiary's annual sales of about $400 million. Kimberly-Clark and Amcor have jointly owned Kimberly-Clark Australia since 1963, with Kimberly-Clark's ownership stake of 55% to be increased to 100% upon closing of the transaction. Although the acquisition will be financed with a portion of debt, Standard&Poor's expects Kimberly-Clark's
