Corporate Credit Rating: AA/Stable/A-1+ Standard&Poor's said today that Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s announcement that its second-quarter fiscal 2001 operating earnings will fall below previous guidance has no impact on the company's current ratings or outlook. The shortfall was caused by higher energy prices, weak foreign currencies, and temporary limits in capacity for certain products in the U.S. and Europe. Nonetheless, the company's sales volume and prices rose during the second quarter. In addition, Standard&Poor's anticipates that the company's financial performance for fiscal 2001 will meet its expectations.