...NEW YORK (Standard & Poor's) Oct. 5, 2015--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that American Electric Power Co. Inc.'s (AEP) agreement to sell its barge business does not immediately affect the ratings on the company. The sale incrementally strengthens AEP's business risk profile by further reducing the company's non-utility exposure without moving the business risk profile to the "excellent" category from our current assessment of "strong". AEP expects to receive about $400 million of cash after expenses which the company plans to invest in its regulated utility operations. We have determined, based solely on the developments described herein, that no rating actions are currently warranted. Only a rating committee may determine a rating action and, as these developments were not viewed as material to the ratings, neither they nor this report were reviewed by a rating committee....
