FRANKFURT (Standard&Poor's) July 4, 2012--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that the ratings on Landesbank Hessen-Thueringen Girozentrale's (Helaba's) covered bond program (AAA/Stable) and the related series of covered bonds ("Oeffentliche Pfandbriefe") were unchanged by the merger of the WestLB AG public-sector covered bond program (not rated) into the program. We will monitor the gradual merger of both pools, and we currently do not expect that it will result in adverse changes to the ratings on Helaba's public-sector covered bond program and related series. As a result of the European commission-driven split and partial sale of WestLB AG (BBB/Stable/A-2), Helaba will assume responsibility for all public-sector covered bonds issued by WestLB. We expect that this will take place
