NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) Feb. 7, 2007--The announcement that the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco has issued a ruling on class certification in the sex-discrimination case against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (AA/Stable/A-1+) has no current impact on Standard&Poor's Ratings Services' credit rating or outlook on the company. Wal-Mart plans to appeal the ruling and may be able to de-certify the class claims. Although the class certification has no bearing on the merits of the claims, protracted litigation may require considerable management attention, negatively impact Wal-Mart's public image, and expose the company to the uncertainty of a court judgment. On the other hand, Wal-Mart may choose to settle the case, and given
