MELBOURNE (Standard&Poor's) Jan. 18, 2016—Standard&Poor's Ratings Services today said that Woolworths Ltd.'s announcement that it intends to exit, via sale or closure, its home improvement businesses will have no immediate impact on the 'BBB+' rating or negative outlook on the group. The group's home improvement businesses include its 'Masters' and 'Home Timber&Hardware' businesses. We consider the proposed divestment or closure to be moderately supportive of the group's credit profile, despite the potential near-term exit costs. The exit will reduce the significant future capital demands of the Masters home improvement business, and allow senior management to focus on improving the operating performance of the core supermarket operations. As part of the exit proposal, Woolworths intends
