NY -- Standard&Poor's CreditWire 1/6/99 -- Standard&Poor's today lowered its ratings for Cargill Inc. and related entities as listed below. All ratings are removed from CreditWatch, where they were placed Nov. 11, 1998. The outlook is stable. The downgrade reflects a reduction in Cargill's financial flexibility following a confluence of events, including a difficult agriculture operating environment, problems in its financial services operations, and an anticipated increased level of acquisition activity. Still, Cargill's high investment-grade rating is supported by its position as one of the world's leading agribusiness companies, with major market positions in agricultural processing and merchandising, industrial production, and financial services. The company's product and geographic diversity, as well as a vast communication and
