TOKYO (Standard&Poor's) April 14, 2003--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that the planned purchase of Aozora Bank Ltd. (BBpi) by the U.S.-based Cerberus group could have a positive impact on the credit quality of the bank. On April 11, 2003, Cerberus announced its intention to buy the 49% stake in Aozora Bank held by top shareholder Softbank Corp. While the details of the purchase are yet to be finalized, if successful, Cerberus will become the largest shareholder of Aozora. As a result, the ratings on Aozora could be influenced by the management and strategy Cerberus adopts for the bank. The current ratings on Aozora are restricted by Softbank's high business risk. A shift of the largest shareholding
