NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) Aug. 17, 2007--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today it revised its rating outlook on Darden Restaurants Inc. (Darden) to negative from stable. At the same time, we affirmed the company's ratings, including its 'BBB+' long-term and 'A-2' short-term ratings. The outlook revision on Orlando, Fla.-based Darden follows the company's announcement that it has agreed to purchase Rare Hospitality International Inc. (Rare) for about $1.4 billion. Darden will use a $1.2 billion senior interim credit facility and a $700 million senior revolving credit facility to finance the transaction. "The debt-financed acquisition reflects a more aggressive financial policy and a weakened financial profile," said Standard&Poor's credit analyst Diane Shand, who went on to explain
