NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's CreditWire) Sept. 1, 1999--Standard&Poor's today assigned its preliminary double-'A' rating to Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s $700 million Rule 415 senior unsecured debt shelf registration. At the same time, the investment-grade ratings for Kimberly-Clark Corp. and units were affirmed (see list below). The outlook remains stable. Kimberly-Clark Corp. reported total debt of approximately $3.2 billion as of June 30, 1999. Ratings for Kimberly-Clark reflect the company's above average business risk profile and the expectation that a conservative financial profile will be maintained. Standard&Poor's also expects the company to return to its historical level of share repurchases following a substantial increase during the last two years. Dallas, Texas based Kimberly-Clark enjoys substantial domestic market positions
