TORONTO (Standard&Poor's CreditWire) Jan. 17, 2001--Standard&Poor's today assigned its single-'A' rating to Loblaw Companies Ltd.'s C$350 million 6.50% medium-term note issue due 2011. At the same time, the single-'A' corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on the company were affirmed. The outlook is stable. The notes will be direct unsecured obligations of Loblaw and rank pari passu with all other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the company. Proceeds will be used for debt refinancing and general corporate purposes, specifically to fund the company's capital program. The ratings on Loblaw reflect the company's position as Canada's dominant national supermarket chain. The ratings also take into account Loblaw's strong cash flow generation capability, its continued strength in
