LONDON -- Standard&Poor's CreditWire 7/2/96 -- Standard&Poor's today has assigned its triple-`A' senior debt rating to the UK500 million guaranteed euro medium-term note program, jointly issued by Marks and Spencer Finance plc, St. Michael Finance plc and Marks and Spencer Finance (Nederland) B.V. Proceeds, which are guaranteed by Marks and Spencer plc (M&S), will be used for general corporate purposes, including debt refinancing. At the same time, Standard&Poor's affirms its existing triple-`A' long-term and `A-1'-plus short-term ratings of Marks and Spencer and related entities. Ratings reflect the group's excellent business and financial position. M&S is one of the U.K.'s leading and most profitable retailers with operations mainly in apparel and food retailing. Despite their
