TOKYO (Standard&Poor's) May 1, 2012--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services today assigned its 'A+' long-term and 'A-1' short-term foreign currency counterparty credit ratings to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. Ltd.'s (MSI; A+/Stable/A-1). Because Japan's transfer and convertibility (T&C) assessment is currently at 'AAA', which is higher than the local currency counterparty ratings on MSI, the foreign currency counterparty ratings on MSI are equal to the issuer's local currency counterparty credit ratings. The outlook on the long-term foreign currency counterparty rating is stable. The ratings on MSI are based on our following views: MSI is a core operating entity of MS&AD Insurance Group; MSI maintains a strong market position in both commercial and individual insurance, backed by its strong relationships with
