NY -- Standard&Poor's CreditWire 10/17/96 -- Standard&Poor's today has raised its ratings on Montreal-based National Bank of Canada, as indicated on the list below. The bank's long-term ratings outlook is now stable. The upgrade reflects the successful culmination of management's efforts to resolve asset quality problems that arose from its construction and commercial real estate portfolio, of which many of the loans had been originated in the United States during the speculative building boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The bank's exposure to the sector now accounts for slightly more than 5% of total loans, compared to nearly 10% in 1992. With the comcomitant decline in loss provisions, National Bank of Canada's profitability also
