FRANKFURT (Standard&Poor's) Dec. 9, 2002--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today it lowered its long-term counterparty credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on HVB Real Estate Bank AG (HVB REB), Wuerttembergische Hypothekenbank AG (WürttHyp), Westfaelische Hypothekenbank AG (WestHyp), and Pfandbrief Bank International S.A. (PBI) to 'BBB+' from 'A-'. At the same time, the 'A-2' short-term counterparty credit ratings were affirmed. The outlook is negative. In addition, the ratings on all four entities were removed from CreditWatch, where they were placed on Oct. 24, 2002, following weaker-than-expected third-quarter results of their majority owner, Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG (HVB), and HVB's announcement concerning its spin-off of its mortgage bank subsidiaries. The long-term counterparty credit and senior unsecured debt ratings