On Feb. 28, 2008, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'A' senior unsecured rating to Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s (ADM) $700 million senior unsecured notes due 2018, a drawdown from the company's unlimited Rule 415 shelf registration. At the same time, we affirmed our 'A' long-term and 'A-1' short-term corporate credit ratings on the Decatur, Ill.-based company. The outlook is stable. Standard&Poor's expects that proceeds will be used for repaying short-term debt originally incurred for meeting the company's increased working capital needs. The ratings on ADM are supported by its position as one of the world's leading agribusiness companies, with major market positions in agricultural processing and merchandising as well as ethanol production, a moderate financial profile,
