Berkshire Hathaway is acquiring Burlington Northern Santa Fe for approximately $44 billion, in a cash and stock transaction. We expect that a significant part of the cash portion will come from Berkshire's core insurance operations, as has historically been the case in other transactions. We are placing the ratings on Berkshire and various affiliates on CreditWatch with negative implications. On Nov. 4, 2009, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services placed its ratings on Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK) and various affiliates on CreditWatch with negative implications following the company's announcement that it will acquire Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. (BNSF). The transaction is valued at approximately $44 billion, including the assumption of approximately $10 billion of BNSF debt, making it BRK's largest
