On Sept. 19, 2002, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its preliminary 'A+' rating to senior unsecured debt securities and its preliminary 'A' rating to subordinated debt securities filed under Boeing Co.'s $1 billion SEC Rule 415 shelf registration. At the same time, Standard&Poor's affirmed its ratings, including the 'A+' long-term and 'A-1' short-term corporate credit ratings, on the Chicago, Ill.-based aerospace giant. Proceeds from the sale of the debt securities are expected to be used for repayment of existing debt, working capital, capital expenditures, and acquisitions. Total debt outstanding is about $4.2 billion, excluding $600 million of nonrecourse customer financing obligations and $8.4 billion at Boeing Capital Corp. Ratings on Boeing are supported by its position as
