On April 12, 2006, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services affirmed its 'A+' corporate credit and senior unsecured ratings and stable outlook on Washington-based diversified manufacturer Danaher Corp. This action followed the company's announcement that it had reached a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Sybron Dental Specialties Inc. for about $2 billion, including transaction costs and net of cash acquired, and the assumption of $200 million of Sybron Dental's debt. The outlook is stable. Danaher had about $1.04 billion of debt at Dec. 31, 2005. Although this acquisition will strengthen Danaher's position within the dental market, it will also stretch the firm's credit measures and greatly limit debt capacity in the near term. Pro forma for
