On Sept. 13, 2004, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'AA' rating to Atlanta, Ga.-based Home Depot Inc.'s proposed $1.0 billion senior unsecured notes maturing in September 2009. The notes will be issued under Rule 144A with registration rights. Proceeds will be used to fund the retirement of $500 million of 6.5% senior notes maturing on Sept. 15, 2004, and for general corporate purposes. The existing ratings on Home Depot, including the 'AA' long-term and 'A-1+' short-term corporate credit ratings, were affirmed. The outlook is stable. The ratings on Home Depot Inc. reflect the company's leading position in the still-fragmented home improvement industry and its consistently excellent financial profile. Home Depot, which pioneered the full-service, warehouse-style format in the
