On Nov. 30, 2005, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services raised its long- and short-term counterparty credit ratings to 'A/A-1' from 'A-/A-2' on LeasePlan Corporation N.V., a Netherlands-based bank specialized in operational car leasing and fleet management. The outlook is stable. The upgrade reflects LeasePlan's establishment of an independent funding base since the bank was acquired by Volkswagen AG (VW AG; A-/Negative/A-2) and two Gulf-based investors in November 2004. Volkswagen AG subsequently transferred its 50% ownership of LeasePlan to Volkswagen Bank GmbH (VW Bank; A-/Stable/A-2). LeasePlan has been able to replace the short-term funding provided by ABN AMRO Bank N.V., its former shareholder, by a mix of bank lines and capital market issues. The bank has diversified and lengthened its funding