Consumer, industrial, and security equipment/service provider Stanley Black&Decker Inc.'s improved earnings, meaningful geographic diversity, and strong liquidity are expected to result in credit measures improving to what we would consider to be more acceptable for the 'A' rating within the next 12 to 24 months. We are affirming our 'A' long-term corporate credit rating on Stanley. At the same time, we are raising our short-term credit rating on the company to 'A-1' from 'A-2'. We are revising the outlook to stable from negative reflecting our expectations that credit measures over the next two years will reach our target ratios for an 'A' rating because of continued good performance in both its tools and security businesses and a gradual
