On Aug. 5, 2005, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its preliminary 'BBB+' senior debt, 'BBB' subordinated debt, and 'BBB-' preferred stock ratings to Unitrin Inc.'s (NYSE:UTR; BBB+/Stable/--) $300 million multipurpose shelf, which was filed late yesterday. The company intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including repayment of existing indebtedness, working capital, the expansion of the business through new insurance product offerings, enhancing distribution and marketing of existing insurance products, and strategic acquisitions as opportunities arise. As of June 30, 2005, Unitrin's operating performance was strong, with $159.8 million in pretax operating income and a 10.7% ROR compared with $109.7 million and 7.5%, respectively, for the same period in the prior year. The company improved its underwriting
