On Nov. 4, 2005, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said that its ratings on home appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corp. ('BBB+' long-term corporate credit rating and 'A-2' short-term rating) remain on CreditWatch with negative implications. The ratings were initially placed on CreditWatch with negative implications July 18, 2005, following the company's announcement that it made a proposal to acquire Maytag Corp. for $17 per share, plus the assumption of debt, for a transaction value of $2.3 billion. Then, on Aug. 22, Whirlpool agreed to merge with Maytag for $21 per share, plus the assumption of debt, representing a $2.7 billion transaction value. Whirlpool will finance the $2.7 billion acquisition with a combination of debt and equity. For each share held, Maytag's
