Standard&Poor's reviewed its ratings on Japan's five major banking groups, taking into account the results of our annual reviews of each group. We affirmed our long- and short-term ratings on the five groups, based on our view that the groups' financial situations are consistent with the current ratings. The outlooks are stable, reflecting our view that any potential deterioration in the groups' financial positions is likely to remain within the range assumed in the ratings, given the overall improvement in the groups' capitalization, despite downward pressure on profitability. We are reviewing our rating criteria for banks and other financial institutions. (See "Advance Notice Of Proposed Criteria Change: Banks, Finance Companies, And Institutional Brokers," published on March 11, 2010,
