The ratings on Cargill Inc. and related entities are supported by the firm's position as one of the world's leading agribusiness companies, with major market positions in agricultural processing and merchandising, industrial production, and financial services. The company's product and geographic diversity, as well as a vast communication and transportation network, helps optimize commodity movements and provides competitive advantages. There is also less exposure to any one segment of U.S. agriculture, or to any one international locale. However, recent results have been pressured by industry overcapacity in grain processing, volatile grain prices, the competitive market for steel, and weakness in the pork industry. Standard&Poor's views Cargill's financial services business as having a higher business risk profile than its
