Standard&Poor's Ratings Services' ratings on Minnetonka, Minn.-based Cargill Inc. and its related entities reflect the firm's position as one of the world's leading agribusiness companies; the company has major market positions in agricultural processing and merchandising, industrial production, and financial services. However, we believe that a moderately aggressive financial profile partially offsets this. The company's product and geographic diversity and vast communication and transportation network help optimize commodity movements and provide competitive advantages. In addition, Cargill has less exposure to any one U.S. agricultural segment or to any one international locale. Weak global demand trends affected results for fiscal 2009 and the first quarter of fiscal 2010. This resulted in difficult operating conditions in all of the company's
