Standard&Poor's Ratings Services' 'AAA' rating on General Electric Capital Corp. (GECC) is based on the company's strong, stable earnings derived from a diverse group of financial services businesses, and on its ownership by GE. GE is also rated 'AAA' and is one of the largest companies in the world, based on stock market value. GECC is a dominant provider of credit services to small and middle-market companies and has a substantial position as a consumer lender, especially in private-label credit cards. In addition to product and customer diversification, GECC is very diverse geographically, with substantial operations overseas. GECC operates through several business segments, each of which is a major player in its primary market. The firm's large size
