NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's CreditWire) May 24, 2001-- Standard&Poor's today affirmed and removed its ratings for Whirlpool Corp. and Whirlpool Financial Corp. from CreditWatch (see list below), where they were placed on Jan. 26, 2001. Approximately $2.1 billion in debt was outstanding on March 31, 2001. The outlook is negative. The negative outlook reflects Whirlpool's reduced financial flexibility, resulting from elevated debt levels due to share repurchases and acquisitions, combined with earnings softness. The ratings are supported by Whirlpool's global leadership position in the appliance industry, offset by the recent weakness in financial measures and exposure to economic fluctuations in key international markets. The company continues to maintain the leading market share in several appliance categories across
