BENEFICIAL CORP <BNL> DEBT RATINGS CUT BY S/P
Standard and Poor's Corp said it
lowered the ratings on about 3.7 billion dlrs of Beneficial
Corp's long-term debt.
    S/P said that its action follows the firm's sizeable 186.6
mln dlr loss at year-end 1986. It also reflects S/P's
expectation that Beneficial's profitability will not return to
pre-1986 levels soon after the firm's recent corporate
restructuring efforts have been completed.
    Ratings lowered include the company's senior debt to
A-minus from A and commercial paper to A-2 from A-1. The issues
had been on creditwatch since January 2.
 Reuter
