duane percox snipes:

> Bill writes:
>
>  >Just read that S & P has downgraded HP's rating on the
>  >possibility of this merger...
>
>  Another example of context sensitive quoting. The article
>  I read indicated that S&P would have downgraded them in any
>  case, not just because of the merger.

Bill probably has it right. Any number of reporting agencies said pretty much
the same thing that Bill did, in almost exactly the same manner. Here's what
Reuters wrote:

"NEW YORK, March 7 (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's on Thursday cut
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s long-term debt ratings three notches because because of
falling profits and risks associated with its proposed merger with
lower-rated rival Compaq Computer Corp."

CBS MarketWatch, ABC and the NY Times all wrote essentially the same as well.

Wirt Atmar

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