Bangkok--16 Apr--Standard & Poor's Globally, 38 entities with rated debt totaling US$82.96 (?52.84) billion are identified as potential fallen angels, according to a report published today by Standard & Poor's. The report, titled "Global Potential Fallen Angels," says that this total is one less than the annual average count of 39 potential fallen angels in 2007. "The year-to-date count of fallen angels has surpassed that of last year, with five more entities moving to speculative-grade territory since our last report," said Diane Vazza, head of Standard & Poor's Global Fixed Income Research Group. "This pushes our total for the year to date to 10 entities, affecting rated debt worth $16.2 billion, compared with eight out of 42 fallen angels in the first quarter of last year." Based on rated-debt volume, the U.S.-based third largest wireless carrier and an S&P 500 constituent, Sprint Nextel Corp., is the largest potential fallen angel, with more than $24.25 billion in rated debt. The report is available to RatingsDirect subscribers who have upgraded their package to include the Global Fixed Income Research add-on. RatingsDirect is the real-time Web-based source for Standard & Poor's credit ratings, research, and risk analysis, at www.ratingsdirect.com. If you are not a RatingsDirect subscriber with the Global Fixed Income Research add-on, please contact your local Standard & Poor's representative or [email protected] for further information. Ratings information can also be found on Standard & Poor's public Web site at www.standardandpoors.com; under Credit Ratings in the left navigation bar, select Find a Rating, then Credit Ratings Search. Members of the media may request a copy of this report by contacting the media representative provided. Media Contact: Mimi Barker, New York (1) 212-438-5054, [email protected] Analyst Contact: Diane Vazza, New York (1) 212-438-2760 Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP), is the world's foremost provider of financial market intelligence, including independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With approximately 8,500 employees, including wholly owned affiliates, located in 23 countries, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for more than 140 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit http://www.standardandpoors.com. Key Contacts: Americas Media Relations: (1) 212-438-6667 media_ [email protected] Americas Customer Service: (1) 212-438-7280 [email protected]