Bangkok--10 Jul--Standard & Poor's A new report from Standard & Poor's, titled "U.S. Credit Comment: High-Yield Refunding Needs Are Not A Significant Source Of Default Pressure In The Near-Term," states that current credit market conditions have added some uncertainty to the refinancing process, and though most investment-grade firms have not had trouble issuing debt in the current environment, the high-yield market has been much more stringent. "With credit conditions tight, there is a risk that stressed firms may find it hard to roll over or refund debt," said Diane Vazza, head of Standard & Poor's Global Fixed Income Research Group. "Based on our sample of 11,548 U.S. corporate bond fixed and floating rate issues as of June 30, 2008, there is only $9.1 billion in speculative-grade bonds maturing in the second half of the year." The light high-yield bond maturity schedule should not be a significant source of default pressure in 2008. This article is part of our premium Global Fixed Income Research content, which is available to premium subscribers of RatingsDirect, the real-time Web-based source for Standard & Poor's credit ratings, research, and risk analysis, at www.ratingsdirect.com. 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: 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 and markets, 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]