S&P Downgrades BT, Puts Morgan on Notice

Fresh from downgrading Bankers Trust New York Corp. over derivatives trading volatility, Standard & Poor's Corp. on Wednesday reiterated the possibility that J.P. Morgan & Co.'s rating also could be lowered.

However, an S&P analyst said the credit ratings of more diversified derivatives players - including Chase Manhattan Corp., Chemical Banking Corp., and Citicorp - aren't similarly threatened.

Citing concerns about an adverse market and a "heavy" reliance on derivatives trading, S&P on Tuesday lowered the credit ratings of Bankers Trust.

The move, affecting $5.6 billion of debt, lowered ratings on the parent company's senior debt to A-plus from AA-minus.

Although Bankers Trust has elicited lawsuits and regulatory censure over its derivatives trading activities, S&P analyst Tanya Azarch said the downgrades were based on the prospects of declining trading revenues, not credit, legal, or regulatory costs.

The analyst said J.P. Morgan - one of the few U.S. banking companies enjoying a triple-A rating - is the only other institution that faces downgrades over the same issue.

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