Ratings changes for AMP companies

MELBOURNE - Ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has lowered andremoved from CreditWatch the insurer financial strength ,counterparty credit, and debt ratings of a number of AMP groupcompanies. Life companies, AMP Life and Pearl Assurance have beendowngraded to double-A from double-A plus/Watch Neg. At the sametime, S&P affirmed the ratings of other AMP companies including AMPGeneral Insurance (single-A/Stable/-) and GIO Australia Holdings(local currency triple-B/Stable/A-3).