Credit Rating


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Credit Ratings

A security rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the rating organization. Credit ratings as at May 24, 2007.

Company	Security	DBRS (1)	S&P (2)
ATCO Ltd.	Preferred Shares	Pfd-2 (low)	P-2 (high)
Canadian Utilities Limited	Debentures	A	A
	Commercial Paper	R-1 (low)	A-1 (mid)
	Preferred Shares	Pfd-2 (high)	P-2 (high)
CU Inc.	Debentures	A (high)	A
	Commercial Paper	R-1 (low)	A-1 (mid)
	Preferred Shares	Pfd-2 (high)	P-2 (high)

(1) Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited (“DBRS”) maintains a stable trend on the above securities
(2) Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) maintains a stable trend on the above securities

Credit Rating Definitions

Long Term Debt Credit Ratings

An A rating by DBRS is the third highest of ten categories. Long term debt rated A is of satisfactory credit quality. Protection of interest and principal is substantial with a higher degree of strength than that of B rated entities. A is a respectable rating. Entities in this category are still considered to be susceptible to adverse economic conditions and have greater cyclical tendencies than higher-rated securities. "High" and "low" grades may be used to indicate the relative standing of a credit within a particular rating category.

An A rating by S&P is the third highest of eleven categories. Obligations rated A by S&P are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories, however, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligations is still strong. The addition of a plus or minus sign shows relative standing within the rating categories. On October 18, 2007, Standard and Poor's announced that it had upgraded its rating on Canadian Utilities' unsecured long term debt from A- to A.

Commercial Paper Credit Ratings

An R-1 (low) rating by DBRS is the third highest of ten categories and is granted to short-term debt of satisfactory credit quality. The overall strength and outlook for key liquidity, debt, and profitability ratios is more favourable than with lower rating categories. Any qualifying negative factors that exist are considered manageable, and the entity is normally of sufficient size to have some influence in its industry.

An A-1 (mid) rating by S&P is the second highest of eight categories in its Canadian commercial paper ratings scale and is granted where the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong.

Preferred Share Credit Ratings

A Pfd-2 rating by DBRS is the second highest of six categories granted by DBRS for preferred shares and is granted to companies presenting satisfactory credit quality where protection of dividends and principal is still substantial, but earnings, the balance sheet and coverage ratios are not as strong as Pfd-1 rated companies. "High" and "low" grades may be used to indicate the relative standing of a credit within a particular rating category.

A P-2 rating by S&P is the second highest of eight categories S&P uses in its Canadian preferred share rating scale and is granted where the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments is considered adequate, but is more subject to adverse economic conditions than higher rating categories. "High", "mid" and "low" grades may be used to indicate the relative standing of a credit within a particular rating category.