S&P Teleconf: ABS Auto Loans; March 5, 10.30 AM ET

    NEW YORK--Standard & Poor's--March 1, 2001--An attractive ABS market relative to the corporate bond market, and record new-vehicle sales drove auto loan asset-backed securities (ABS) issuance to a soaring $70 billion during 2000. On the credit front, the prime auto segment, largely comprised of the domestic and foreign captives, continued to demonstrate stable-to-slightly improved credit quality through 2000. Performances for both the nonprime and subprime sectors were mixed, with loss levels remaining stable for some companies and others beginning to show some signs of weakness.
    In a teleconference on Monday, March 5, at 10:30 AM Eastern Time, senior auto loan ABS analysts from Standard & Poor's will give a 2000 year-in-review teleconference, covering issuance volume and trends in the auto ABS market, and highlighting performance and outlook for selected prime and subprime issuers: Ford, Daimler Chrysler, General Motors, and Americredit. This teleconference will feature Paul Kelly, Amanda Soriano, Christopher Conroy, John Anglim, and Mike Bilello. The call will allow listeners to engage the analysts on their views of the auto securitization market.

Live Dial in Number: (1) 706-679-5243 (Conference ID needed to access the call)

    The call will begin promptly at the time indicated. Please telephone at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the call to complete the pre-call registration process. If the number you dial is busy, please call one of the other numbers. The conference ID number is "674935". There is no charge to participate other than long-distance telephone charges, if applicable. Participants will be asked to provide their name, company affiliation, and fax numbers or e-mail address. The entire call will last about one hour, and after brief presentations by the analysts, participants will be able to ask questions directly about this topic.
    Replays: Recorded replays of the call are made available about an hour after the call concludes. This recording is available at no charge to U.S. and Canadian callers (other callers will pay long-distance toll charges) until Monday, March 12, 2001. Callers will be asked for their name, company, and telephone and fax numbers.

Replay Number: +1-706-645-9291 (Conference ID needed to access the call)

    RealAudio(tm) available from Standard & Poor's World Wide Web site: The call will also be available live in "listen-only" mode from the Standard & Poor's Home Page for listeners worldwide with PCs equipped with the Real Player(tm) software, sound card, and speakers. Point your web browser at http://www.standardandpoors.com and follow the link for "Events" The RealAudio(tm) on-demand playback will be available until Monday, April 2, 2001.
    Complimentary Audiotapes and Transcripts: Available on request. Tapes will be available within one week of the call; for transcripts, please allow 2-3 weeks for preparation and editing. Tapes will be mailed, but transcripts are only available via email. Please provide complete mailing address information, including telephone and fax numbers, for tape/transcript requests. To request tapes, please send your information in an e-mail message to tapes@standardandpoors.com. For transcripts, please send e-mail to transcripts@standardandpoors.com.
    If you have any questions about the conference call, please call Robert L. Publicover, Standard & Poor's Events Marketing Department, at 212-438-2800, or send Internet e-mail to teleconferences@standardandpoors.com.
    Please send any address corrections via e-mail to seminars@standardandpoors.com or via fax to 212-438-6698.-- CreditWire