Standard and Poor's Corp said itassigned a preliminary AAA rating to 150 mln dlrs of 7-1/4 pct
guaranteed subordinated bonds due 1992 of Nomura International
Finance PLC, the U.K. unit of Nomura Securities Co Ltd.
    S and P cited the guarantee, which is a senior obligation
of the parent company, the largest of the Big Four securities
houses in Japan.
    The rating agency noted that Nomura Securities has by far
the largest capital base in nominal terms of any securities
firm in the world and is conservatively leveraged.
 Reuter
