Markets Alert from The Wall Street Journal








A mathematical error discovered late Friday by Treasury Department officials threw into limbo, at least temporarily, plans by ratings firm Standard & Poor's to downgrade the top-notch AAA credit rating the U.S. has held for 70 years, people familiar with the matter said.

The wild back and forth between the Treasury Department and S&P Friday afternoon illustrated the dramatic stakes as the ratings firm moved to downgrade the debt.

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