JACKSON, Miss. — Standard & Poor's lowered WorldCom Inc.'s long-term corporate credit rating to junk status Friday, following similar moves by Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings a day earlier.

        The Mississippi-based telecommunications company's shares closed at an all-time low.

        S&P lowered the long-term rating to BB from BBB because of the telecom's precarious financial status. The short-term corporate credit rating also was lowered, to B from A-3.

        S&P said signs of a further decline in business, such as the loss of customers, could result in another downgrade.

        “The significant deterioration in the company's financial condition has resulted from a continued weakening of WorldCom's business position, which in turn will limit the company's ability to reduce debt leverage,” said S&P's credit analyst Richard Siderman.

        WorldCom stock, which has lost about 90 percent of its value this year, fell 43 cents, or 21.4 percent, to close at $1.58 in heavy trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

        Shares of MCI Group, created last year to track WorldCom's long distance and other consumer services, fell 79 cents, or 25.6 percent, to close at a record low of $2.30, also on the Nasdaq.

        After Moody's and Fitch slashed WorldCom's bond ratings to junk status Thursday, new chief executive John Sidgmore played down investor worries about liquidity. He said the downgrades did not prompt a ratings trigger on a $2 billion accounts-receivable program because of a waiver from lenders.

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