Standard & Poor's Announces Changes to U.S. Indices

NEW YORK, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P will make the following changes to the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400 and S&P SmallCap 600 Indices:

• S&P MidCap 400 constituent Airgas Inc. (NYSE: ARG) will replace Cooper Industries Ltd. (NYSE: CBE) in the S&P 500, S&P SmallCap 600 constituent Kirby Corp. (NYSE: KEX) will replace Airgas in the S&P MidCap 400, and Exponent Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPO) will replace Kirby in the S&P SmallCap 600 after the close of trading on Tuesday, September 8. Cooper Industries is in the process of redomesticating to Ireland, rendering it ineligible for continued inclusion in the S&P 500.
  

• Encore Wire Corp. (Nasdaq: WIRE) will replace Axsys Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: AXYS) in the S&P SmallCap 600 after the close of trading on a date to be announced. S&P 100 & 500 constituent General Dynamics Inc. (NYSE: GD) is acquiring Axsys in a transaction expected to close soon pending final approvals.
  

Standard & Poor's will monitor these transactions, and post any relevant updates on its website: www.standardandpoors.com.

Airgas Inc. is a distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases and related equipment. Headquartered in Radnor, PA, the company will be added to the S&P 500 GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard) Industrial Gases Sub-Industry index.

Kirby Corp. is a marine transportation and diesel engine services company. Headquartered in Houston, TX, the company will be added to the S&P MidCap 400 GICS Marine Sub-Industry index.

Exponent Inc. is a science and engineering consulting firm. Headquartered in Menlo Park, CA, the company will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 GICS Research & Consulting Services Sub-Industry index.

Encore Wire manufactures copper electrical building wire and cable. Headquartered in McKinney, TX, the company will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 GICS Electrical Components & Equipment Sub-Industry index.

Following is a summary of the changes:

                        S&P 500 INDEX -  September 8, 2009
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  COMPANY      GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR     GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ADDED         Airgas            Materials            Industrial Gases
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DELETED       Cooper           Industrials         Electrical Components &
                  Industries                                 Equipment
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------



                     S&P MIDCAP 400 INDEX -  September 8, 2009
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  COMPANY      GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR     GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ADDED         Kirby            Industrials                Marine
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DELETED       Airgas            Materials              Industrial Gases
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------



                    S&P SMALLCAP 600 INDEX -  September 8, 2009
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  COMPANY      GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR     GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ADDED         Exponent         Industrials          Research & Consulting
                                                             Services
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DELETED       Kirby            Industrials                Marine
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------



                           S&P  SMALLCAP 600 INDEX  -  TBA
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  COMPANY      GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR     GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ADDED         Encore Wire      Industrials        Electrical Components &
                                                              Equipment
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DELETED       Axsys            Industrials        Aerospace & Defense
                  Technologies
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------

About Standard & Poor's Index Services

Standard & Poor's Index Services, the world's leading index provider, maintains a wide variety of investable and benchmark indices to meet an array of investor needs. Over $1 trillion is directly indexed to Standard & Poor's family of indices, which includes the S&P 500, the world's most followed stock market index, the S&P Global 1200, a composite index comprised of seven regional and country headline indices, the S&P Global BMI, an index with approximately 11,000 constituents, and the S&P GSCI, the industry's most closely watched commodities index. For more information, please visit www.standardandpoors.com/indices.

About Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor's, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is the world's foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With offices in 23 countries and markets, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for nearly 150 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit http://www.standardandpoors.com.

SOURCE Standard & Poor's