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

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


NEW YORK, June 24  /PRNewswire/ -- Standard & Poor's will make the following
changes to the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400 and S&P SmallCap 600 indices on a date
or dates to be announced:

   * Upon completion of the pending merger between S&P 500 constituents
     Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:RF) and Union Planters Corp. (NYSE:UPC)
     the surviving entity, to be called Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:RF),
     will replace the current Regions Financial, while S&P MidCap 400
     constituent Sovereign Bancorp Inc. (NYSE:SOV) will replace Union
     Planters (NYSE:UPC), in the S&P 500.  AirTran Holdings Inc.
     (NYSE:AAI) will replace Sovereign in the S&P MidCap 400.

   * S&P SmallCap 600 constituent INAMED Corp. (NASD: IMDC) will replace
     Provident Financial Group Inc. (NASD: PFGI) in the S&P MidCap 400.
     Provident is being acquired by S&P 500 constituent National City Corp.
     (NYSE:NCC).  BankAtlantic Bancorp (NYSE:BBX) will replace INAMED in
     the S&P SmallCap 600.

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



The new Regions Financial will be a bank holding company operating
predominantly in the southern and midwestern U.S.  Headquartered in Birmingham,
AL, the company will be added to the S&P 500 GICS (Global Industry
Classification Standard) Regional Banks Sub-Industry Index.

Sovereign Bancorp operates roughly 550 branches in the northeastern U.S.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, the company will be added to the S&P 500
GICS Thrifts & Mortgage Finance Sub-Industry Index.

AirTran is a provider of low-cost airline service, primarily in the eastern
U.S.  Headquartered in Orlando, FL, the company will be added to the S&P MidCap
400 GICS Airlines Sub-Industry Index.

INAMED is a leading manufacturer of breast augmentation, facial aesthetics and
obesity intervention devices.  Headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, the company
will be added to the S&P MidCap 400 GICS Health Care Equipment Sub- Industry
Index.

Through its subsidiaries BankAtlantic-FSB, Levitt Cos. and Ryan, Beck & Co.,
BankAtlantic Bancorp provides a full line of products and services encompassing
consumer and commercial banking, brokerage and investment banking. 
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL, the company will be added to the S&P
SmallCap 600 GICS Thrifts & Mortgage Finance Sub-Industry Index. Following is a
summary of the changes:

                           S&P 500 INDEX - TBA
           COMPANY          GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR     GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
  ADDED    Regions             Financials            Regional Banks
           Financial Corp.
           (New)
           Sovereign           Financials            Thrifts & Mortgage
           Bancorp                                   Finance
  DELETED  Regions             Financials            Regional Banks
           Financial Corp.
           Union Planters      Financials            Regional Banks
           Corp.

                         S&P MIDCAP 400 INDEX - TBA
           COMPANY         GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR      GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
  ADDED    AirTran             Industrials           Airlines
           Holdings
           INAMED Corp.        Health Care           Health Care Equipment
  DELETED  Sovereign           Financials            Thrifts & Mortgage
           Bancorp                                   Finance
           Provident           Financials            Regional Banks
           Financial Group

                        S&P SMALLCAP 600 INDEX - TBA
           COMPANY         GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR      GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
  ADDED    BankAtlantic        Financials            Thrifts & Mortgage
           Bancorp                                   Finance
  DELETED  INAMED Corp.        Health Care           Health Care Equipment



Additions to and deletions from an S&P equity index do not in any way reflect
an opinion on the investment merits of the companies concerned.

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information, visit http://www.standardandpoors.com/.

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DATASOURCE: Standard & Poor's



CONTACT:  David M. Blitzer, Ph.D.

Managing Director & Chairman of the Index Committee

[phone] 



Web site:  http://www.standardandpoors.com/

http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/ 

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