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

NEW YORK, March 12  /PRNewswire/ -- Standard & Poor's will make the following changes to the S&P 500 and S&P SmallCap 600 indices:

  * S&P REIT Composite constituent Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE:HST)
    will replace Phelps Dodge Corp. (NYSE:PD) in the S&P 500 after the
    close of trading on a date to be announced. Phelps Dodge is being
    acquired by S&P 500 constituent Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
    (NYSE:FCX) in a deal that is still pending final approvals.

  * Option Care Inc. (NASD: OPTN) will replace Hancock Fabrics Inc.
    (NYSE:HKF) in the S&P SmallCap 600 after the close of trading on
    Thursday, March 15.  At today's close of trading, Hancock Fabrics had a
    market capitalization of approximately $47 million, ranking 600th in the
    index.



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

Host Hotels & Resorts is a REIT that engages in the ownership and operation of upscale hotel properties. Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, the company will be added to the S&P 500 GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard) Specialized REITs Sub-Industry index.

Option Care provides home infusion pharmacy services and specialty pharmacy services in the United States. Headquartered in Buffalo Grove, IL, the company will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 GICS Health Care Services Sub-Industry index.

  Following is a summary of the changes:

                     S&P 500 INDEX - To Be Announced
                 COMPANY          GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR   GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
  ADDED    Host Hotels & Resorts      Financials         Specialized REITs
  DELETED     Phelps Dodge            Materials          Diversified Metals
                                                             & Mining

                 S&P SMALLCAP 600 INDEX - March 15, 2007
                COMPANY       GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR        GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
  ADDED       Option Care        Health Care            Health Care Services
  DELETED   Hancock Fabrics  Consumer Discretionary       Specialty Stores



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.

About Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP), is the world's foremost provider of financial market intelligence, including independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With approximately 7,500 employees, including wholly-owned affiliates, located in 21 countries, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure, and has played a leading role for more than 140 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/.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/. 

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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