NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P 500 constituent Freeport -McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. will replace Schering-Plough Corp. in the S&P 100, S&P MidCap 400 constituent Priceline.com Inc. (NASD: PCLN) will replace Schering-Plough in the S&P 500, and MSCI Inc. will replace Priceline.com in the S&P MidCap 400, all after the close of trading on a date to be announced. Schering-Plough is merging with S&P 100 and 500 constituent Merck & Co. in a deal expected to be completed soon pending final approvals.

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

Freeport -McMoRan Copper & Gold is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ.

Priceline.com is a global online travel company. Headquartered in Norwalk, CT, the company will be added to the S&P 500 GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard) Internet Retail Sub-Industry index.

MSCI is a provider of investment decision support tools. Headquartered in New York, NY, the company will be added to the S&P MidCap 400 GICS Specialized Finance Sub-Industry index.

Following is a summary of the changes: S&P 100 INDEX - TBA -------------------- COMPANY GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR GICS SUB-INDUSTRY ------- -------------------- ----------------- ADDED Freeport McMoRan Materials Diversified Metals Copper & Gold & Mining DELETED Schering-Plough Health Care Pharmaceuticals S&P 500 INDEX - TBA ---------------------- COMPANY GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR GICS SUB-INDUSTRY ------- -------------------- ----------------- ADDED Priceline.com Consumer Internet Discretionary Retail DELETED Schering-Plough Health Care Pharmaceuticals S&P MIDCAP 400 INDEX - TBA ----------------------------- COMPANY GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR GICS SUB-INDUSTRY ------- -------------------- ----------------- ADDED MSCI Financials Specialized Finance DELETED Priceline.com Consumer Internet Discretionary Retail About Standard & Poor''s Index Services

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