S&P Small Cap 600 Index Changes Worth Noting (ONB, ASVI, TEX, PQ, HH)

Standard & Poors is making some key changes to its S&P Small Cap 600 Index.  The following additions and deletions will take after the close of trading on Monday, February 25, 2008:

• Old National Bancorp (NYSE: ONB) will replace A.S.V. Inc. (Nasdaq: ASVI), which is being acquired by Terex Corp. (NYSE: TEX).  Old National Bancorp closed up 3.7% today at $16.15, and its 52-week trading range is $12.99 to $19.45.  A banking stock in this environment, with more than a 5% dividend yield.
• PetroQuest Energy Inc. (NYSE: PQ) will replace Hooper Holmes Inc. (AMEX: HH), because Hooper had a market cap of a mere $59 million and S&P likes to have a $300 million million market cap to be maintained.  PetroQuest surged almost 7.5% today in regular trading after earnings topped views, and shares were up another 3.7% to $14.89 after the index add.  Its 52-week trading range is $10.02 to $15.99 and its market cap at the close was $708 million.

While the S&P Small Cap 600 Index is less tracked than the S&P 500 Index, this index is one we like to track because when companies come in for the first time onto the Small Cap Index it represents what would be deemed "virgin index Buying" because the funds that track the various S&P indexes do not currently hold these stocks as of yet if they track index performance.

Jon C. Ogg
February 20, 2008