DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

LHC Group (NASDAQ-NMS:LHCG) (LHCG), a Lafayette, La., health-care company, will replace First Republic Bank (NYSE:FRC) (FRC) in the S&P SmallCap 600 Index Sept. 21.

Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE:MER) (MER) plans to acquire First Republic, a San Francisco bank, in a deal that is slated to close around Sept. 21.

-James DeWeese; 201-938-5400; AskNewswires@dowjones.com

    (END) Dow Jones Newswires   09-18-07 1746   Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.