DOW JONES NEWSWIRES Standard & Poor's said consulting company Accenture PLC (ACN) will replace Marshall & Ilsley Corp. (MI) in the S&P500 index next month, when Bank of Montreal's (BMO, BMO.T) takeover of the regional bank is expected to close. Accenture shares rose 4.6% after hours on the news. The shares of a company joining a major index like the S&P 500 tend to rise as index-tracking funds buy the stock. The switch, effective after the close of trade July 5, adds one of the world's biggest standalone consulting companies to the key index. The company has been strengthening, as market share gains propel revenue growth. Its most recent quarterly revenue and earnings per share figures were record highs. In December, Bank of Montreal agreed to buy struggling regional bank Marshall & Ilsley in a stock-for-stock deal worth $4.1 billion, which would further strengthen the Canadian banks position in the Midwest. Marshall & Ilsley has reported more than two straight years of quarterly losses and has yet to repay the U.S. government for the $1.72 billion in bailout funds it received after the financial crisis. -By Joan E. Solsman, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2291; joan.solsman@dowjones.com
