ULTE Ultimate Electronics (MM)

Standard & Poor's Announces Changes to S&P Indices NEW YORK, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ADESA Inc. (NYSE:KAR) will replace ALLETE Inc. (NYSE:ALE) in the S&P MidCap 400 Index after the close of trading on Monday, September 20, 2004. ADESA is being spun off by ALLETE in a transaction expected to be completed on that date. ALLETE will replace Ultimate Electronics Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTE) in the S&P SmallCap 600 Index. As of market close on September 13 Ultimate Electronics had a market capitalization of roughly $29 million, ranking 600th in the S&P SmallCap 600. Standard & Poor's will monitor these transactions, and post any relevant updates on its website: http://www.standardandpoors.com/. ADESA is a provider of wholesale vehicle auctions and related vehicle redistribution services for the automotive industry in North America. Headquartered in Carmel, IN, the company will be added to the S&P MidCap 400 GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard) Distributors Sub-Industry Index. ALLETE provides energy and communications services in the Upper Midwest. Headquartered in Duluth, MN, the company will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 GICS Industrial Conglomerates Sub-Industry Index. Following is a summary of the changes: S&P MIDCAP 400 INDEX - September 20, 2004 COMPANY GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR GICS SUB-INDUSTRY ADDED ADESA Inc. Consumer Discretionary Distributors DELETED ALLETE Inc. Industrials Industrial Conglomerates S&P SMALLCAP 600 INDEX - September 20, 2004 COMPANY GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR GICS SUB-INDUSTRY ADDED ALLETE Inc. Industrials Industrial Conglomerates DELETED Ultimate Consumer Discretionary Computer & Electronics Electronics Retail 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. Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP), is the world's foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research, data and valuations. With 5000 employees located in 20 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/. Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies 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, BusinessWeek and McGraw-Hill Education. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2003 were $4.8 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 (212) 438-3907 Web site: http://www.standardandpoors.com/ http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/

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