Standard & Poor's Announces Changes in the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index

TORONTO , Jan. 21 /CNW/ - Standard & Poor's will make the following changes in the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index after the close of trading on Thursday, January 21, 2010:

    
    -   The shares of BioExx Specialty Proteins Ltd. (TSXVN:BXI) will be
        removed from the index. The company will graduate to trade on the TSX
        under the same ticker symbol.
    -   Allana Resources Inc. (TSXVN:AAA) will trade under the new name
        Allana Potash Corp. There is no change in the ticker symbol and no
        consolidation of capital. The new CUSIP number will be 016735 10 2.
    

Company additions to and deletions from an S&P equity index do not in any way reflect an opinion on the investment merits of the company.

About Standard & Poor's Index Services

Standard & Poor's Index Services, the world's leading index provider, maintains a wide variety of investable and benchmark indices to meet an array of investor needs. Over $1 trillion is directly indexed to Standard & Poor's family of indices, which includes the S&P 500, the world's most followed stock market index, the S&P Global 1200, a composite index comprised of seven regional and country headline indices, the S&P Global BMI, an index with approximately 11,000 constituents and the S&P GSCI, the industry's most closely-watched commodities index. For more information, please visit www.standardandpoors.com/indices.

About Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor's, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is the world's foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With offices in 23 countries and markets, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for nearly 150 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit: www.standardandpoors.com.

For further information: Tony North, [phone], [email protected]; Dave Guarino, [phone], [email protected]