Associates First Capital Corp., Dallas, will join the Standard & Poor's 500 index when parent company Ford Motor Co. spins off its remaining stake in the company, Standard & Poor's said.
The consumer finance company is to replace Charming Shoppes, a Bensalem, Pa., clothing retailer, April 8.
Associates First's stock traded up slightly on the news-at $81.25 on Tuesday, the day of the announcement, up from $78.875.
Associates, the largest home equity lender in the country, has been targeted recently by news reports and a federal investigation alleging predatory lending practices.