BUZZ-Albertsons gains on S&P MidCap 400 addition

** Shares of supermarket chain Albertsons ACI.N up 4.3% before the bell to $20.60 as co set to join S&P MidCap 400 index .IDX next week

** ACI to replace Aspen Technology AZPN.O in the IDX effective Tues, Mar 11, the S&P Dow Jones Indices said

** Emerson Electric EMR.N buying rest of industrial software firm AZPN in about $7 bln deal expected to close soon

** With ~579.4 mln shares outstanding, ACI has ~$11.5 bln market cap, per LSEG

** ACI shares are up fractionally YTD through Tues close, following nearly 15% drop in 2024

** On Mon, ACI appointed insider Susan Morris as CEO to succeed Vivek Sankaran, who will retire, just months after its scuttled merger with Kroger KR.N

** Also on Mon, KR ousted its long-time CEO Rodney McMullen after a board probe found his personal conduct "inconsistent" with certain co policies

(Lance Tupper is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

((lance.tupper@tr.com 1-646-279-6380))