New Delhi, Sept. 7 -- After 18 long years, Nike is stepping out of the S&P 100. The sportswear giant, one of Wall Street's most exclusive groups of top companies, will leave the most closely watched blue-chip indexes before US markets open on 21 September.

The move comes after S&P Dow Jones Indices announced changes to the benchmark as part of its quarterly rebalance.

Honeywell Aerospace, Simon Property Group and Colgate-Palmolive are also stepping down from the S&P 100, making room for tech-focused companies like Dell Technologies, Palo Alto Networks, Arista Networks and Sandisk.

While Nike will still remain in the broader S&P 500, its removal from the top 100 has sparked a major conversation about the brand's recent struggles.

Many ...