U.S. stock market report [.N] 0906 ET 12Jan2009-Crude oil slides on fear of slowing demand ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ February crude futures tumbled on Monday, hurt as signs suggested that the recession was pressuring demand. The fall came despite Saudi Arabia saying it would cut output below its agreed target, as well as gas supply disruptions as a result of disputes between Russian and the Ukraine and Middle East tensions. [ID:nSYD425287] The contract was down more than 6 percent to $38.29 a barrel. 0859 ET 12Jan2009-Satyam up on hopes of a government rescue ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shares of Satyam Computer Services (SATY.BO) (SAY.N) rose in overseas trade on Monday, on the hope that a government-appointed board would rescue the company in the wake of a major fraud scandal. The board will be looking at providing stability to employees and clients, said consultancy Tholons. [ID:nBOM370906] Shares of the company closed Friday at but were up 44 percent on the Bombay exchange. Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0853 ET 12Jan2009-Merrill sees "heart attack" in markets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Merrill Lynch Monday forecast a "heart attack" in the stock markets, defining the term as a "massive downside spike followed by a rebound followed by a return to trend." The firm advised that investors shouldn't extrapolate on either side of the "attack," but added that the deeper the plunge was, the greater the payback was expected to be. "We find that growth in the quarter following a plunge of more than five percentage points is positive with a 69 percent probability and in only one instance in the 48 episodes that fit our criteria does growth end up negative in all four subsequent quarters," the firm wrote. Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0848 ET 12Jan2009-Thermo Fisher in the "buy zone": Barron's ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Barron's Monday said that shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO.N) were in the "buy zone" because of a recent decline in the shares as well as the company's strong cash-flow yield. The company has diverse customers and a defensive business mix, the financial publication wrote. [ID:nN11284449] Shares of Thermo Fisher closed Friday at $33.80. Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0838 ET 12Jan2009-Friedman downgrades U.S. REIT industry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Friedman Billings Ramsey downgraded the U.S. real estate investment trust (REIT) sector to underweight on Monday, forecasting price declines of 20 percent to 30 percent for the group from from year-end 2008 levels. To compare, the broker expects the S&P 500 .SPX to see price appreciation of 5 percent. As part of its call, FBR downgraded Boston Properties BXP.N, UDR UDR.N, AvalonBay Communities (AVB.N) and Douglas Emmett DEI.N to market perform. Duke Realty DRE.N and Maguire Properties MPG.N were both downgraded to underperform. [ID:nWNAB8762] Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0832 ET 12Jan2009-Citi sees major dividend cut for Bank of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Citigroup Monday said it expects Bank of America (BAC.N) to slash its dividend to 5 cents from 32 cents, and said the bank would incur cumulative losses of $165 billion for 2008-2011, with a third of those losses already taken. The firm sees a fourth-quarter loss of 75 cents a share for Bank of America. It previously saw earnings of 2 cents a share. [ID:nWNAB8766] Shares of Bank of America, a Dow component, slid 1.8 percent to $12.75.

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