India | UK | US

Corrected: AIG loss, oil, drug firms rattle investors

Posted : Fri, 09 May 2008 15:57:02 GMT
By : Reuters
Category : US (Business)
News Alerts by Email ( click here )
US Business News | Home
(Corrects 5th paragraph to show Citigroup shedding $400 billion of assets, not saving $400 billion)

By Jennifer Coogan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Friday after American International Group , the world's largest insurer, reported a record $7.8 billion quarterly loss, rekindling concerns about financial services companies.

Oil's price extended its record-breaking streak, rising above $126 a barrel and raising concern about higher inflation and slower economic growth.

Pharmaceutical company shares were a major drag after Mylan Inc reported a wider loss and revenue below analysts' forecasts and Bristol Myers Squibb Co fell on news that a generic version of blood-thinner Plavix may soon be approved in Europe.

AIG had to write down assets linked to subprime mortgages and said it would raise $12.5 billion in new capital to strengthen its balance sheet.

Another big financial company, Citigroup Inc , said it intends to shed roughly $400 billion of non-core assets in a bid to become more competitive.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 109.99 points, or 0.85 percent, at 12,756.79. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 11.17 points, or 0.80 percent, at 1,386.51. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 17.02 points, or 0.69 percent, at 2,434.22.

AIG shares were down 6 percent at $41.52.

Mylan stock fell 7.7 percent to $11.55, while Bristol Myers stock declined 3.9 percent to $21.90.

Energy stocks fell even though U.S. crude oil futures hit a record $126.20 a barrel.

"At some point oil gets too high for them to make money," said Todd Leone, head of listed trading at Cowen & Co. in New York. "The higher crude goes, the harder it is to pass along higher prices to the consumer."

Shares of Exxon Mobil fell 1.4 percent to $88.30. Chevron shares lost 0.9 percent to $96.52 on the NYSE.

(Editing by Kenneth Barry)


(c) Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Share/Save/Bookmark

Article : Corrected: AIG loss, oil, drug firms rattle investors
Print this article
Email this article

Stay Updated
News gadget on your Google homepage
Subscribe to a news feed in Google Reader


Related News



Have your Say
Name
Email
Subject
Your Comment

Enter Verification code
 
  


 

More US (Business) News click here
Follow The Earth Times
Subscribe to RSS Follow Earth Times on TwitterNews by email
Share/Save/Bookmark

 
 



 
Subscribe to free Earthtimes
News Alerts by Email Click here
For RSS Feeds Click here
or Create your own RSS

Add to Google Toolbar
Breaking News
Press Releases

 


The Earth Times
News Category

© 2010 www.earthtimes.org, The Earth Times, All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
Earth Times accept no responsibility or liability either directly or indirectly for views or opinions expressed in articles or comments.