IBT Staff Reporter

Stock futures pointed to a more than 1 percent drop at the open on Monday as investors worried that a possible global flu outbreak could throw a wrench into the economy's ability to climb out of a recession.

Stock index futures traded lower, suggesting a weaker start for Wall Street later on Monday as worries linked to a global swine flu outbreak added to U.S. bank stress-test jitters.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has picked private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co as preferred buyer of South Korea's Oriental Brewery , a company official said on Monday, confirming a report.

Fears that any tentative green shoots in the global economy could be trampled by a deadly outbreak of swine flu put markets on edge on Monday, after world policymakers said over the weekend that a recovery could begin later this year but plenty of downside risk remained.

Societe Generale denied on Monday a newspaper report that it wrote down 5 billion euros ($6.6 billion) in assets last year as a result of trading at a unit and was left with a similar amount of toxic products.

U.S. stock index futures traded lower, suggesting a weaker start for Wall Street later on Monday as worries linked to a global swine flu outbreak added to U.S. bank stress-test jitters.

The threat of a pandemic triggered by a new 'flu strain that has killed 103 people in Mexico will provide a windfall for some makers of drugs and vaccines.

U.S. stock index futures traded lower, suggesting a weaker start for Wall Street later on Monday as worries linked to a global swine flu outbreak added to U.S. bank stress-test jitters.

Oil prices fell more than 4 percent toward $49 a barrel on Monday, pressured by fears of a global flu pandemic that could prove another setback for the fragile world economy.

World stocks tumbled on Monday, after seven weeks of gains, and oil and the euro fell as concerns intensified the spread of swine flu, which has killed more than 100 people in Mexico, would hit the global economy.

American International Group Inc has received second-round bids from three groups for its aircraft leasing business, valuing the unit at under $5 billion, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Asian stocks fell about 2 percent on Monday as the outbreak of swine flu in North America hurt shares of airlines while prompting some market players to trim risky positions, hitting currencies such as the Australian dollar.

Bank of America Corp made inaccurate statements about its role in the bonuses and losses at Merrill Lynch & Co, former Merrill Lynch & Co Chief Executive John Thain told the Wall Street Journal in an interview.

Apple has been lost and found guilty on a patent infringement against a case filed by Palo Alto, CA based OPTi Inc in Texas.

Yahoo Inc announced that its going to shutdown GeoCities a free website-design service which the firm purchased for $3-billion in 1999.

U.S. stocks may run into some turbulence this week as the impending release of bank stress test results, a Federal Reserve meeting and a flood of earnings give investors reasons for caution.

Microsoft has confirmed Friday the release candidate of the near-final version of Windows 7 beginning next week April 30.

An American journalist jailed in Iran convicted of spying has gone on a hunger strike for the fifth day to protest her imprisonment, her father said Saturday.

Italy’s one of the most notorious organized crime syndicates knows as Mafia Inc. are thriving during the world economy crisis, investigators say.

Internet social media company Facebook plans to allow outside developers access to core parts of the website so they can build new services, a person familiar with the situation said.

Oil prices fell over 2 percent toward $50 a barrel on Monday, paring some of the previous session's near 4 percent gain on fears of a global flu pandemic that could give the world economy another knock.

Fears of a global swine flu pandemic grew with new infections in the United States and Canada on Sunday, and millions of Mexicans

Qualcomm Inc agreed to pay Broadcom Corp $891 million over four years as part of an overall settlement on Sunday that ends all litigation between the two companies.

The Northern state of Somalia has jailed nine Somali pirates for 15 to 20 years by a court in the breakaway northern state of Somaliland, an official said on Sunday, the AFP reported.

General Motors Corp is set to announce on Monday an accelerated restructuring that would close additional plants and pave the way for a debt exchange by the struggling automaker, sources briefed on the plan said on Sunday.

The Swine flu that hit Mexico has now hit the U.S. and there are more than 20 reported cases.

Android is coming to a netbook sooner than expected.

Oil prices fell over 2 percent toward $50 a barrel on Monday, paring some of the previous session's near 4 percent gain, on fears of a global flu pandemic after an outbreak of swine flu in Mexico.

Corrects first paragraph to clarify that the disease is not yet a pandemic and market is moving on fears of it reaching pandemic proportions