Stocks on the move Real-time Equity news U.S. stock market report 0918 ET 27April2009-JPMorgan: swine flu could hurt credit card firms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JPMorgan on Monday wrote that "concerns over the swine flu outbreak could weigh on MasterCard Inc/ Visa Inc shares due to fears that cross-border fees may suffer from reduced cross-border travel related to the virus."

It added that it was too early to speculate on the impact of the flu on the companies, if there was any impact, "but the risk is worth monitoring in our view."

Shares of Visa were down 2.3 percent to $58.98 in premarket trade while MasterCard was down 2.7 percent to $168.41.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0909 ET 27April2009-Swine flu fears weigh on meat companies ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shares of meat companies fell in premarket trade on Monday, pressured by the fear that the swine flu that began in Mexico and spread to the United States would hurt exports.

U.S. hog futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchanged were expected to open lower, analysts said.

Shares of Tyson Foods Inc tumbled 10.3 percent to $9.80 in premarket trade while AgFeed Industries Inc dropped 14.3 percent to $3.35.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0902 ET 27April2009 Volatility index set to enter new range ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The CBOE Volatility Index, the implied volatility measure of the S&P 500 index VIX index, is set to enter a higher range, said Michael McCarty, chief equity and options strategist at Meridian Equity Partners. The so-called VIX, considered Wall Street's fear gauge, closed at 36.82 on Friday. The VIX remained in a tight range last week between last Monday's low of 33.94 and Tuesday's high of 40.29, he said. VIX futures likewise remain range bound. The front month May VIX futures contract closed on Friday unchanged at 37.80. Moreover, VIX futures remain virtually flat with only a 0.90 point difference between the high and the low closing prices. "We continue to believe that it will be a significant time before volatility returns to pre-fourth quarter lows and suspect that we will ultimately establish a new range for implied volatility," he said. "While we initially felt the range would be between 40 and 50, we suspect the low end of the range is now more likely to be 35." Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net 0853 ET 27April2009-Small-cap value lifted by buybacks, dividends: ML ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bank of America-Merrill Lynch on Monday wrote that there were almost as many dividend increases as there were decreases at small-cap stocks, while stock buyback programs were on the rise, adding value to small-cap stocks.

"We have seen a sharp increase in the percentage of companies reducing their shares outstanding, which if a company does have sufficient levels of cash, makes sense to us," the firm wrote.

Merrill added that among small-cap stocks, financial companies were seeing the highest percentage of both increases and decreases in dividend payouts.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net Keywords: MARKETS STOCKSNEWS

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