STOCKS NEWS US-MetLife makes bid for AIG unit: Bloomberg

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U.S. stock market report [.N] 0740 ET 24Feb2009-MetLife makes bid for AIG unit: Bloomberg ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

American International Group (AIG.N) has received bids for its American Life Insurance Co, including from MetLife (MET.N) and Axa SA, according to Bloomberg. MetLife has made a preliminary offer of $11.2 billion for the unit, though the price may drop to $8 billion because of a deterioration in the unit's financial condition, people told the agency.

Neither AIG nor MetLife could be reached immediately for a comment. [ID:nBNG386978]

Shares of AIG slid 3 cents to 50 cents in premarket trade while MetLife shares closed at $20.34 on Monday.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0727 ET 24Feb2009-Roche may have to boost Genentech bid: analysts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biotech company Roche (ROG.VX) will likely have to up its bid for the 44 percent of Genentech DNA.N that it doesn't own, after Genentech urged its shareholder to reject a surprise hostile offer, analysts said Tuesday.

Roche had bid $42 billion for the remainder of the company. Genentech said this price undervalued the company. [ID:nLO369268]

Shares of Genentech closed Monday at $84.55.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0716 ET 24Feb2009-Health care now biggest sector in S&P 500 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The S&P health care sector .GSPA is now the biggest group in the S&P 500 .SPX by market value, slightly edging out the information technology group .GSPT, according to Howard Silverblatt, the senior index analyst at Standard & Poor's.

The market value of the group is $1,099 million, or 16.98 percent in terms of market representation. The information technology group has a market value of $1,098 million, or a market representation of 16.97 percent.

The S&P health care index closed Monday at 292.88 while the IT group ended at 211.61.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0711 ET 24Feb2009-Home Depot adjusted earnings top consensus ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Home improvement retailer Home Depot (HD.N) on Tuesday reported adjusted earnings that beat expectations but forecast a decline in its 2009 operating profit. Sales were down 17 percent at the retailer. [ID:nN24342453]

Shares of the company, a Dow component, closed Monday at $18.71.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0703 ET 24Feb2009-Economic indicators for Feb. 24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Economic indicators on tap for Tuesday include weekly ICSC chain stores data, U.S. Redbook data, December CaseShiller figures, the U.S. consumer confidence reading for February and monthly home prices for December.

For details, see [ECI/US]

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0658 ET 24Feb2009-Earnings diary for Feb. 24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Companies scheduled to report quarterly results on Tuesday include: H.J. Heinz (HNZ.N), FirstEnergy (FE.N), Health Care REIT (HCN.N), Home Depot (HD.N), Macy's (M.N), Office Depot (ODP.N), PG&E Corp (PCG.N), RadioShack (RSH.N), Sempra Energy (SRE.N) and Target Corp (TGT.N), among others.

For details, see [RESF/US]

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net