Ford says Mercury brand important part of line-up

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co's (F.N) Mercury brand is an important part of the automaker's line-up and the company is continuing to invest in the nameplate, Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, said on Monday.

"It is an important part of the stable of brands," Fields told reporters at an event promoting the new Lincoln MKS sedan in Garden City, Michigan.

Fields comments follow recent analyst questions on whether Ford would continue to invest in its Mercury brand, which has seen sales fall nearly 7 percent in 2007.

(Reporting by Poornima Gupta and David Bailey; editing by Carol Bishopric)