Article: United States : Sunoco idling Eagle Point refinery, cuts dividend.

Sunoco Inc (SUN.N) on Tuesday announced plans to indefinitely shut a New Jersey refinery, furlough 400 workers and halve its dividend as the continuing recession hurts the U.S. refiner's profits.

The action will lead to $250 million in overall annual savings, but result in $475 million to $550 million in largely non-cash financial charges over the next few quarters. Sunoco shares fell 2.7 percent in after-hours trading in response.

Weak demand for refined products in the global downturn along with increased capacity have pressured margins throughout the industry, and Sunoco's latest move only points to a longer downturn, analysts said.

"I don't ...

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