US stock-index futures fell after UBS AG said bank writedowns may more than double, a government report showed import prices rose faster than forecast and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the economy is on the brink of recession.

Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. dropped after UBS said banks are at risk of up to $203 billion in further writedowns as bond insurers face cash shortages. Caterpillar Inc., the world’s largest maker of earthmoving machines, led a decline in industrial shares after manufacturing in New York contracted for the first time since 2005. European stocks fell and Asia’s benchmark rose. Standard and Poor’s 500 Index futures expiring in March decreased 9.9 to 1,341.2 at 9:02 a.m. in New York. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures sank 81 to 12,315. Nasdaq-100 Index futures lost 13 to 1,781.25.

U.S. stocks fell yesterday for the first time this week after Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke warned that a scarcity of credit will restrain economic growth. The S&P 500 has fallen 8.1 percent in 2008 on concern the economy may have already fallen into recession. [MORE]