If it loses the patent, the company has said it might have to reduce its dividend.

The company had previously reduced its dividend to 25 cents a share, from 47 cents.

The settlement, reached Friday, would also force the company to reduce its dividend by 27 percent.

The company has since reduced its dividend and said that job cuts could be in the offing.

CBS reported a net loss of $156 million for the quarter and said it would reduce its dividend.

In September, the company announced it would cut several hundred jobs, sell some paintings from its valuable art collection and reduce its dividend.

The company, known as Swiss Re, also said it would sharply reduce its dividend for the first time in nearly a century.

Baxter told stock analysts that it would not reduce its $1.13 dividend.

But additional negative judgments could force Merck to raise cash by reducing its dividend.

On Thursday, Kodak announced a major shift in strategy and reduced its dividend.