Also. . .

U.S. bankers, faced with the Asian financial crisis and an increase in personal bankruptcies, are now more concerned about the ability of their loan portfolios to weather an economic slowdown, a Federal Reserve Board survey showed. About a quarter of the 57 senior loan officers questioned “judged their banks’ aggregate charge-off and delinquency rates to be more sensitive to a downturn than they were two years ago,” the Fed said. The latest Fed survey also found that banks are imposing stricter lending standards on Asian firms.

* Long-haul truckers agreed to boost the pay for International Brotherhood of Teamsters senior drivers by 7.6%, according to the terms of a new, five-year national contract covering 136,000 drivers.

* Dow Jones & Co. said fourth-quarter profit fell 35% and that it took a charge of $922.5 million related to its unprofitable Dow Jones Markets unit. Profit before several charges fell to $38.7 million, or 40 cents a diluted share, from $59.6 million, or 62 cents, a year ago.

* Oxford Health Plans Inc. is negotiating with Texas Pacific Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. for a new equity investment of as much as $200 million to help the managed-care company rebound from its financial troubles, sources told Bloomberg News.