** Equities' worst monthly slide in a year saw money flowback into REITs, utilities & healthcare stocks as corp earningsshow clearly the hit to exporters' profits from stronger dollar
** Slow global growth, falling rates and currencies, andplunging commodity prices muddy investment landscape
** S&P Real Estate Index rises 6 pct YTD,outpacing utilities and healthcare Chart: http://link.reuters.com/tyc93w
** Ventas, Kimco and Simon Properties among top performing REITs YTD
** Apple's holiday sales and profits growthsingle-handedly buoys S&P 500 Index
** Mobile connectivity theme prominent as HarmanInternational ascends to a 10-year high and M&A activitypicks up
** Strong US$ weighs on multinationals' earnings; Microsoft, Caterpillar, Procter & Gamble andPfizer and others warn on FX headwinds
** Financials worst performing sector; JP Morgan,Bank of America and Citigroup shed combined $70bln of market cap Chart: http://link.reuters.com/syc93w
** Plummeting oil prices compel Chevron, Royal DutchShell, Hess Corp and Conoco Phillips toslash spending
** On flipside Southwest Airlines, United Continental and Alaska Air reap benefits of cheaper fuel (RM lance.tupper.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)