S&P Futures

US Blue chips see-sawed back into the red where they were joined by the Nasdaq as tech stocks slipped.

In Europe Phillips produced good results on demand for flat screens. UBS bank Q4 net profit soars past expectations. Renault produces better than expected 23% rise.

BP the world's second largest oil company made a profit of $2.667 billion below analysts average forecasts of $3.03 billion with a flat Q4 profit but said it intended to resume share buybacks.

Bookham Technology who have never made a profit mae a smaller loss on cost cutting and higher sales.

Carillion construction group has won a contract to maintain certain highways in Warwickshire, central England, worth up to 84 million pounds.

Business Post said it would offer a bulk business mail service from April after signing a deal with state postal operator Royal Mail to use part of its delivery network.

Enodis food-equipment maker returned to profit in Q1 after cost cutting and forecast modest market growth in 2004. They had a profit of 2.1 million pounds compared with a loss of 200,000

PZ Cussons soap maker posted a 28 percent rise in first-half profit but warned the recent slide in the U.S. dollar would hit second-half results.

Galen Holdings drugmaker said Q1earnings more than doubled as it benefited from recent acquisitions and said it viewed the rest of 2004 with confidence. Earnings per share leapt 139 percent to 30.3 U.S. cents in the three months with analyst forecasts ranged from 26.6-27.9 cents.

Aquarius Platinum (I), Galen (Q1) Alphameric (F), Bookham Technology (F), BP (Q4), Brandon Hire (F), BWD Securities (F) Dobbies Garden Centre (F), Enodis (Q1) nCipher (F), Quantica (F),

Baggeridge Brick (AGM), Fountains (AGM), Holidaybreak (AGM) Paragon Group of Companies (AGM), Victrex (AGM)Dec trade (09:30)

Viacom (Q4) Prudential Financial (Q4)

Bouygues (Q4) Renault (F) Valeo (F)

Rhoen-Klinikum

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