Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- European semiconductor-related stocks including STMicroelectronics NV may decline after two U.S. chipmakers cut their sales forecasts for this quarter. Oil companies such as Total SA and BP Plc may gain as oil rose for a second day in New York.

``A slight rally in crude oil prices should support the oil sector,'' said Matthew Buckland, a trader at CMC Group in London.

December futures on France's CAC 40 Index fell 6 to 3768 as of 7:43 a.m. in London. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index may slip 1 to 4702.90, according to Cantor Index, a betting firm. Germany's DAX Index might drop 9 to 4192.35, Cantor said.

American depositary receipts of STMicroelectronics, Europe's largest chipmaker, fell 0.4 percent from the shares' close in Paris. Those of Total, Europe's third-largest oil company, gained 0.3 percent, also from where they ended in Paris. BP, Europe's biggest oil company, added 0.7 percent from where its shares ended in London.

Xilinx Inc. and Altera Corp., the world's largest makers of programmable chips, said sales will decline more than expected this quarter. The forecasts came a day after Texas Instruments Inc. said its customers are continuing to reduce their chip inventory.

Crude oil for January delivery rose as much as 0.9 percent to $42.32 a barrel in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, extending yesterday's 1.2 percent advance. The contract last traded at $42.17 a barrel.

Euronext, GlaxoSmithKline

Euronext NV, Europe's second-largest stock exchange by market value, said net income fell 34 percent from a year earlier to 22.4 million euros after the company cut its stake in Clearnet SA and revenue from stock and derivatives trading declined. That compares with expected profit of 22.7 million euros, the median estimate of three analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Europe's biggest drugmaker, said yesterday after the close of trading that U.S. regulators have requested information about a probe of potential improper sales practices in Germany. The Securities and Exchange Commission wants information related to an earlier investigation by German prosecutors into the promotional activities of SmithKline Beecham Plc from 1997 to 1999, before it merged with Glaxo Wellcome Plc.

Activest, the investment unit of HVB Group, Germany's second- largest bank, is shrinking its funds-management operations to focus on four chief groups and will cut 11 of its 80 fund managers, daily Boersen-Zeitung said, citing unidentified people in the company.

Lufthansa, Remy Cointreau

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Europe's third-largest airline, said yesterday it had approved an order for seven long-haul jets from Airbus SAS, the world's largest maker of commercial aircraft. Lufthansa didn't say how much it will pay for the aircraft.

Remy Cointreau SA, the world's fifth-largest liquor company, said fiscal first-half net income dropped 42 percent from the year-earlier period to 20.5 million euros, as year-earlier gains from asset sales weren't repeated. That compares with expected profit of 31.1 million euros, the median estimate of four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News.

The Bank of England will probably leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a three-year high of 4.75 percent today on expectations economic growth may pick up in the fourth quarter, according to all 40 economists surveyed by Bloomberg on Dec. 3. The central bank will announce its decision at noon in London.

Industrial production in Germany, Europe's largest economy, probably rose in October for the third month in four amid signs that an export-led recovery may have helped revive domestic demand, a survey of economists showed. The production report will be released by the Economics and Labor Ministry at noon in Berlin.

Swiss Life

Swiss Life Holding, Switzerland's biggest life insurer, said it will sell its U.K. life insurance business for 205 million pounds to Resolution Life Group Ltd. as it exits the British market.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, the U.K.'s second-largest bank by assets, said pretax earnings may rise 10 percent this year, buoyed by acquisitions and higher lending to companies and home buyers. The lender is ``confident'' of meeting analysts' estimates. Analysts estimate income before tax, goodwill and integration costs will rise 10 percent from last year to about 7.9 billion pounds ($15.2 billion).

Tate & Lyle Plc, Europe's biggest sugar-cane refiner, will join the FTSE 100 Index after its shares surged 50 percent in the past year, FTSE Group said after the close of trading yesterday. Tomkins Plc, the world's biggest maker of wiper blades, will exit and London-based Tate & Lyle take its place on the benchmark from Dec. 20, FTSE Group said.

U.S. Gains

U.S. stocks rose yesterday as the dollar gained 0.8 percent to $1.3319 versus the euro, according to electronic currency-dealing system EBS. The dollar's drop this year has made U.S. equities less attractive to international investors because it diminishes their returns when converted back into their home currencies.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 0.5 percent yesterday to 1182.81. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5 percent to 10,494.23. The Nasdaq Composite Index also gained 0.5 percent, to 2126.11.

The Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific Index, which tracks more than 900 companies in the region, fell 0.5 percent to 94.98 as of 3:49 p.m. in Tokyo, for a fourth day of declines.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian McGee in London at bmcgee3@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 9, 2004 02:45 EST