Also . . .

* Today, Cisco Systems Inc. is due to announce its quarterly profit. The tech bellwether has high-tech investors nervous about whether it can beat Wall Street estimates as it has in the past, or become another victim of slowing sales growth in the network equipment sector. Dell Computer Corp. is also expected to report earnings this week.

* Today, British Airways is likely to report the first double-digit improvement in operating profit in two years. BA is expected to report a 37% gain in operating profit for the quarter when net profit tripled, according to analysts.

* Tuesday, BP Amoco, the third-largest publicly traded oil company, is expected to become the industry’s latest to report record third-quarter earnings, mainly because of higher crude oil and natural gas prices, analysts said. BP probably made $3.82 billion, excluding goodwill charges from the $33.1-billion purchase of Los Angeles-based Atlantic Richfield Co., according to analysts.