Also

* Monsanto Co. lowered its earnings forecast for the third quarter and all of 2002, citing a continued decline in sales of the Roundup herbicide in the U.S. as well as lower-than-expected sales in Argentina.

* Allergan Inc. asked an appeals court to let it try to block rivals to its Alphagan glaucoma treatment, in a case that may clarify brand-drug makers’ ability to ward off generic competition.

* Fleming Cos. received bids from Kroger Co. and Albertson’s Inc. for some of its supermarkets, which the biggest U.S. grocery distributor said may fetch more than $450 million, according to people familiar with the matter.

* Goleta, Calif.-based Deckers Outdoor Corp. agreed to buy the Teva sandals business from Teva inventor Mark Thatcher for about $62 million in cash, stock and notes.

* Alan Bond, a money manager who appeared regularly on the television show “Wall Street Week With Louis Rukeyser,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges for taking more than $6 million in kickbacks from brokerage firms.