BRIEFLY AUTOBYTEL SHARES DOWN AMID PROBE.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

Shares of Autobytel Inc., which runs auto-shopping Web sites, slid Friday after the company delayed its third-quarter earnings release due to an internal accounting probe that called into question up to $900,000 of revenue previously reported.

Stock of the Irvine company closed at $6.88, down $1.93, or 22 percent, on heavy volume on the Nasdaq Stock Market. On a 52-week basis, the shares hit a low of $5.72 on Aug. 6 and a high of $17 on April 13.

Late Thursday, Autobytel said its audit committee was reviewing some unapplied credits, totaling somewhere between $450,000 and $900,000, that were recognized as revenue in the 12 months ended March 31, 2004. The company said it may have to restate prior results or record an adjustment in the third quarter or in a later period as an outcome.

3 from Citigroup may face charges

NEW YORK - The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering recommending charges against two former Citigroup Inc. employees and a current employee, the financial-services giant said Friday.

The possible charges relate to the creation and operation of an internal transfer agent unit to serve primarily the Smith Barney family of funds, according to a Citigroup filing with the SEC.

Transfer agents keep shareholder records and issue new share certificates. Their operations, governed by detailed SEC regulations, also include distributing proxies, dividends and annual reports.

The three under investigation by the SEC include Thomas W. Jones, the former chief executive of Citigroup Global Investment Management. The other two employees were not identified in the filing.

Citigroup president Robert Willumstad said in a memo released Friday by Citigroup that the three had received Wells notices, in which the SEC gives warning that civil enforcement charges may be coming.

United set to hire plan consultant

CHICAGO - United Airlines agreed Friday to hire an outside consulting firm to review its pending new business plan, a step sought by two unions in exchange for dropping legal action against the carrier.

The hiring of Bridge Associates LLC, once it is formally approved in bankruptcy court, will end a two-month effort by the machinists' and flight attendants' unions to have a court-appointed trustee take over United's restructuring. The unions acted after United stopped contributing to employee pension plans.

United said Oct. 15 that the dispute had been settled, but final details were not worked out for another week. Both sides announced the agreement Friday.

Bridge Associates is to examine United's still undisclosed business plan, which is designed to clear the way for it to exit bankruptcy, for 30 days and make recommendations to the airline. As part of the agreement, the unions will receive copies of the report.

Outside directors seek Spitzer talks

ALBANY - Outside directors of Marsh & McLennan Cos. have sought to negotiate with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in the insurance bid rigging case, a source familiar with the overture said Friday.