Business Information Service: This week
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Your support makes all the difference.MONDAY: Scottish & Newcastle is a bellwether for the sector, so analysts will be looking to see what its final results say about trading conditions for other companies. Expect profits to be down about 5 per cent on an FRS3 basis. Beer sales should be down, though Center Parcs is forecast to turn in a good performance. The dividend will be around 17.1p, 6 per cent up.
Outstanding UK credit should rise about pounds 150m in May, consistent with a continuing rise in borrowing and consumer confidence. June M0 money supply figures will give the latest indications on whether the recovery in spending can be sustained. In the year to May, M0 rose 3.3 per cent.
TUESDAY: Shares in Midlands Electricity suffered when it paid a second interim dividend while the ACT tax credit was 25 per cent. Expectations are that the final dividend will be 4.4p, bringing the total to 19.75p, up 14.5 per cent. Despite a modest rise in distribution profits, final profits should up about 16 per cent to pounds 165m due to supply recovery and lower interest costs.
Eurotherm should show underlying sales growth, further margin improvements and gains in market share, leading to interim profits up about 37 per cent to pounds 9.2m. Sales continue to improve in markets outside Europe, and analysts remain bullish about the company's potential to outperform.
German unemployment data will be scrutinised for signs that the recession is ebbing. The market expects western German unemployment to show a 35,000 rise after the increase of 24,000 in May.
WEDNESDAY: Following better than expected interims at Budgens, forecasts for the year have been raised from pounds 6.2m to pounds 6.8m. Margin gains were achieved following the launch of a central buying company, though administrative overheads following recruitment and training will rise. Although there was no dividend at half- time, investors should receive a final payment of about 0.75p.
Final profits at Dixons will be up about 30 per cent to pounds 82m, though likely to be overshadowed by poor news from the US, where the City would like to see some reduction in involvement. There is also a feeling that trading since the big Christmas promotions has lacked sparkle, and analysts' profit forecasts have been edging down.
The three-day G7 summit begins in Tokyo.
THURSDAY: Greene King has underperformed by 10 per cent in the run-up to its finals, due partly to expectations of another bid for Morland. But the results should show management has a grip on the core business. Beer volumes should be up around 5 per cent, and investors will be looking for news on progress in the increasingly important take-home market. Food turnover should be up about 30 per cent, though pub numbers have been static. Expect profits slightly up at pounds 20m.
FRIDAY: No major UK results or economic statistics expected.
Results: NatWest Securities. Median economic forecasts: MMS International.
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