Investing Knowledge

LONDON (ShareCast) - With most of the companies with end-March reporting periods now having announced trading updates, next week is set to be a quiet week for company results.

Bike and car parts retailer Halfords gets a chance to claim the spotlight with its full-year results on Wednesday. Market consensus is for adjusted profit before tax of £91.5m, up from £90.2m a year earlier, with earnings per share forecast to show a larger percentage rise, up from 29.3p to 30.92p thanks to the company's (currently suspended) share buy-back programme. Sales are tipped to top £790m.

The decline in sat-nav prices has been a major headache for the company but otherwise sales have held up well in the recession, as car owners spend money on upgrading their existing cars rather than buying new models, while the steady upwards creep of petrol prices is also likely to have boosted cycle sales.

'Gross margin is forecast to be up by c140bp, driven by a shift in mix towards the higher margin Car Maintenance category, an increase in the number of 'we-fit' jobs and sourcing gains,' reckons broker Charles Stanley.

An update on the company's restructuring programme is expected along with further details of the group's strategic direction, which is likely to feature an increased focus on overseas expansion.

On the economic front, Tuesday sees updates on two obsessions of the British: shopping and house prices.

The British Retail Consortium's retail sales monitor for May is due to be released while the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors publishes its House Prices Balance data.

Monday June 08

INTERIMS Pressure Technologies

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Smart (SMAR.JK - news) (J) & Co.

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE BP

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Industrial Orders (GER) (11:00) Current Account (JPN) Trade Balance (JPN) Bankruptcies (JPN)

FINALS Latchways (LSE: LTC.L - news) , Sirius Real Estate Ltd., UBC Media Group (LSE: UBC.L - news) , Workspace Group

AGMS Chamberlin (LSE: CMH.L - news) and Hill, Concurrent Technologies, Prospect Japan Fund Ltd.

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Fidessa, Michael Page International, SThree

Tuesday June 09

INTERIMS ATH Resources (LSE: ATH.L - news) , Gooch and Housego (LSE: GHH.L - news)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Trade figures (GER) (07:00) Industrial Production (GER) (11:00) Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00) INSEE Survey Business Sentiment (FRA) (07:30) Trade Balance (FRA) (07:45) Machine Tool Orders (JPN)

FINALS Bango (LSE: BGO.L - news) , Brulines, Carclo (LSE: CAR.L - news)

AGMS Aberdeen Growth VCT I, CQS Rig Finance Fund Ltd., FREEDOM4 Group (LSE: FFC.L - news) , Panther Securities (LSE: PNS.L - news) , Target Resources (LSE: TGT.L - news) , Universe Group (LSE: UNG.L - news)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS BRC Sales Monitor (10:30) RICS House Prices Balance (00:01) DCLG House Prices (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Dillistone

Wednesday June 10

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE Care UK (LSE: CUK.L - news) , Ciref (LSE: CRF.L - news) , Education Development International, Jersey Electricity 'A', Keydata AIM VCT (LSE: KEY.L - news) , MedicX Fund Ltd., Redhall Group (LSE: RHL.L - news) , Scottish Inv Trust, Superglass Holdings (LSE: SPGH.L - news) , Victrex (LSE: VCT.L - news) , Zytronic (LSE: ZYT.L - news)

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Royal Dutch Shell (Amsterdam: RDSA.AS - news) 'A'

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE British Assets Trust, Panther Securities

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Balance of Trade (US) (13:30) Monthly Budget Statement (US) (19:00) Federal Reserve Beige Book (US) (19:00) Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00) Manufacturing Output (FRA) (07:45) Industrial Production (FRA) (07:45) Machine Orders (JPN) Domestic CGPI (JPN)

FINALS Focus Solutions, Halfords, Rensburg Sheppards (LSE: RBG.L - news) , Vyke Communications

EGMS Vatukoula Gold Mines (LSE: VGM.L - news)

AGMS Air China, Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO.L - news) , Colliers CRE (LSE: COL.L - news) , DataCash Group (LSE: DATA.L - news) , Elderstreet VCT (LSE: EDV.L - news) , Eurasian Natural Resources, Ideal Shopping Direct (LSE: IDS.L - news) , Intelligent Environments (LSE: IEN.L - news) , K3 Business Technology Group, London and Associated Properties, Shed Media (LSE: SHDP.L - news)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Dolphin Capital Investors, PZ Cussons (LSE: PZC.L - news)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Manufacturing Production (09:30) Balance of Trade (09:30) Industrial Production (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Centrica (LSE: CNA.L - news) , Matrix Income & Growth 4 VCT, Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets, PV Crystalox Solar (LSE: PVCS.L - news) , Tomkins (LSE: TOMK.L - news)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE Adventis Group (LSE: ATG.L - news) , Albany Inv Trust, Bioquell (LSE: BQE.L - news) , Bond International Software (LSE: BDI.L - news) , Booker Group (LSE: BOK.L - news) , Camellia (LSE: CAM.L - news) , Core VCT I (LSE: CR.L - news) , Core VCT II (LSE: CR2.L - news) , Core VCT III (LSE: CR3.L - news) , Development Securities (LSE: DSC.L - news) , Iomart (LSE: IOM.L - news) , Johnson Matthey (LSE: JMAT.L - news) , K3 Business Technology Group, M&C Saatchi, Martin Currie Pacific Trust, May Gurney Integrated Services (LSE: MAYG.L - news) , Mckay Secs., Mears Group (LSE: MER.L - news) , Melrose Resources (LSE: MRS.L - news) , Murray Income Trust, Northern Investors Co., Orpak Systems, PayPoint (LSE: PAY.L - news) , Printing.com, Restaurant Group (LSE: RTN.L - news) , Ventus 1 VCT, Ventus 2 VCT (LSE: VEN2.L - news) , Ventus 3 VCT (LSE: VEN3.L - news) , Young & Co's Brewery 'A'

Thursday June 11

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Prodesse Investment Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Retail Sales (US) (13:30) Jobless Claims (US) (13:30) Business Inventories (US) (15:00) ECB Report (EU) (09:00) GDP (JPN)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS NIESR GDP estimate (00:01)

FINALS AEA Technology (LSE: AAT.L - news) , London & Stamford Property, Park Group (LSE: GB0006710643.L - news)

AGMS Afren (LSE: AFR.L - news) , Blue Oar (LSE: BLUE.L - news) , Kentz Corporation (LSE: KENZ.L - news) , Melrose Resources, Pacific Assets Trust, Prezzo

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Antofagasta, Computacenter (LSE: CCC.L - news) , Macfarlane Group

Friday June 12

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE British Empire Securities & (LSE: BTEM.L - news) amp; General Trust, Smiths News (LSE: NWS.L - news) , WH Smith

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Industrial Production (EU) (10:00) U. of Michigan Confidence (US) (15:00) Import Price Index (US) (13:30) CPI (FRA) (07:45) Industrial Production (JPN) Consumer Confidence (JPN)

AGMS China Medical System Holdings, Griffin Mining (LSE: GFM.L - news) , Lookers (LSE: LOOK.L - news) , Networkers International (LSE: NWKI.L - news) , Share Plc, Sweet China (Berlin: S5W.BE - news)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Ambrian Capital (LSE: AMBR.L - news) , Cayenne Trust, Clarkson (LSE: CKN.L - news) , Elderstreet VCT, FDM Group (LSE: FDMG.L - news) , Nationwide Accident Repair Services (LSE: NARS.L - news) , Porvair (LSE: PRV.L - news) , Rightmove (LSE: GB00B0MFTM73.L - news) , Wellstream Holdings, Xaar (LSE: XAR.L - news)