Investing Knowledge

LONDON (ShareCast) - Bus and train firm Stagecoach has already indicated it expects full year pre-tax profit to be in line with expectations, so Wednesday's results should see the company announcing pre-tax profit of around £189m on sales of £2,101m.

The company said last week that demand for its Megabus service in North America has grown strongly in North America, with sales up by 183% in the year to 30 April 2009, as people leave their cars at home and opt for the cheaper option of a bus ride.

Stagecoach operates the service, which offers fares as low as one dollar, in the Midwest and northeast of the USA, and claims to have carried more than 3m passengers since its launch in April 2006.

As well as current trading performance, the focus will be on the company's debt position. The company has grown quickly with a string of acquisitions, but management seems comfortable with the company's debt levels.

"Against a background of difficult credit markets, the group's financial position remains strong and it has significant committed, undrawn bank facilities," the group said in a statement on 28 April.

Although Stagecoach says it expects its ratio of net debt to EBITDA to increase over the next year as result of the downward pressure on UK Rail profits, it expects to remain well financed and operate comfortably within the financial covenants applying to its bank facilities.

Shares in Comet (COTN.SW - news) stores owner Kesa Electricals (LSE: KESA.L - news) have fallen sharply over the last week, with the only consolation being that the share price of its rival, DSG International (LSE: DSGI.L - news) , which owns Currys and PC World, has fallen even more.

The company announced jobs cuts at its head office and the rationalisation of its warehouse operations back in May after it reported a 7.3% slump in like for like sales at its UK Comet stores in the period from 9 January to 30 April. Performance in Spain has been even worse, while the company recently opted to exit the Swiss market completely, selling off its Swiss operations for around £11.4m.

Monday June 22

INTERIMS Porvair (LSE: PRV.L - news) , Protonex Technology (LSE: PTX.L - news)

FINALS Kewill

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUCEMENTS Rightmove House Prices (00:01)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS IFO Business Climate (GER) (08:00) IFO Current Assessment (GER) (08:00) IFO Expectations (GER) (08:00) Tertiary Industry Index (JPN) Supermarket Sales (JPN) Convenience Store Sales (JPN)

EGMS Meikles Africa

AGMS Brixton, Lo-Q, Pinewood-Shepperton, Shieldtech (LSE: STEC.L - news) , Shieldtech, Telefonica SA

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Ntt Docomo (Berlin: MCN.BE - news) , Stobart Group (LSE: STOI.L - news)

Tuesday June 23

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Matchtech

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Frontline (Oslo: FRO.OL - news)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Coincident Index (JPN) (23:50) Corporate Service Price Index (JPN) (23:50) Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00) Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index (US) (15:00) House Price Index (US) (15:00) GfK Consumer Confidence Survey (GER) (07:10) Consumer Spending (FRA) (07:45) Business Confidence Indicator (FRA) (07:50) Production Outlook Indicator (FRA) (07:45) PMI Manufacturing Survey (FRA) (08:00) PMI Service Sector Survey (FRA) (08:00) PMI Manufacturing Survey (GER) (08:30) PMI Service Sector Survey (GER) (08:30) PMI Manufacturing Survey (EU) (09:00) PMI Service Sector Survey (EU) (09:00)

FINALS 600 Group, Cropper (James), D1 Oils (LSE: DOO.L - news) , GEONG International, Private and Commercial

EGMS Bateman Litwin N.V (LSE: BNLN.L - news) .

AGMS Ablon, Canisp (LSE: CN.L - news) , Gulfsands Petroleum (LSE: GPX.L - news) , Iofina (LSE: IOF.L - news) , Kiotech International (LSE: KIO.L - news) , Noble AIM VCT (LSE: NOA.L - news) , Norcon (LSE: NCON.L - news) , North American Banks Fund Ltd., PetroLatina Energy (Frankfurt: UKF.F - news) , Randall & Quilter Investment, Silanis International

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS British Bankers Association Loan Approvals for House Purchase

Wednesday June 24

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Standard Life Equity Income Trust

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE CareTech Holding, Edinburgh Worldwide Inv Trust, Friends Provident Group, Pennine AIM VCT 5 (LSE: PNV5.L - news) , Plexus

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE New Star Financial Opportunities Ltd., Queen's Walk Investment Ltd.

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS CBI Distributive Trends Surveys (09:30)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30) Current Account (EU) (08:00) Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30) FOMC Interest Rate (US) (19:15) New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

FINALS ACM Shipping (LSE: ACMG.L - news) , Avocet Mining (LSE: AVM.L - news) , Imagination Technologies (LSE: IMG.L - news) , Invocas, Kesa Electricals, Stagecoach Group

TRADING STATEMENTS Inchcape (LSE: INCH.L - news) , Iomart (LSE: IOM.L - news) , McBride (LSE: MCB.L - news)

AGMS Atlas Estates (LSE: ATLS.L - news) , BH Macro GBP Shares, Castings (LSE: CGS.L - news) , Cavanagh Group, Dexion Absolute AUD Shares, Dexion Absolute EUR Shares, Dexion Absolute GBP Shares, Dexion Absolute USD Shares, Eastern European Trust, Hasgrove (LSE: HGV.L - news) , Investors Capital Trust 'A' Shares, Investors Capital Trust 'B' Shares, Irish Continental Group Units, Landore Resources (LSE: LND.L - news) , Norman Hay (LSE: HNN.L - news) , Northern Investors Co., Peel Hotels (LSE: PHO.L - news) , Rugby Estates (LSE: RES.L - news) , Sefton Resources (LSE: SER.L - news) , Tower Resources (LSE: TRP.L - news)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Premier Farnell (LSE: PFL.L - news) , Toyota Motor (Frankfurt: 853510 - news)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE Aberdeen Income & Growth VCT, Anglo-Eastern Plantations, Aveva Group (LSE: AVV.L - news) , BATM Advanced, Brown (N.) Group, BSS Group, Caffyns (LSE: CFYN.L - news) , Corin Group (LSE: CRG.L - news) , Dairy Crest Group (LSE: DCG.L - news) , Edge Performance VCT, Electrocomponents (LSE: ECM.L - news) , Experian Group, F&C Managed Portfolio Trust Income Shares, Finsbury Worldwide Trust, Fuller Smith and Turner, Hamworthy (LSE: HMY.L - news) , Hansa Trust, Hansa Trust 'A' Shares, Hasgrove, Invensys (LSE: ISYS.L - news) , KCOM Group (LSE: KCOM.L - news) , Liontrust Asset Managament, Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust, New City Energy, Norman Hay, Printing.com, Record (LSE: REC.L - news) , Speedy Hire (LSE: SDY.L - news) , Victoria, Vislink (Dublin: VSF.IR - news) , Wynnstay Properties (LSE: WSP.L - news)

Thursday June 25

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Octopus Eclipse VCT (LSE: OEC1.L - news) 3, Octopus Eclipse VCT 4, Titon Holdings

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS All Industry Activity Index (JPN) (23:30) Consumer Price Index (JPN) (23:30) Gross Domestic Product (US) (13:30) Personal Consumption (US) (13:30) Industrial New Orders (EU) (08:30) Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30) Producer Prices (FRA) (07:45) Industrial New Orders (EU) (10:00)

FINALS DSG International, DS Smith, Goldshield Group (LSE: GSD.L - news) , Micro Focus International Plc (LSE: MCRO.L - news)

TRADING STATEMENTS Telecom Plus

EGMS Commercial Group Properties

AGMS Aberdeen New Thai Inv Trust, Blue Planet European Financials Inv Trust, Commercial Group Properties, Hansen Transmissions International, Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber (2607.KL - news) , JD Sports, JPMorgan Income & Growth Inv Trust Income Shares, Lukoil 'B' GDR (Reg S), Metals Exploration (LSE: MTL.L - news) , Nautilus Minerals Inc. (DI), Octopus AIM VCT (LSE: OOA.L - news) , Petards, Peter Hambro Mining (LSE: POG.L - news) , Prodesse Investment Ltd., Scottish Mortgage Inv Trust, Tandem Group (LSE: TND.L - news) , UMC Energy (LSE: UEP.L - news) , Vernalis (LSE: VER.L - news)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE British American Inv Trust, Octopus Eclipse VCT 2, Octopus Protected VCT 1

Friday June 26

INTERIMS Alternative Networks (LSE: AN.L - news)

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Baronsmead VCT, Baronsmead VCT 2 (LSE: BVT.L - news) , F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., Narborough Plant, Northern Venture Trust, Northern Venture Trust 'C' Shares, Shaftesbury (LSE: SHB.L - news) , Zytronic (LSE: ZYT.L - news)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Consumer Confidence (FRA) (07:50) Consumer Price Index (GER) (08:00) Gross Domestic Product (FRA) (07:55) Personal Savings (US) (13:30) Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30) Personal Spending (US) (13:30) U. of Michigan Confidence (US) (15:00) Consumer Price Index (JPN)

FINALS MobilityOne (LSE: MBO.L - news)

EGMS Boussard & Gavaudan Holding Ltd. EUR Shares, Boussard & Gavaudan Holding Ltd. GBP Shares, The Hotel Corporation

AGMS Cluff Gold (LSE: CLF.L - news) , Coolabi (LSE: GB0006877822.L - news) , European Islamic Investment Bank, Gresham Computing (LSE: GHT.L - news) , Hawtin (LSE: HTI.L - news) , Headlam, Herencia Resources (LSE: HER.L - news) , Lookers (LSE: LOOK.L - news) , Matra Petroleum (LSE: MTA.L - news) , NetDimensions (LSE: NETD.L - news) , Pendragon (LSE: PDG.L - news) , Platmin (LSE: PPN.L - news) , The Hotel Corporation, Top Level Domain Holdings, Ukrproduct Group, Yujin International

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Invista Real Estate Investment Management Holdings

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Aberdeen Growth VCT I, Dignity (LSE: DTY.L - news) , Gresham House (LSE: GHE.L - news) , IRP Property Investments, Lees Foods (LSE: LEE.L - news) , Melrose Resources (LSE: MRS.L - news) , Narborough Plant, Peel Hotels, Printing.com, Randall & Quilter Investment, Spectris (LSE: SXS.L - news) , Win (LSE: WNN.L - news) , Witan Pacific Inv Trust