Financial News

LONDON (ShareCast) - Brewing and pub group Greene King (LSE: GNK.L - news) is set to attract attention Thursday when it publishes full-year results.

Back in April, it forecast profit before tax, exceptional operating items and exceptional financing items for the 52 weeks ended 3 May of not less than £115m. Expect exceptional operating items of about £53m due to impairment of property, plant and equipment.

Investors piled in a day ahead of the news as drinkers knocked back the booze on what's likely to be one of the hottest days of the year so far.

The company has been opportunistically buying up pubs from its cash strapped rivals and buying back its own bonds at below par prices since raising £207.5m through a rights issue in April.

KBC Peel Hunt thinks a Game Group (LSE: GMG.L - news) could get a short term boost if the specialist computer and video games retailer confirms first half profit progress in its trading update. But it still says 'sell' as it reckons the console cycle will leave full-year profits in a downward spiral "for several years".

On the economic front, PMI construction spending, due at 9.30am, is seen improving to 46 in June from 45.9 a month earlier, closer to the 50 mark, which indicates unchanged activity.

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE AI Claims Solutions

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE Torchmark Corp (NYSE: TMK - news)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS PMI Construction Spending (09:30)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Factory Orders (US) (15:00) Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30) Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (15:00) Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)

FINALS Eros International, Greene King, NCC Group (LSE: NCC.L - news)

EGMS Adili (LSE: ADIL.L - news)

AGMS Game Group, Harvey Nash Group (LSE: HVN.L - news) , IBIS Media VCT, Lapp Plats (LSE: LPP.L - news) , Volvere (LSE: VLE.L - news)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Aberdeen New Thai Inv Trust, Brammer (LSE: BRAM.L - news) , Camellia (LSE: CAM.L - news) , Cryo-Save Group, Getmobile Europe (Dublin: GZQ.IR - news) , Management Consulting Group (LSE: MMC.L - news) , Orpak Systems, Rexam

TRADING STATEMENT Game Group