Friday preview: Man Group, Experian, Bovis Homes

14th Jan 2010 15:13

Trading statements are expected on Friday from Experian, Bovis Homes and Man Group.The share price of hedge fund manager Man Group has retreated this week after Morgan Stanley cut its rating on the stock from 'overweight' to 'equal weight'. The US broker likes Man's exposure to a number of growth areas - distribution in Asia, capabilities in onshore to complement offshore structured products and benefit from UCITS III Opportunities - but pressures on sales and earnings are not fully reflected in market numbers, it believes.Credit checking firm Experian has seen a strong performance in Latin America compensate for tougher times elsewhere. The group is expecting 'modest organic growth' in the second half of its financial year.The acquisitive company tends not to rely solely on organic growth, however, and was on the acquisition trail again last week, snapping up a leading e-mail marketing company in Japan. Investors will be looking for updates on how well its acquisitions are being integrated.Housing builder Bovis Homes issues a trading update that will be compared to Thursday's statement from Barratt Developments and last week's announcement from Persimmon.In November Bovis was making plenty of positive noises, with the number of private reservations in the year to 13 November up 83% on the corresponding period of the year before, and was even talking about a write up of land values at the end of the 2009 financial year. INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAlliance Pharma, Babcock International Group, Cropper (James), Electrocomponents, Kewill, Northern 3 VCT, Severn Trent, Shanks Group, Telford Homes, UK Mail Group QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATELand Securities GroupANNUAL REPORTNorthern AIM VCTINTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT Man Group EGMSX5 Retail Group GDR (Reg S)AGMSBellway, Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping, Smiths News, Sorbic InternationalTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSBovis Homes Group, ExperianFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEOctopus Eclipse VCT 1, Octopus Eclipse VCT 3, Octopus Eclipse VCT 4, TanjongINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConsumer Prices Index (US) (13:30)Empire State Manufacturing Survey (US) (13:30)Industrial Production (US) (14:15)University of Michigan Consumer Confidence (US) (14:55)Trade Balance (EC) (10:00)Consumer Prices Index (EC) (10:00)