Friday preview: Pub owners discuss winter trade

27th Jan 2011 15:58

The weekend starts early for two of the pub sector's biggest names when they bring the market up to speed on developments.Snow before Christmas in the Midlands and North West is expected to have stopped drinkers getting to pubs run by Marston's, though the weather cleared up in time for New Year when things should have been better.Panmure Gordon is predicting like for like sales growth in managed pubs of 1% for the eight weeks to 22 January and rates the shares as a 'hold'.But over at Peel Hunt they think there's room for some upward movement and don't expect any major change to the theme of 10% earnings growth, complementing the 5.5% yield.Central London-based pub owner and brewer Fuller's won't have had quite as much snow and ice to sweep away, so analysts at Panmure are looking for a "fairly robust" update Friday.Despite this, like for like sales in managed pubs are thought to have dipped a little from 3.5% for the first 33 weeks of the financial year to 3% now. "In addition, we expect the company to remain cautious on the economic outlook, despite anecdotal evidence that London and the South East is outperforming other regions in the UK," the broker says.INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPMI Retail (GER) (08:55)PMI Retail (EU) (09:00)M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)GDP (Advance) (US) (13:30)Employment Cost Index (US) (13:30)Personal Consumption (US) (13:30)University of Michigan Consumer Confidence (US) (14:55)Q4Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. GDR (Reg S)GMSClyde Process SolutionsEGMSWestmount Energy Ltd.AGMSCaledonian Trust, JPMorgan Indian Inv Trust, Marston's, Ultrasis, XCAP SecuritiesTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSKCOM GroupUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSGFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAlbemarle & Bond Holdings, ATH Resources, Character Group, Education Development International, Proactis Holdings, Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies Trust, Standard Life European Private Equity Trust