Friday preview: RBS could announce anything

6th Aug 2009 15:37

Part-nationalised bank Royal Bank of Scotland is being tipped to return to profit with a pre-tax profit of around £1.2bn, helped by gains from asset sales and buy-backs of its bonds.But there is more than the usual difference in estimates, with some reports even suggesting new chief executive Stephen Hester may throw the kitchen sink in this time with the aim of posting a sustainable improvement in a couple of years time. That could possibly mean a loss especially as there are certain to be more significant bad debt write-offs.In the event, as with Lloyds on Wednesday, the numbers themselves may play second fiddle to what Hester says about prospects. He has been fiercely criticised for his £9.6m pay and incentives scheme, but a new set of five-year targets for the bank could accompany the figures and show how he intends to earn it.INTERIMS Jardine Matheson (Singapore), Jardine Strategic (Singapore), Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Stanley Gibbons INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Albion Enterprise VCT, Chemring Group, Driver Group QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Investors Capital Trust 'A' Shares, Investors Capital Trust 'B' Shares INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Consumer Credit (US) (19:00) Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (13:30) Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30) AGMS Arko Holdings, Arko Holdings, Majestic Wine FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Albion Protected VCT, Anglo-Eastern Plantations, Babcock International Group, Blue Planet Financials Growth & Income Inv Trust Unit, Cable & Wireless, Carphone Warehouse Group, Establishment Inv Trust, Hyder Consulting, Invensys, KCOM Group, Lindsell Train Inv Trust, Mitie Group, Monks Inv Trust, Mothercare, Rensburg Sheppards, Telecom Plus, Vodafone Group, Wincanton