Friday preview: Trinity Mirror to report on the 'Murdoch effect'

11th Aug 2011 17:24

Newspaper groups have been struggling recently with the weak advertising outlook seemingly getting worse and this trend is likely to warrant a mention in Trinity Mirror's trading update, particularly with regard to its local papers, where classified advertising business is defecting to the internet. To spice things up, Trinity Mirror's Sunday Mirror has been seeing sales rise following the ignominious demise of the News of the World. No doubt Trinity will be keen to mention this.Paving slab firm Marshalls' share price fell down a crack in August, and is only 10p or so above its 52-week low. Its markets remain challenging, what with its partial dependence on the public sector, and Panmure Gordon thinks it will be a long, hard slog before the company gets back full on its feet. "Our overall view on Marshalls remains unchanged; longer term recovery potential remains intact and the approaching 5% yield should provide support, however, market challenges continue, as do input cost pressures and we are keen to see more evidence of a sustained recovery in Marshalls' end markets before turning more positive," the broker said, reiterating its "hold" recommendation. Panmure Gordon is predicting interim profit before tax of £9.5m for Marshalls.INTERIMSEnQuest, SVG Capital, Trinity Mirror, Zenergy PowerINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECore VCT IV, Core VCT V, Ludgate Environmental Fund Ltd.QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEBritish Land CoINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSIndustrial Production (JPN)Capacity Utilisation (JPN)CPI (FRA) (06:30)GDP (FRA) (06:30)Non-farm Payroll (FRA) (07:45)Wage Growth (FRA) (07:45)Industrial Production (EU) (10:00)Advance Retail Sales (US) (13:30)University of Michigan Consumer Confidence (US) (14:55)Business Inventories (US) (15:00)AGMSHeath (Samuel) & Sons, Himachal GDR (144a), Oryx International Growth Fund Ltd., Sirius Real Estate Ltd.FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAmati VCT , Cable & Wireless Communications, Cropper (James), Ensor Holdings, GB Group, Invesco Asia Trust, JPMorgan Brazil Inv Trust , Majestic Wine, Mitie Group, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Inv Trust, SABMiller, SepuraINTERNATIONAL EARNINGSJ C Penney, ThyssenKrupp--jh