Tuesday preview: UK data released as M&S and ABF report results

4th Nov 2013 14:42

A flood of UK economic data will be released on Tuesday including house prices, retail sales and services activity. Halifax will say house prices rose by 0.9% in October compared to an increase of 0.3% the month before, according to consensus.The British Retail Consortium's sales figures are expected to show a like-for-like jump of 1.1% last month ahead of a 0.7% rise in September. UK services purchasing managers' index (PMI) is tipped to fall to 60 in October from 60.4 in September. A reading above 50 signals expansion.Later on in the US, the Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing composite index for October is anticipated to ease back to 54 from the prior month's 54.4.In the London earnings session, Marks & Spencer will report its half-way results.Nomura predicts like-for-like food sales growth of 3% but a fall in clothing sales of 0.4%. Pre-tax profit is pegged to drop 12% to £252m. The retailer has been working to turn around its struggling clothing division so investors will be waiting to see how the new autumn and winter fashion ranged fared. Associated British Foods will report its final results tomorrow. According to Investec: "Following two years of exceptional sugar profitability (F-12: £510m, F-13E: £437m) mainly off the back of strong EU sugar prices, we now see profitability falling to £337m in F-14 and £307m in F-15. EU sugar prices have fallen faster than we and the market were expecting and we now forecast ave. 2014 prices of €660 per tonne (from €690 previously), falling to €580 per tonne by 2017 (previously €640)."The broker said continued growth in Primark should help offset the weakness in sugar and forecast a 15% rise in earnings before interest and tax off a base of £500m in full-year 2013. Imperial Tobacco and CSR will also unveil their latest results tomorrow. Tuesday November 5thINTERIMSBlinkx, First Derivatives, Marks & Spencer Group, Imperial TobaccoINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATENationwide Accident Repair ServicesINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBalance of Trade (US) (13:30)ISM Non-Manufacturing (US) (15:00)ISM Services (US) (15:00)Producer Price Index (EU) (10:00)HSBC services PMI (China)RBA olicy announcementEuropean Comission Autumn forecastsQ3CSRFINALSAssociated British Foods, Next Fifteen CommunicationsIMSS4Imprint Group, Aer Lingus Group, HSBC Holdings, Intu Properties, Legal & General Group, PPHE Hotel Group LtdAGMSAnimalcare Group, Kofax, Strategic Equity CapitalUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBRC Sales Monitor (00:01)Official Reserves (09:30)PMI Composite (09:30)PMI Services (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEIPPlusQ1KofaxRD