Wednesday preview: Autonomy, miners

2nd Feb 2010 16:03

Data search software Autonomy has a reputation for putting out marketing messages thinly disguised as regulatory news items, most of which can be safely ignored, but the broking community will be tuning in to Wednesday's fourth quarter results announcement with interest to see whether the company will revise its 2010 guidance.The fourth quarter and full year figures themselves should not be too much of a surprise with the company having already announced a month ago that full year 2009 results will be in line with analyst consensus estimates of revenues of about $740m and fully diluted EPS (adjusted) of $0.97. That would imply fourth quarter sales of around $22m and EPS of $0.34.UBS thinks Autonomy will stick to its traditional 10% to 15% 'base' growth target. 'In the last three years Q1 [first quarter] has averaged a 12% organic q/q [quarter on quarter] decline, pointing to $196m sales; where we [UBS] are today. Consensus is at $200m, representing a seemingly inconsistent 21% y/y [year on year] organic growth,' UBS said.Elsewhere, mining giants ENRC and Antofagasta will give production updates, while life assurance firm Standard Life announces fourth quarter results.On the economic front, the service sector purchasing managers' index for Januaery is tipped to remain above 50, indicating expansion, but the level could fall to around 56.3 from 56.8 in December. INTERIMSQuadnetics GroupINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAshtead Group, FirstGroup, United Utilities GroupINTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATECarpetright, CPL Resources, Daejan Holdings, Invesco Perpetual AiM VCT, Latchways, Mattioli Woods, Penna Consulting, SSL International, Stagecoach GroupQUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATEBankers Inv Trust, Boeing, JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust, M&G High Income & Growth Units, M&G High Income Inv Trust Income SharesINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBalance of Trade (AUS) (00:00)ISM Non-Manufacturing (US) (15:00)ISM Services (US) (15:00)PMI Services (EU) (09:00)PMI Services (GER) (08:55)PMI Composite Index (EU) (9.00)Retail Sales (FRA) (10.00)PMI Services (FRA) (8.50)Q4Autonomy CorporationFINALSAutonomy CorporationAGMSDimension Data Holdings, Invesco Perpetual Recovery Trust 2011TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSAntofagasta, Carpetright, Eurasian Natural Resources, Standard Life, Workspace GroupUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPMI Composite (09:30)PMI Services (09:30)Nationwide Consumer Confidence (0.01)BRC Shop Price Index (0.01)FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEAberforth Geared Capital & Income Trust Income Shares, Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust, AstraZeneca, Connaught, Fenner, Framlington AIM VCT, Invista Foundation Property Trust, Northern AIM VCT, Puma VCT I, Sage Group, THB Group, Treveria, UK Commercial Property Trust, Wichford