Week ahead: Shell, AstraZeneca, British Airways...

22nd Oct 2010 12:48

After all of the spending review excitement of the past week it's back to the bread and butter of company announcements with some big names rolling out numbers.If the much stronger-than expected US earnings season is a guide, there could be pleasing news on the way especially among manufacturers and tech stocks.British Airways, on Friday, is one firm being tipped for a bullish update. The airline recently cemented its-three-way tie-up with Iberia and American, while rumours of a settlement over its cabin crew dispute have grown louder recently.German broker Commerzbank this week said that based on the expected very strong results for the second quarter, it sees "clear upside to current market expectations for full-year earnings and to the company's most recent guidance (currently: breakeven at the PBT level)."Charles Stanley adds that the combination of revenue growth and good cost control will give strong operational leverage to profitability and this should be more pronounced in 2011-12.Royal Dutch Shell's third quarter will be much better than last year, but brokers are not expecting much difference from the second quarter's net income of $4.39bn. Oil prices have risen to above $80 per barrel while downstream margins have recovered, but it may be what Shell says about its production profile over the next 18 months that gets most attention, especially if it moves to take advantage of BP's problems in the US.Drug giant AstraZeneca is tipped to reveal a tough third quarter after a good first half. Last year's third quarter was strong and profits and earnings may show a decline even though Astra upped its forecast for the year after the first six months. Expect sales of about $7.8bn and earnings per share of $1.50.Monday October 25INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEEMIS Group, Interserve, SavillsQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATELand Securities GroupINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSExisting Home Sales (US) (15:00)Industrial New Orders (EU) (10:00)Producer Price Index(AUS) (00:00)GMSDeo Petroleum, NeutraHealth, VphaseIMSSMcbrideEGMSRaven Russia Ltd., Zhejiang Southeast Electric Power Co Ltd. GDR (Reg S)AGMSGoldplat, Mcbride, Pacific Horizon Inv TrustUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBBA Mortgage Lending Figures (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAssetCo, Brooks Macdonald Group, Cassidy BrothersTuesday October 26INTERIMSBraemar Shipping Services, LiDCO GroupINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEFairpoint GroupINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSABC Consumer Confidence (US) (22:00)Consumer Confidence (US) (15:00)GFK Consumer Confidence (GER) (07:00)House Price Index (US) (15:00)Q3ARM HoldingsGMSAnglogold Ashanti Ltd., Impax Asian Environmental Markets, Mitchells & ButlersIMSSGo-Ahead GroupAGMSActive Capital Trust, Global Special Opportunities Trust Income Shares, Indus Gas Ltd., JPMorgan Overseas Inv Trust, Lucky Cement Ltd. GDR (Reg S), Murray Income Trust, Savile GroupUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSGDP (Preliminary) (09:30)Index of Services (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAniteWednesday October 27INTERIMSFirst DerivativesINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECapital & Counties Properties , Quarto Group Inc.INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATEAberforth Geared Income Trust, Albany Inv Trust, Blackstar Group, Booker Group, Corin Group, Hansteen Holdings, Harvey Nash Group, Hunting, John Menzies, Marshalls, ProVen Health VCT, Rolls-Royce Group, Senior, Tandem Group, Tullett Prebon, Whitbread, William HillQUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATEBankers Inv Trust, Equity Partnership Inv Co Income Shares, GlaxoSmithKline, M&G High Income Inv Trust Income & Growth Units, M&G High Income Inv Trust Income SharesINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConsumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00)Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)Factory Orders (US) (15:00)Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (EU) (10:00)M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)Q3Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company SA, CSR, Electrolux AB, Norsk Hydro ASA, Telekomunikacja Polska GDR (Reg S), Virgin Media Inc.IMSSBritish American TobaccoEGMSHardy Oil & GasAGMSAberdeen Development Capital, Aberdeen Development Capital 2010 ZDP Shares, Aberdeen Development Capital 2012 ZDP Shares, Eclectic Investment CompanyTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSCarpetrightFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEHaynes Publishing GroupFINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEBlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust, City of London Investment Group, Edge Performance VCT 'C' Shares, Edge Performance VCT 'D' Shares, Edge Performance VCT 'E' Shares, IndigoVision Group, Mcbride, Plexus Holdings, Ricardo, Savile Group, Stagecoach Theatre Arts, ThorntonsThursday October 28INTERIMSB.P. Marsh & Partners, Hansen Transmissions International NV, Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd. GDR, Rugby EstatesINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEGVC Holdings, Henry Boot, International Power, InterQuest Group, Lighthouse Group, Martin Currie Portfolio Inv Trust, TT ElectronicsINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBusiness Climate Indicator (EU) (10:00)Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)Economic Sentiment Indicator (EU) (10:00)Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)PMI Retail (EU) (09:00)PMI Retail (GER) (08:55)Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)Q2Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd. GDRQ3AstraZeneca, Axis-Shield, Banco Santander SA, Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B'GMSUltimate Finance GroupFINALSMouchel Group, Namakwa Diamonds Ltd.IMSSAggreko, Arriva, Axis-Shield, Pace, Premier Foods, Promethean World, RPS Group, TT ElectronicsEGMSAir China Ltd.AGMSAlumasc Group, Argos Resources Ltd., Ashmore Group, Cubus Lux, Go-Ahead Group, Murgitroyd Group, Ransom(William) & SonUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSCBI Distributive Trends Surveys (11:00)CBI Industrial Trends Surveys (11:00)GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)PMI Retail (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEOxford InstrumentsFriday October 29INTERIMSBritish AirwaysINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEBBA Aviation, Costain Group, CRH, Filtrona PLC, Hargreave Hale AIM VCT 2, Hotel Corp., Ideal Shopping Direct, Independent Media Distribution, Inmarsat, JSM Indochina Ltd., Morson Group, Norman Hay, Octopus Apollo VCT 1, Octopus Apollo VCT 2, Octopus Apollo VCT 3, Octopus Eclipse VCT 2, Octopus Second AIM VCT, Petropavlovsk, Primary Health Properties, Vitec Group, Wynnstay GroupQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEF&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., Henderson Global Property Companies Ltd., Schroder Income Growth FundINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBalance of Payments (GER) (07:00)Chicago PMI (US) (14:45)Employment Cost Index (US) (13:30)GDP (Advance) (US) (13:30)Gross Domestic Product (US) (13:30)Producer Price Index (EU) (10:00)U. of Michigan Confidence (US) (15:00)Unemployment Rate (EU) (10:00)Q3Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen SA GDR (Reg S), Shire PlcGMSAqua Bounty Technologies Inc. (Reg S), Lonrho, Puricore, Sirius PetroleumFINALSSabien Technology GroupANNUAL REPORTWaterman GroupIMSSElementis, Forth PortsEGMSEastern European Property Fund Ltd.AGMSEastern European Property Fund Ltd., JPMorgan Mid Cap Inv TrustTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSMeggitt, WPPUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConsumer Credit (09:30)M4 Money Supply (09:30)M4 Sterling Lending (09:30)Mortgage Approvals (09:30)Nationwide House Price Index (07:00)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAberdeen Development Capital, Alumasc Group, Ashley House, Begbies Traynor Group, Falkland Islands Holdings, Games Workshop Group, Penna Consulting