Week Ahead: UK banks, Unilever

31st Jul 2009 12:25

UK tax payers get to find out on Friday how their High Street bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, performed in the first half of the year.Chancellor Alistair Darling has reportedly been less than happy with the UK banks' efforts to get the economy moving again, and in the case of part-nationalised RBS has been able to exert some influence on the bank to lend more to British businesses and consumers."It is very important that each and every bank knows that there is someone looking over their shoulder. I want to make sure that we ... have a competitive banking system in this country," the Chancellor said earlier this week. RBS has made commitments to lend £25bn to UK borrower as part of a quid pro quo for its participation in the government's asset protection scheme but the government is said to be frustrated at the speed at which this money is being lent out.RBS's response has been to roll out an advertising campaign targeted at small businesses. The other major UK banks are also due to report with Barclays and HSBC due on Monday, Standard Chartered on Tuesday and Lloyds on Wednesday.Anglo-Dutch household goods giant Unilever has had the gauntlet thrown down by smaller rival Reckitt Benckiser, which issued sparkling interim results this week, with pre-tax profits for the quarter to June jumping to £415m from £315m a year earlier.Unilever releases its second quarter results on Thursday which will give an indication of how new chief executive Paul Polman is progressing with his plan to galvanise the group. The firm, which includes Lipton ice tea and Dove soap in its product range, saw net profit in the first quarter fall by 43% to €803m as turnover slipped 1% to €9.505bn. In Western Europe, which accounts for more than a quarter of turnover, Unilever said market growth had been more affected by the global economic downturn than other parts of the world. "There has been some down-trading to private label brands," the firm said.Monday August 03INTERIMSBarclays, Fidessa, Management Consulting Group, HSBC Group, Senior, XP PowerINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECompass Group, Electronic Data ProcessingUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSManufacturing Purchasing Managers IndexINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSAuto Sales (US) (19:00)Construction Spending (US) (15:00)Institute for Supply Management (US) (15:00)FINALSAllocate Software, ProventecFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEChloride Group, Dee Valley Group, JD Sports Fashion, United Utilities Group, VictoriaTuesday August 04INTERIMSBATM Advanced, Drax Group, Meggitt, SDL International, Sportech, Standard Chartered, Tullett Prebon, ZotefoamsINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATESinclair (William) HoldingsUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConstruction Purchasing Managers Index INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPersonal Income (US) (13:30)AGMSBlue Planet Financials & Income Inv Trust, Blue Planet Financials Growth & Income Inv Trust Unit, Messaging International, Monks Inv Trust, QinetiQ GroupFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEHomeserve, Johnson Matthey, TR Property Inv Trust, TR Property Inv Trust Sigma SharesQUARTERLY RESULTSEndeavour International CorpWednesday August 05INTERIMSARC International, LSL Property Services, Lloyds Banking Group, Old Mutual, Premier Foods, StatPro GroupINTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATEAberdeen Growth Opportunities VCT, AstraZeneca, BG Group, Bluehone AIM VCT 2, Brit Insurance Holding, Dialight, Edinburgh UK Tracker Trust, F&C Inv Trust, Independent Inv Trust, Invista Real Estate Investment Management Holdings, Porvair, RAB Capital, Reckitt Benckiser Group, Reed Elsevier, St James's Place, Thomas Cook GroupQUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATERoyal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B'INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSCrude Oil Inventories (US) (15:00)Factory Orders (US) (15:00)ISM Services (US) (15:00)FINALSStagecoach Theatre ArtsAGMSAsia Resources, Goldshield Group, Invesco Income Growth Trust, Pennine Downing AIM VCT 2UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBRC Shop Price Index (10:30)Service Sector Purchasing Managers Index Industrial ProductionManufacturing OutputFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEHalfords Group, PGI Group, Record, Vedanta ResourcesFINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEAberdeen New Dawn Inv Trust, Carclo, City Natural Resources High Yield Trust, Cohort, F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., Henderson Far East Income Ltd., Latham (James), New FCPT Ld, QinetiQ Group, RPC Group, SSL International, Sutton HarbourQUARTERLY RESULTSCarpetright, Shire PlcTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTTopps TilesThursday August 06INTERIMSBBA Aviation, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company SA, Dairy Farm International (Singapore), Fiberweb, Genetix Group, Hardy Underwriting Bermuda, Hongkong Land Holdings, Ladbrokes, Mandarin In.Sg, Mecom Group, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Planet Payment Inc., RSA Insurance Group, VernalisINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECareTech Holding, THB GroupINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSInitial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)EGMSNanette Real EstateAGMSBritish Smaller Companies VCT, Deutsche Land, Instore, LED International, Maple Energy, Schroder UK Growth FundUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)Producer Price Index (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECharles Stanley, Dairy Crest Group, F&C Global Smaller Companies, Invesco Income Growth Trust, Workspace GroupQUARTERLY RESULTSUnileverFriday August 07INTERIMSJardine Matheson (Singapore), Jardine Strategic (Singapore), Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Stanley GibbonsINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAlbion Enterprise VCT, Chemring Group, Driver GroupQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEInvestors Capital Trust 'A' Shares, Investors Capital Trust 'B' SharesINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConsumer Credit (US) (19:00)Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (13:30)Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)AGMSArko Holdings, Arko Holdings, Majestic WineFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAlbion 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