INVESTORS will get a clearer picture of trading in the troubled retail sector this week, with J Sainsbury and Boots among a string of blue chips due to report results.
Robert Wiseman The Scottish dairy company has had a roller-coaster year as a result of the big supermarket groups having completed reviewing theirmilk supply contracts.
It has been a case of win some, lose some forWiseman, which has augmented its position with market leaderTesco and with Sainsbury, while losing contracts to supply Asda and Wm Morrison.
Investors will be keen to get a clearer idea of the outlook for the coming year following this shake-up.
Scottish & Southern More of the same solid progress is expected from the utility when it reports full-year figures on Wednesday.
The group will have benefited from the first compensation payment from TXU Europe of pounds-159.1m, paid at the end of March.
Analysts are expecting fullyear pre-tax profits of pounds-695m, up from pounds-610m last year.
The market will be anticipating details of the group's dividend policy until 2009/10. A high single-digit dividend growth is expected. Brokerage Gerrard predicts growth of 8-per cent.
J Sainsbury Investors will be seeking signs that the decline of the struggling supermarket group has bottomed out when it reports full year figures on Wednesday.
It is expected to reveal a 61-per cent slide in pre-tax profits to pounds-262.5m due to investment in pricing, higher distribution costs and the impact of sluggish sales on operating costs.
Analysts say the group probably needs to cut prices more to narrow the gap with more price-orientated rivals such as Tesco.
Compass Shareholders should get further details of a shake-up at the catering and restaurants group on Wednesday.
Compass is tipped to reveal details of a strategic review at this week's interim results, with analysts expecting businesses to be sold off and moves to buy back shares.
The group is under pressure from shareholders afterwarning on profits twice within a year.
Half-year, pre-tax profits are forecast to fall to pounds-260m from pounds-283m a year ago.
O2 The mobile phone group is expected to announce its maiden dividend on Wednesday as it unveils a hike in full-year, pre-tax profits to pounds-741m, from pounds-377m a year ago.
Investors should get details of the company's view of the impact of new mobile phone rival easyMobile and a potential flotation of Hutchison Whampoa in the UK.
BT The former telecoms monopoly is likely to report slowing growth and continued pressure on margins on Thursday.
BT is expected to announce growth in revenues from the previous quarter of about 2.6-per cent to pounds-4.71bn, but this is down 1.5-per cent year-on-year.
The company is likely to say its cost-cutting plan to counter the impact of a declining traditional business is on track, but this is unlikely to be enough to maintain growth in new revenues.
Final pre-tax profits should come in at pounds-2.08bn, compared with pounds-2.01bn last time.
Boots Aseries of disappointing trading updates from Boots means that analysts are already braced for a fall in annual profits on Thursday - expected to slip to pounds-475m from pounds-544.6m last year.
While there should be few surprises in the figures, the City will be looking for any signs of a trading revival and developments in plans from the retailer to sell off its division responsible for making the Nurofen and Strepsils brands.
It is thought the business up for sale could be worth as much as pounds-1bn.
DIVIDENDS EXPECTED TODAY Athelney Trust 2p; Biotrace International 1.15p; Datamonitor 2.5p; Guinness Peat Group 1p;
JKX Oil & Gas 0.3p; Mallett 6.8p;
Travis Perkins 21p.
TOMORROW Aviva 16p; London and St Lawrence Investment Company 3.65p; XP Power 8p.
WEDNESDAY Candover Investments 29p;
Devro 2.75p; Fulmar 3.4p;
Incisive Media 1.25p; Mithras Investment Trust 2p; Rensburg 45p; St James's Place Capital 1.6p.
THURSDAY City of Oxford Geared Income Trust 3.07p; Investec High Income Trust 1.625p; Kier Group 7p; LogicaCMG 3.5p.
FRIDAY Aggreko 3.57p; Air Partner 5.5p;
Barratt Developments 8.99p;
BBA Group 7.95p; Bovis Homes Group 13.6p; 2.5-per cent Index-Linked Treasury Stock 2009; Chieftain Group 2p; Concurrent Technologies 0.25p; DRS Data and Research Services 1p; Edinburgh Income and Value Trust 2.4p;
F&C Capital and Income Investment Trust 2.725p; Glisten 0.5p; Hat Pin 1p; International Real Estate 3p; Martin Currie Capital Return Trust 'A' 0.3p;
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels 10.42p; Murray International Trust 5.95p; Novar 'B' 1.89853p;
PM Group 1p; Portmeirion Group 9.95p; Reed Elsevier 9.6p; Slough Estates 9.85p; St Ives 5p; Vitec Group 8.9p; Whitbread 135p.
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