Week Ahead: Vodafone, Marks and Spencer, MPC minutes
Posted on: 18 May 2012 by Polly York

Full year results from Vodafone should see the group’s pre-tax profit break through the 10bn pounds barrier.

Consensus estimates are for profit before tax of £10.26bn for the year to March 31st, up from £9.5bn the year before. However, earnings per share are predicted to slip to 15.77p from 16.75p the year before. Revenue is seen rising to £46.3bn from £45.9bn.

In the fourth quarter of its fiscal year, Vodafone is set to get a sneaky lift from 2012 being a Leap year, with the company expecting February 29th to lift service revenues by somewhere between 0.7% and 0.9%. Broker Nomura Securities is expecting service revenue growth in the quarter to be 1.9%.

‘As flagged last month, we expect a shift from current revenue guidance (1-4%), and we now forecast organic growth of 0.4% for FY13 [fiscal 2013] and 0.9% for FY14 (1.0% / 1.3%
previously). We forecast a margin decline of 60bp [60 basis points, or six-tenths of a percentage point] and 40bp (50bp and 20bp previously),’ Nomura added.

The mobile phones network giant recently struck a deal to buy Cable & Wireless Worldwide in a deal worth just over £1bn as it seeks to beef up its share in the corporate enterprise market.

‘Its recent intention to showcase Enterprise and its interest in Cable & Wireless Worldwide is instructive. With European corporates under less pressure than consumers, an emphasis on Enterprise is sensible,’ reckons Nomura.

Vying for attention with Vodafone on Tuesday will be retail bellwether Marks & Spencer (M&S).

The market is expecting profit before tax of £693m, down from £714m the year before, on sales of £9.97bn. The dividend is seen rising to 17.05p from 17.00p the year before.

‘M&S is set to report a soft set of full year results, reflecting a combination of subdued sales, gross margin pressure and operating cost inflation,’ reckons Charles Stanley analyst Sam Hart.

Sales data has already been released with the fourth quarter trading update so the focus of investor attention will, therefore, be on outlook comments and guidance for 2012/13, along with any update on strategy, Hart asserts.

‘An update is expected to be provided by Chief Executive, Marc Bolland, on his strategic plan covering the three years to March 2014. Many of the initiatives remain at the implementation stage, although good progress appears to be being made in refreshing the store network, strengthening product ranges, improving operational efficiency and more fully exploiting the international opportunity,’ Hart said.

The broker reckons sales might just limp over the £10bn mark at £10.1bn, while its forecast for earnings before interest, tax and amortisation is £800m, down from £825m the year before.

Switching to matters macro-economic, the minutes from the May meeting of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee are scheduled for release on Wednesday.

The Bank of England toned down its economic growth projections for the UK economy in its May inflation report which has opened the door a bit wider for a resumption of the asset purchase programme (quantitative easing, or QE).

‘The outlook for growth presented in today’s Report is weaker than in February, and the outlook for inflation is higher in the near term,’ Bank of England governor Mervyn King said, in the opening remarks section of the quarterly inflation report.

Monday May 21

INTERIMS
Zytronic

FINALS
BTG, E2V Technologies, Mitie Group

AGMS
AG Barr, Chariot Oil & Gas Ltd., Cineworld Group, Cluff Gold, Restore, Third Point Offshore Investors Ltd. USD Shares

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
GKN, IMI, Mam Funds, Reed Elsevier, Resolution Ltd., Rotork, Stanley Gibbons Group, Unite Group

Q1
ADC African Development Corporation GmbH, JSC Halyk Bank GDR (Reg S)

Tuesday May 22

INTERIMS
Datong, Greencore Group, GW Pharmaceuticals, Paragon Group Of Companies, Renew Holdings

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Confidence Indicator (EU) (10:00)
Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)

FINALS
Accumuli , Big Yellow Group, Bloomsbury Publishing, Camco International LTd., Chamberlin, e-Therapeutics, Intermediate Capital Group, KCOM Group, Marks & Spencer, Robert Wiseman Dairies, UK Mail Group , Vodafone Group, Yell Group

ANNUAL REPORT
Instem

EGMS
JSM Indochina Ltd. (DI)

AGMS
Family Shariah Fund Ltd. (DI), Genel Energy, Henderson High Income Trust, Instem, Invesco Perpetual UK Small Companies Inv Trust, Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust, Royal Dutch Shell ‘A’, Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’, Somero Enterprises Inc.(Reg S), Tandem Group, Travis Perkins, Vernalis, Xaar

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index  (09:30)
Public Sector Finances (09:30)
Retail Price Index (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aggreko, Brady, British Smaller Companies VCT 2, Chesnara, Holders Technology, Jupiter Fund Management , Matrix Income & Growth VCT, Serco Group, Taylor Wimpey

Wednesday May 23

INTERIMS
Innovation Group, Shaftesbury

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Wetherspoon (J.D.)

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Bellway, Blackrock Frontiers Investment Trust, Diploma, Euromoney Institutional Investor, GCP Infrastructure Investments Ltd., Narborough Plantations, Titon Holdings

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Carnival

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
Current Account (EU) (09:00)
House Price Index (US) (15:00)
Industrial New Orders (EU) (10:00)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

Q4
Canaccord Financial Inc.

FINALS
Burberry Group, Canaccord Financial Inc., Great Portland Estates, HICL Infrastructure Company Ltd, Hogg Robinson Group, Reach4Entertainment Enterprises

ANNUAL REPORT
3i Group, Alexander Mining

AGMS
Alliance Pharma, Aurelian Oil & Gas, CSR, EKF Diagnostics Holdings , F&C Private Equity Trust, Foresight VCT, Healthcare Locums, Henderson Global Trust, Hochschild Mining, Immupharma, London Mining, Mercantile Investment Trust (The), Ocado Group, Optimal Pay

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BoE Interest Rate Minutes (00:00)
CBI Industrial Trends Surveys (11:00)
Internet Retail Sales (09:30)
Retail Sales (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Burford Capital Ltd., Fresnillo, Legal & General Group, Portmeirion Group, StatPro Group, Xstrata, Zotefoams

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Argo Group Ltd., Belgravium Technologies, C&C Group, Cayenne Trust, Chime Communications, Clarkson, DCC, Dignity, Elderstreet VCT, Fairpoint Group, Fortune Oil, Gresham House, Howden Joinery Group, International Power, Lamprell, Maven Income & Growth 2 VCT, Menzies(John), Morgan Crucible Co, Premier Farnell, Proven Planned Exit VCT, Robert Walters, Severfield-Rowen, Share Plc, SQS Software Quality Systems AG, Stobart Group Ltd., TT Electronics, UTV Media, Witan Pacific Inv Trust

Q1
OJSC Cherkizovo Group GDR (Reg S)

Thursday May 24

INTERIMS
Daily Mail and General Trust

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Redefine International

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bloomberg Consumer Confidence (US) (14:45)
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)
IFO Business Climate (GER) (09:00)
IFO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00)
IFO Expectations (GER) (09:00)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

GMS
Insetco

FINALS
ASOS, Booker Group, Cable & Wireless Communications, Dairy Crest Group, Mothercare, PayPoint, QinetiQ Group, SABMiller, United Utilities Group, Young & Co’s Brewery ‘A’ Shares

AGMS
@UK, Air China Ltd., GVC Holdings, Henry Boot, International Personal Finance, JKX Oil & Gas, JSC Bank of Georgia GDR (Reg S), Lombard Medical Technologies, Moss Bros Group, Open Joint Stock Company Nomos Bank GDR (REG S), PV Crystalox Solar, Robert Walters, S & U, Tasty, Xcite Energy Ltd. (CDI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BBA Mortgage Lending Figures (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Amlin, Churchill China, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Impax Environmental Markets, Interserve, Invesco Perpetual UK Small Companies Inv Trust, IS Solutions, Prudential, Total Produce, Tullow Oil

Q1
Espirito Santo Financial Group SA, Wentworth Resources Ltd (CDI)

Friday May 25

INTERIMS
MedicX Fund Ltd.

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Carr’s Milling Industries, Henderson Fledgling Trust , Mcbride, NB Global Floating Rate Income Fund Ltd GBP, NB Global Floating Rate Income Fund Ltd USD, Swallowfield

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
U. of Michigan Confidence (Final) (US) (15:00)

FINALS
Helical Bar, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd GDR (Reg S)

ANNUAL REPORT
Robert Wiseman Dairies, Rugby Estates

AGMS
Fairpoint Group, International Oil and Gas Technology Ltd., Lupus Capital, Rugby Estates, Turbo Power Systems Inc

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
African Barrick Gold , BBA Aviation, BG Group, Bovis Homes Group, Charles Taylor, Costain Group, DRS Data & Research Services, Dunedin Enterprise Investment Trust, Dunedin Income Growth Inv Trust, F&C Asset Management, Fiberweb, Fidelity European Values, Greggs, GVC Holdings, H.R. Owen, Henderson Group, Hydrogen Group, Inmarsat, Kentz Corporation Ltd., Mithras Inv Trust, North Midland Construction, Ocean Wilsons Holdings Ltd., Paddy Power, Pennant International Group, Regus, RPS Group, RSA Insurance Group, TP70 VCT