A pretty busy DAY for London blue-chip share followers.
Top of the table is AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN), biggest company in the FTSE 100 over Shell by a few billion. Full-year results from the pharma giant come almost three months after it upgraded guidance for earnings and revenue, with shareholder returns also in focus.
Another of the top-10 dividend payers reports on the same day, with British American Tobacco PLC (LSE:BATS) to unwrap its latest pack of returns for investors.
Analysts expect a slight increase in the dividend and maybe an updated pledge about share buybacks.
Income hunters could be in for a treat, as Unilever PLC (LSE:ULVR) completes the set, but sales volumes for the fourth quarter are expected to show a further slowdown.
Compass Group PLC (LSE:CPG) was among the biggest dividend increases last year but this will be a first-quarter update from the catering colossus.
It set a target for growing profits 20% this year, so this first-quarter update will determine if it remains on track to ladle out further big returns.
Among the mid-caps, investors in Watches of Switzerland Group PLC (LSE:WOSG) will counting down to an update from Britain’s most prominent Rolex merchant amid turmoil in the secondary luxury timepiece market.
Nevertheless, analysts expect it to be one of the main beneficiaries of strong primary-market sales of Rolexes.
Significant announcements
Trading updates: Bellway PLC (LSE:BWY), Compass Group PLC (LSE:CPG), Watches of Switzerland Group PLC (LSE:WOSG)
Interims: Redrow PLC (LSE:RDW)
Finals: AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN), British American Tobacco PLC (LSE:BATS), Unilever PLC (LSE:ULVR)
AGMs: Compass Group, easyJet, Oxford Metrics (AIM:OMG), Polar Capital Global Healthcare Trust, Tritax Eurobox, Zytronic (AIM:ZYT)
Economic announcements: RICS housing market survey (UK), Continuing claims (US), Initial jobless claims (US)
US earnings: AbbVie, PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP), Philip Morris International, PayPal Holdings