AstraZeneca PLC and GSK PLC will bring the pharmaceutical sector into the spotlight when both report next week.
For AstraZeneca, full-year figures on Thursday, February 6 come after its shares have receded from an all-time high in August.
Having upgraded guidance to reflect revenue and earnings per share growth in the high teens last time out, attention will be on AstraZeneca’s outlook, including on its pipeline.
“Investors are also likely to be sensitive to any word on fraud investigations by the Chinese authorities into certain senior staff members,” Hargreaves Lansdown’s Derren Nathan said.
GSK faces a tougher challenge ahead of its Wednesday, February 5 results though, AJ Bell analysts noted, with shares around two-thirds off highs seen back in 1999.
Pressure most recently has centred around debate on the strength of its drug development, US Zantac lawsuits and Donald Trump’s election victory.
Guidance will also be under the microscope, alongside expectations for sales growth of 7% to 9% and a 11% to 13% increase in core operating profit.