The torrent of results continues this week with banks and insurers to the fore.
On the economic front, Thursday sees the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee make its interest rate decision, with a vote for the status quo still expected, though it is less of a formality than it was.
Friday sees the market-moving US non-farm payrolls data released.
HSBC is the next banking giant to march out to the crease, when it announces its half-year results on Monday.
It is not that long since the company provided a strategy update that unveiled plans to radically reshape its business portfolio.
Those plans included a commitment to accelerate investments in Asia, sell operations in Brazil and Turkey, ring-fence (while gritting teeth) the UK high street banking operations, save up to US$5bn by the end of 2017 and complete the review by the end of this year of where to have its headquarters.
“Management thoughts on Budget changes made to the UK levy and taxes look to stand high on the agenda,” suggests stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown.
Investec, meanwhile, wonders whether it could be the bank’s final set of numbers before the “escape” from the UK is resolved.
It is forecasting profit before tax (PBT) of US$6.5bn, which is about US$700,000 above the market consensus.
Intertek, one of the FTSE 100 companies least likely to win a “household name” contest, also has interims out on Monday.
The quality control expert is tipped by Numis to report operating profit of £152mln, little changed from the first half of last year.
“The H1 results also provide an opportunity for new CEO Andre Lacroix to provide some more detailed thoughts on the business," Numis’s Steve Wool said.
"While we believe the medium-term structural growth opportunities remain unchanged, we do not expect a material change in the outlook, and as such, we believe a calendar 2016E PE of 17x appears up with events."
On Wednesday, emerging market focused bank Standard Chartered has a certain amount of repair work to be done to its reputation.
Investec is still forecasting a dividend cut at some point in the near future, and possibly a fund-raising.
Thursday sees RSA Insurance update the market and Swiss insurer Zurich is sure to take a keen interest as it has admitted it is running the rule over the UK insurance firm.
Profitability should rebound given friendlier weather this time around compared to last year, and Numis is forecasting pre-tax profit of £218mln, up from £69mln a year earlier.
Significant announcements expected
Monday
Interims: Coats Group (LON:COA), Fidessa Group (LON:FDSA), HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA), Intertek Group (LON:ITRK), Keller Group (LON:KLR), Trinity Mirror (LON:TNI), Ultra Electronics Holdings (LON:ULE)
Economic: UK – Halifax house prices, Manufacturing PMI. US – Construction spending, Manufacturing PMI, Personal income, Personal spending.
Tuesday
Interims: Clarke (T) (LON:CTO), Direct Line Insurance Group (LON:DLG), Fresnillo (LON:FRES), Just Eat (LON:JE.), LSL Property Services (LON:LSL), Meggitt (LON:MGGT), Morgan Sindall (LON:MGNS), Pendragon (LON:PDG), Rotork (LON:ROR), SDL (LON:SDL), SDL (LON:SDL), Standard Life (LON:SL.), Travis Perkins (LON:TPK)
Economic: UK – BRC shop price index, Construction PMI, Nationwide house prices. Eurozone – Producer prices. US – Factory orders.
Wednesday
Interims: BBA Aviation (LON:BBA), Devro (LON:DVO), Ferrexpo (LON:FXPO), IP Group (LON:IPO), Legal & General Group (LON:LGEN), London Stock Exchange Group (LON:LSE), Novae Group (LON:NVA), SOCO International (LON:SIA), Spirax-Sarco Engineering (LON:SPX), Standard Chartered (LON:STAN), StatPro Group (LON:SOG), Unite Group (LON:UTG)
Trading statement: IAG (LON:IAG)
Economic: UK – Services PMI. Eurozone – Services PMI, Retail Sales. US – ADP payrolls, Crude oil inventories, Services PMI, ISM non-manufacturing PMI.
Thursday
Interims: Aggreko (LON:AGK), Aviva (LON:AV.), Cobham (LON:COB), Genel Energy (LON:GENL), GW Pharmaceuticals (LON:GWP), Hill & Smith Holdings (LON:HILS), Inmarsat (LON:ISAT), Investec (LON:INVP), Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate (LON:KWE), Mondi (LON:MNDI), Old Mutual (LON:OML), Randgold Resources Ltd (LON:RRS), Rio Tinto (LON:RIO), RSA Insurance Group (LON:RSA), Spirent Communications (LON:SPT)
Trading statements: easyJet (LON:EZJ), Enterprise Inns (LON: ETI), SABMiller (LON:SAB), UDG Healthcare (LON:UDG)
Economic: UK – BoE inflation report, MPC rate setting and asset purchase decision, Industrial production. Eurozone – Retail PMI. US – Weekly unemployment claims
Friday
Interim: William Hill (LON:WMH)
Trading statement: Bellway (LON:BWY)
Economic: UK – Trade balance. US – Non-farm payrolls, Unemployment rate