With a number of FTSE 250 companies reporting interim results on Thursday, Premier Oil will grab investors’ attention as it sheds light on the beleaguered oil sector.
“Expect a number of one-off costs to lead to an unflattering profit & loss, including the write-off of several costs relating to the Solan development,” Sanjeev Bahl, an analyst at Numis Securities said.
The broker reckons, however that from a cash perspective, it will be a strong period for Premier, which will benefit from a 30% cost reduction in the North Sea and Vietnam.
Elsewhere, investors will be expecting a solid set of numbers from construction and civil engineering group Costain.
It aims to focus on winning contracts in the water, energy and transportation sectors and building on relationships with many blue chip customers, leading to a significant amount of repeat business.
“The order book has been steadily rising and tendering activity remains high,” analysts at The Share Centre said.
Sportech will be in the news as analysts will review its results to see whether the talks between the football pools operator and Canadian rival Contagious Gaming are likely to bear fruit.
With little by way of economic news tomorrow, investors will tune in to listen to Federal Reserve president John Williams’s speech to glean any information on the timing of an interest rate hike.
Thursday's Announcements:
Interims: Premier Oil (LON:PMO), Sportech (LON:SPO), Costain Group (LON:COST), UK Commercial Property Trust (LON:UKCM), Stock Spirits Group (LON:STCK), TT Electronics (LON:TTG), Kaz Minerals (LON:KAZ), New World Resources (LON:NWR).
Trading Update: WH Smith
Economic: US – Jobless claims, UK – Retail sales,
Companies trading Ex-Dividend include: British American Tobacco (LON:BATS), Prudential (LON:PRU), Fidessa Group (LON:FDSA), Taylor Wimpey (LON:TW., Mondi (LON:MND).