Unilever (LON:UNLV) has rather hogged the headlines recently when it comes to the consumer goods sector but on Wednesday, it's Reckitt Benckiser plc's turn (LON:RB.)
The Dettol and Nurofen maker reports its third quarter statement and investors will be hoping that margin and sales growth has continued.
In the second quarter reported in July, revenues came in at £2.3bn - 4% higher than the comparable period.
But notably, it also booked a £300mln charge following an investigation into a humidifier cleaner linked to a number of deaths in Korea.
The product was sold by the local RB unit Oxy Group over a decade from 2001 and the company has faced a backlash over its slow response to the controversy.
Broker Hargreaves Lansdown points out that Reckitt Benckiser has, like others, benefitted from weaker sterling, due to the majority of its business overseas.
"Reckitt spent over a billion pounds last year on marketing its products to ensure that its customers keep coming back," the broker said.
"This brand loyalty has meant increasing sales over time which, coupled with efficiency measures, has helped the group to raise margins and to establish an excellent track record of dividend increases.
"At the half-year stage, Reckitt reported growth across all territories, so the market will be looking for a repeat performance at the Q3 update."
Meanwhile, European financial group Kepler Cheuvreux rates the firm a 'buy' and targets 8,500p - a long chalk from the current 7,346p.
It forecasts what it calls "only" 2.5% like-forlike (LFL) growth for the group in the third quarter as it faces a number of issues.
It says the Korea issue is widely flagged and will depress top-line growth by around 1.5%.
"We also expect weaker trends in Russia driven by lower price increases than before and weaker volumes. The Scholl franchise also hurts growth due to the failed “Wet and Dry” launch in combination with difficult comparatives," it says.
Significant announcements expected
Interims: U and I Group PLC (LON:UAI)
Trading statement: Reckitt Benckiser PLC (LON:RB.), Travis Perkins PLC (LON:TPK).