Utility company SSE issues a trading statement and interest, as ever, will focus largely on how much money it will return to shareholders.
The company is a byword for a “steady Eddy” business, but with capital expenditure plans of £4bn over the next four years, it needs to keep a tight control of costs to keep up its dividend commitments.
Floor coverings seller Carpetright is a bit more of a volatile company than SSE.
It is giving a fiscal third quarter update and seems to be in one of its up phases, after reporting like-for-like (LFL) sales growth of 2.6% year-on-year for the first six weeks of the second half of the financial year.
“Comparatives for the rest of Q3 are tougher, and management needs to maintain trading momentum in order to deliver market expectations – our forecasts are based on H2 LFL sales growth of 3%,” said Peel Hunt.
Significant announcements expected
Finals: Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust PLC (LON:ASL), Ocado Group PLC (LON:OCDO), Oxford Biodynamics PLC (LON:OBD), Toople PLC (LON:TOOP)
Interims: Alumasc Group PLC (LON:ALU)
Trading statements: Britvic PLC (LON:BVIC), Carpetright PLC (LON:CPR) Intermediate Capital Group PLC (LON:ICP), SSE plc (LON:SSE)