It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet of FTSE 100 results tomorrow with at least five of the UK’s biggest names reporting full-year numbers.
Rolls-Royce will be one of those most closely watched given its position as a window on both the engineering and aviation sectors.
Analysts at UBS anticipate second-half group sales of £6.3bn, which would equate to a 27% rise on the preceding six months or an 8% improvement against last year’s comparatives.
“We retain a more cautious view on the recovery of long-haul and corporate travel, which Rolls-Royce is overexposed to given its widebody engine bias,” the bank’s analysts said in a note.
Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY), a big retail investor favourite, brings up the rear in the FTSE 100 high street banks reporting season.
Dividend and buyback payments so far have been huge and Lloyds is likely to be no different to its peers.
The full-year dividend is expected to be 2.07p and not wanting to be left out, the bank is expected to announce a bumper share repurchase programme.
BAE Systems meanwhile is one of those companies that might benefit from an outbreak of war in Ukraine.
The weapons maker is a big supplier of UK and US military equipment though recently has seemingly been more interested in beefing up its ESG credentials.
Consensus forecasts for sales in 2021 are around £21.5bn with underlying earnings of £2.2bn.
First-half profits from pig breeding specialist Genus PLC (LSE:GNS) are forecast to be 22% lower than last year due to the impact in China and as the period last year was particularly strong, said broker Peel Hunt.
Pre-tax profit is expected to be £37mln versus £47.1mln, with reported headline PBT of £48.4m last year less £1.3mln adjustment.
Thursday 24 February
Interims: Genus PLC, Hays PLC (LSE:HAS)
Finals: BAE Systems PLC (LSE:BA.), Centrica PLC (LSE:CNA), Conduit Holdings Limited, Derwent London (AIM:DLN) PLC, Drax Group (LSE:DRX) PLC, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Howden Joinery Group (LSE:HWDN) PLC, Inchcape PLC (LSE:INCH) , Lloyds Banking Group PLC, MacFarlane Group PLC, Morgan Sindall Group PLC (LSE:MGNS), Rathbones Group PLC (LSE:RAT, OTC:RTBBF), Serco Group (LSE:SRP) PLC, Spectris PLC (LSE:SXS) , St James’s Place PLC, WPP PLC (LSE:WPP) , Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LSE:RR.), Grafton Group PLC (ISE:GFTU),
AGMs: Bankers Investment Trust PLC (LSE:BNKR), Ediston Property Investment Company Plc (LSE:EPIC), Integrafin Holdings PLC, Victorian Plumbing Group PLC (AIM:VIC)
Economic data: Continuing Claims (US), Initial Jobless Claims (US), New Homes Sales (US)