Engineering will be at the fore as Smiths Group (LSE:SMIN) PLC posts a six-month trading update, the company’s first since the completed sale of Smiths Medical to ICU Medical.
In November, the group said the first quarter of its current fiscal year met its expectations, with revenue from continuing operations up 1% year-on-year on an underlying basis.
Investors will be looking to see how much progress the group has made towards returning to pre-Covid top-line growth of around 3%.
United Utilities Group PLC (LSE:UU.) is set to issue a trading update ahead of the release of its full-year results in May and the excitement is also up to 1 on the Thrillometer.
In addition to the usual stuff about leakage levels there could be an increased focus on the group’s affordability schemes, given that living standards are to be squeezed more over the next few months.
Wickes Group PLC (LSE:WIX) said earlier this month that its results would be held up for a week as a result of a delay in the auditing process.
The company expects adjusted PBT to be no less than £83mln, with a prior announcement indicating like-for-like sales growth of 13.3%.
In macroeconomic news, UK consumer spending will indicate the mood of the consumer. There was a strong rebound in January after the -0.4% slowdown seen in December
Friday 25 Major Announcements Expected:
Trading statement: United Utilities PLC
Interim results: IMI PLC (LSE:IMI), Smiths Group (LSE:SMIN) PLC
Final results: Ebiquity PLC (AIM:EBQ), Faron Pharmaceuticals Oy (AIM:FARN, OTC:FPHAF)
AGMs: Beazley PLC, Kitwave Group Ltd, PCF Group PLC (AIM:PCF)
Economic announcements: GFK Consumer Confidence (UK), Retail Sales (UK), Pending Homes Sales (US), Uni of Michigan Confidence (US)