Welcome to the week ahead, our summary of the forthcoming key company announcements. Companies are no longer obliged to notify the London Stock Exchange (LSE) of results and trading updates, so this list does not claim to be comprehensive. You can read company announcements at http://announce.ft.com and our daily online news summaries record all key company announcements and business press headlines.
Monday 30 March
Interims: James Halstead, Quadrise Fuels International
Finals: AA, Al Noor Hospitals, Central Asia Metals, Instem, Miton, Outsourcery, Plant Health Care, Polymetal International, XL Media
Trading statement: Compass
EGM: Serco
Economics: Net consumer credit, Net lending secured on dwellings, Mortgage approvals, M4 money supply
Companies paying dividends: Coral Products (0.2p), Mountview Estates (100p)
Tuesday 31 March
Finals: Chesnara, e-Therapeutics, InternetQ, Kingfisher, Lidco
Trading statements: Ithaca Energy, Mitie, Thomas Cook
Economics: GfK consumer confidence, Current account balance (Q4), GDP (Q4 final), Total business investment (Q4 final), Index of services
Companies paying dividends: Alliance Trust (2.4585p), Atrium European Real Estate (4.81p), BHP Billiton (40.25p), Custodian REIT (1.25p), Ediston Property Investment Company (0.4583p), F&C Capital & Income Investment Trust (2.3p), F&C UK Real Estate Investments (1.25p), Henderson Diversified Income (1.25p), Henderson Opportunities Trust (8.8p), HICL Infrastructure (1.81p), Innovation (0.2p), Medicx Fund (1.475p), Premier Energy & Water (4.7p), Premier Energy & Water (special) (0.75p), Renewables Infrastructure (3.08p), Rights & Issues Investment Trust Capital (1.8p) Rights & Issues Investment Trust Income (25.5p), Temple Bar Investment Trust (23.33p)
Wednesday 1 April
Interim: Asos
Final: Evraz
Trading statement: FirstGroup
Economics: Markit UK PMI manufacturing
Companies paying dividends: Concurrent Technologies (1.15p), Darty (0.875p), Henderson Global Trust (2.5p), Microgen (special) (27p), Primary Health Properties (10p), Standard Life (special) (73p)
Thursday 2 April
Trading statements: Booker, Electrocomponents, Ferrexpo, Marks & Spencer
AGM: Amino Technologies
Economics: Markit/CIPS UK construction
Companies paying dividends: Barclays (3.5p), Clinigen (1p), Gleeson (MJ) (2.7p), Greencore (3.25p), Hansard Global (3.5p), LPA Industries (0.85p), MTI Wireless (0.44p), Murray Income Trust (7p), P2P Global Investments (12.5p), Pennon (9.98p), Persimmon (95p), Rensburg Aim VCT (special) (2p), River & Mercantile (3.6p), River & Mercantile (special) (1p), Small Companies Dividend Trust (1.575p), St Modwen Properties (3.137p), Wilmington (3.7p), Witan Investment Company (4.6p)
Friday 3 April
UK bank holiday - nothing scheduled
Shares going ex-dividend on 2 April
| Company | Dividend (p) | Payment |
| Abbey | 3.57 | 30 Apr |
| Amino Technologies | 3.85 | 24 Apr |
| Cambian | 1.8 | 2 Apr |
| DS Smith ord 10p | 3.7 | 2 Apr |
| Dragon Oil ord IEP0.25 | 12 | 2 Apr |
| Finsbury Growth & Income Trust | 5.5 | 6 May |
| Fyffes | 1.19 | 7 May |
| Glanbia | 4.83 | 2 Apr |
| HgCapital Trust ord 25p | 32 | 2 Apr |
| InterContinental Hotels 11 3/7p | 33.8 | 15 May |
| Interserve ord 10p | 15.5 | 20 May |
| Investors Capital Trust 'A' shares | 1.15 | 1 May |
| Investors Capital Trust units | 1.15 | 1 May |
| Jardine Lloyd Thompson ord 5p | 18.3 | 6 May |
| Lloyds Banking | 0.75 | 19 May |
| Murray International Trust ord 25p | 15 | 15 May |
| Nichols ord 10p | 15.3 | 5 May |
| Pearson ord 25p | 34 | 1 May |
| Photo-Me International ord 0.5p | 2.34 | 14 May |
| Renewable Energy Generation ord 10p | 0.55 | 24 Apr |
| RIT Capital Partners ord £1 | 15 | 29 Apr |
| Smith (DS) | 3.7 | 1 May |
| Troy Income & Growth Trust | 0.575 | 24 Apr |
The ex-dividend date is the first day on which it is no longer possible to buy the shares and qualify for the dividend. Ex-days are almost always a Thursday. The record date is usually one day after the ex-date. The payment day is the day on which the funds are transferred to shareholders.
