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 on at http://announce.ft.com and our daily online news summaries record all key company announcements and business press headlines.
Monday 3 December
Interim: Sirius Real Estate
Trading statement: City of London Investment Group
EGM: Integra
Economics: Purchasing managers' index - manufacturing, Hometrack housing survey
Tuesday 4 December
Interims: Anite, Greene King, May Gurney Integrated Services, NewRiver Retail, Northgate, ReNeuron, Vianet
Finals: Datong, ITE, Pressure Technologies, TUI Travel
Trading statement: Wolseley
AGM: Northamber
EGMs: Cenkos Securities, Yule Catto
Economics: British Retail Consortium November sales, Purchasing managers' index - construction
Wednesday 5 December
Interims: First Property, Stagecoach
Finals: Brewin Dolphin, Innovation, Jelf, Numis, Sage, Silverdell
Trading statement: Tesco
AGMs: Asia Digital, K3 Business Technology
Economics: British Retail Consortium shop price index, Official reserves, Purchasing managers' index - services, Chancellor of the exchequer Autumn Statement
Three weeks ago Stagecoach (SGC) said profitability was "good" and that there had been no change to forecasts for the full year. Investec Securities is looking for a 9 per cent increase in underlying earnings to 27.3p a share and a quick look at the numbers explains the company's positive tone. April's price hikes increased revenue at the regional bus division by 3.6 per cent and rail accelerated during the second quarter, too, so half-year revenue there will be up almost 8 per cent. Letting loss-making contracts go meant income from Stagecoach's London bus routes fell slightly, but new contracts and dearer tickets will reverse that in the months ahead. Budget coach operator Megabus is driving double-digit growth in North America. We may also find out what the West Coast mainline extension will be worth, although it's the potential for new rail franchises when the Department of Transport eventually fixes the process next year that's of real interest. Any disruption from super storm Sandy is likely to be negligible.
Thursday 6 December
Interims: Falkland Island, Micro Focus International, Mulberry, Smith (DS)
Finals: Caretech, OMG, Redhall, Titon
Trading statements: Aer Lingus, easyJet, Premier Farnell, PZ Cussons, Standard Chartered
AGMs: RSM Tenon, Wessex Exploration
EGM: 3Legs Resources
Economics: Trade figures, Bank of England interest rate announcement, BoE asset purchase target, New car registrations
Friday 7 December
Interims: Berkeley, Polar Capital
Trading statements: Air Partner, Bellway
AGMs: Air Partner, Associated British Foods, Frontier Mining, Gleeson (MJ), Interior Services, James Halstead, Minco, Renewable Energy Generation, Waterman
Economics: Industrial production, Manufacturing output
Berkeley (BKG) announces half-year results on Friday and is expected to confirm that a strong trading performance from the bespoke housebuilder will underpin its long-term strategy of returning £13 a share in dividends to investors by 2021. In an interim management statement, the group has already confirmed that earnings for this year are likely to be at the top end of consensus estimates of pre-tax profits of £224m and EPS of 122.1p. Three new sites have been acquired predominantly on deferred terms since the start of the year in Wapping, Hammersmith and Chiswick, and Berkeley expects to achieve a potential gross margin on its land holdings of £3bn by April 2014. Selling prices are likely to have held up well, reflecting continued limited supply of quality homes in London. Pre-tax profits in the financial year to April were up 58 per cent to £215m, and while the shares, at 1,587p, now trade at the highest premium to net asset value of all the UK housebuilders, and not an overly cheap 13 times forecast earnings, the strong growth profile and the prospect of a hefty dividend return justify the premium.
Shares going ex-dividend on 5 December
| Company | Dividend(p) | Payment |
| Alliance Pharma | 0.275 | 15 Jan |
| Alpha Pyrenees | 0.6 | 7 Jan |
| Associated British Foods | 20.0 | 11 Jan |
| Atkins (WS) | 10.0 | 11 Jan |
| Baronsmead VCT 2 | 5.0 | 18 Jan |
| Baronsmead VCT | 3.5 | 18 Jan |
| Big Yellow | 5.0 | 4 Jan |
| British Empire Sec & General Trust | 3.5 | 7 Jan |
| British Empire Sec & General Trust | 7.5 | 7 Jan |
| Britvic | 12.4 | 18 Jan |
| Brown (N) | 5.45 | 4 Jan |
| Carnival | 3.125 | 28 Dec |
| Cello | 0.58 | 4 Jan |
| City Of London | 0.33 | 4 Jan |
| CVS | 1.5 | 21 Dec |
| Debenhams | 2.3 | 11 Jan |
| Electrocomponents | 5.0 | 11 Jan |
| Grainger | 1.37 | 8 Feb |
| Headlam | 4.65 | 2 Jan |
| Homeserve | 3.63 | 3 Jan |
| Invesco Income Growth Trust | 2.0 | 31 Dec |
| IRP Property Investments | 1.8 | 28 Dec |
| Land Securities | 7.4 | 10 Jan |
| London Stock Exchange | 9.7 | 7 Jan |
| Majestic Wines | 4.0 | 4 Jan |
| Management Consulting | 0.23 | 8 Jan |
| Norcros | 0.155 | 8 Jan |
| Northamber | 0.75 | 18 Jan |
| Northern 3 VCT | 2.0 | 11 Jan |
| Renewable Energy Generation | 1.5 | 9 Jan |
| Rensburg AIM VCT | 1.5 | 28 Dec |
| SABMiller | 15.0584 | 14 Dec |
| Shanks | 1.1 | 11 Jan |
| Slingsby (HC) | 4.0 | 4 Jan |
| Tarsus | 2.2 | 18 Jan |
| TR Property Inv Trust | 2.65 | 8 Jan |
| TR Property Inv Trust Sigma | 1.05 | 8 Jan |
| UK Mail | 6.4 | 18 Jan |
| Value & Income Trust | 4.0 | 4 Jan |
| YouGov | 0.5 | 17 Dec |
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 Wednesday. The record date is usually two days after the ex-date. The payment day is the day on which the funds are transferred to shareholders.
