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 24 December
Economics: Hometrack housing survey
Tuesday 25 December
UK Bank holiday - nothing scheduled
Wednesday 26 December
UK Bank holiday - nothing scheduled
Thursday 27 December
Economics: British Bankers' Association loans for house purchase data
Friday 28 December
AGM: ClearDebt Group, Gem Biofuels, Mobile Streams
EGM: Eurasian Natural Resources
Monday 31 December
Interim: West African Minerals
AGMs: Ceres Power, Croma Security Solutions
Tuesday 1 January
UK Bank holiday - nothing scheduled
Wednesday 2 January
Economics: Purchasing Managers' Index - manufacturing
AGM: Artilium
Thursday 3 January
Trading statement: Next
EGM: Acal
Economics: Net consumer credit figures, Purchasing Managers' Index - construction, M4 money supply figures, Mortgage approvals data, net lending figures (secured on dwellings)
Friday 4 January
Trading statements: Aer Lingus, Marshalls
Economics: Official reserves data, Purchasing Managers' Index - services
Shares going ex-dividend on 24 December
| Company | Dividend(p) | Payment |
| Acal | 2.5 | 18-Jan |
| British Assets Trust | 1.786 | 31 Jan |
| Ensor Holdings | 0.4 | 25 Jan |
| Jelf Group | 1.3 | 25 Jan |
| RPC Group | 4.3 | 25 Jan |
| Topps Tiles | 0.75 | 31 Jan |
Shares going ex-dividend on 2 January
| Company | Dividend(p) | Payment |
| Aveva | 4.5 | 01 Feb |
| Baronsmead VCT 2 | 5 | 18 Jan |
| Baronsmead VCT | 3.5 | 18 Jan |
| Barr (A.G.) | 7.4 | 18 Jan |
| Bisichi Mining | 1 | 01 Feb |
| Dairy Crest | 5.7 | 24 Jan |
| Experian PLC | 6.73 | 01 Feb |
| Halma | 4.06 | 06 Feb |
| ICAP | 6.6 | 08 Feb |
| Investors Capital Tst A Shs | 1.06 | 01 Feb |
| Investors Capital Tst B Shs | 1.06 | 01 Feb |
| ITE Group | 4.4 | 11 Feb |
| KCOM Group | 1.47 | 01 Feb |
| Latham (James) | 3.1 | 23 Jan |
| Lowland Investment Co. | 8 | 31 Jan |
| Mercantile Investment Trust | 6 | 01 Feb |
| Micro Focus | 7.4 | 25 Jan |
| Monks Inv Tst | 0.5 | 30 Jan |
| Murray International Trust | 9 | 18 Feb |
| NewRiver Retail | 6 | 30 Jan |
| Proactis Holdings | 0.75 | 25 Jan |
| R.E.A. Holdings | 3.5 | 26 Jan |
| Smith (WH) Group | 18.6 | 31 Jan |
| Speedy Hire | 0.22 | 25 Jan |
| Standard Life Euro Pvt Eq Trust | 2 | 01 Feb |
| Vertu Motors | 0.25 | 25 Jan |
| Volex | 1.25 | 15 Feb |
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.
