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 8 April
Finals: Christie, DDD
Trading statement: Polymetal International
AGM: XP Power
EGMs: Greenco, KLCC Property
Tuesday 9 April
Finals: Blur, Concurrent Technologies, Frenkel Topping, Good Energy, JKX Oil & Gas, Lombard Medical Technologies, Nationwide Accident Repair Services, Netplay TV, Surgical Innovations
Trading statements: Ferrexpo, Robert Walters, Victrex
AGM: Low & Bonar
Economics: British Retail Consortium like-for-like sales data, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors house price data, Industrial production, manufacturing production, trade figures, National Institute of Economic & Social Research GDP estimate (March)
Wednesday 10 April
Finals: Amiad Water Systems, InternetQ
Trading statements: Atkins (WS), Dunelm, Halfords, Vedanta Resources
AGM: Law Debenture Corporation
Thursday 11 April
Interims: WH Smith
Finals: Burford Capital, Evraz
Trading statements: Ashmore, Electron Technology, Hays, Marks and Spencer, Mothercare, PZ Cussons, Volex
AGMs: BP, Pennant International, Smith & Nephew
Retailer WH Smith (SMWH) announces half-year figures on Thursday and investors will be keen to see how the group has been performing in the run up to the departure of chief executive Kate Swann on 30 June. The highly regarded Ms Swann has been at the helm for nearly a decade and, judging by the share price performance, the market isn't too worried about the change - the shares have actually risen 20 per cent since that announcement on 11 October. Recent trading hasn't been bad, either. True, group sales did fall 5 per cent in the 20 weeks to 20 January - but costs have continued to be tightly managed, allowing profit margins to be maintained. What's more, the group's travel and overseas business boasts impressive growth prospects. Cash generation remains strong, too, and is funding another £50m share buy-back scheme - that was announced in August. Peel Hunt expects pre-tax profit of £106.6m for the year to end-August 2013, giving EPS of 69.1p. So, at 757p, that leaves the shares trading on a not overly pricey 11 times expected earnings.
Burford Capital (BUR), meanwhile, releases its full-year figures on Thursday. It provides finance for civil litigation in the US where the plaintiff doesn't have the capital to pursue a case through the courts. And business is booming. Last year, it recovered $47m (£30.8m) on 12 investments for a 61 per cent net return on invested capital, and there's a further $53m of gross investment recoveries pending. Further case work has been taken on during the year, making $72m in commitments to nine new investments. Moreover, UK-based Firstassist has generated $11m of revenue since the group acquired it in February 2012 and $14m for the full fiscal year - a 35 per cent increase on the whole of the previous year. While, in addition to the core litigation expenses insurance business, Firstassist has also launched a UK litigation funding service. Inevitably, Burford's revenue stream is lumpy because the timing of successful litigation is unpredictable - so brokers don't usually produce forecasts.
Friday 12 April
Trading statement: XP Power
AGMs: AFC Energy, Heavitree Brewery
EGMs: Elan, GW Pharmaceuticals
Shares going ex-dividend on 10 April
| Company | Dividend (p) | Payment |
| Aer Lingus | €0.04 | 10 May |
| Amino Technologies | 3 | 25 Apr |
| Amlin | 16.5 | 23 May |
| Animalcare | 1.5 | 3 May |
| BBA Aviation | 6.75 | 24 May |
| Begbies Traynor | 0.6 | 9 May |
| Berendsen | 17.5 | 3 May |
| Bodycote | 8.3 | 7 May |
| Catalysts Media | 7 | 3 May |
| Charles Taylor | 6.75 | 24 May |
| Chesnara | 11.25 | 22 May |
| Chrysalis VCT | 3.25 | 30 Apr |
| Dialight | 9.5 | 8 May |
| DCG Iris | 1.25 | 13 May |
| Edinburgh UK Tracker Trust | 6.85 | 1 May |
| Filtrona | 8.6 | 30 Apr |
| Fisher (James) & Sons | 11.83 | 10 May |
| Foresight 4 VCT | 4 | 26 Apr |
| Fyffes | €0.0142 | 13 May |
| GKN | 4.8 | 20 May |
| Herald Investment Trust | 1 | 3 May |
| IMI | 20.7 | 20 May |
| Invesco Leveraged High Yield Fund | 1.25 | 30 Apr |
| James Halstead | 7 | 10 May |
| JPM American Trust | 7.5 | 8 May |
| JPM US Smaller Co Inv Tst | 9.1 | 7 May |
| Kerry | €0.25 | 10 May |
| LSL Property Services | 6.4 | 10 May |
| Manchester & London Inv Trust | 5.5 | 29 Apr |
| Merchants Trust | 5.8 | 15 May |
| Mobeus Inc & Growth 4 VCT | 5.5 | 10 May |
| Northamber | 0.3 | 7 May |
| Ortus VCT | 2 | 17 Apr |
| Plexus Holdings | 0.44 | 26 Apr |
| Rotork | 26.6 | 21 May |
| RPS | 3.34 | 24 May |
| Savills (special) | 6 | 13 May |
| Savills | 6.7 | 13 May |
| Secure Trust Bank | 43 | 10 May |
| Shore Capital | 0.5 | 25 Apr |
| Smurfit Kappa | €0.205 | 10 May |
| St Ives | 2 | 3 May |
| St James's Place Capital | 6.39 | 24 May |
| Tamar Euro Ind Fund | 0.75 | 26 Apr |
| Thorpe (FW) | 10 | 7 May |
| Ultra Electronics | 27.8 | 3 May |
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.
