Week Ahead: 16-20 December

Monday 16 December

Interim: Cohort

Trading statement: Aggreko

AGMs: Leaf Clean Energy, Parkmead Group

EGM: Ophir Energy

Economics: Rightmove house prices data, Confederation of British Industry trends - total orders and selling prices data

Companies paying dividends: Aukett Fitzroy Robin (0.1p), Fidelity Special Values (16.25p), Hansa Trust (5p), Lok'N Store (4.33p), Naibu Global International (2p), Telecom Plus (16p), Tristel (0.32p), Wolseley - special (110p), World Careers Network (3.5p), YouGov (0.6p)

Temporary power supplier Aggreko (AGK) will release a fourth-quarter trading update on Monday. Hopes will be high that the company can build on the more confident tone set at the last trading update in October, which sent the shares up 6 per cent. Back then management said that the amount of work it was quoting for had hit record levels, but that it had yet to see a pick up in terms of quotes converting to actual contracts. So investors will be keen to hear whether that pipeline of prospective work has now started to come through. Despite the bounce on the last trading update, the shares have basically gone sideways for some time - they haven't moved much in the past three months and are still down nearly 30 per cent in the past year. The support services sector as a whole, meanwhile, is up 18 per cent in the past year, leaving Aggreko looking like something of a laggard. But at 1,600p - and trading on 19 times 2014's forecast earnings - there's not much value to chase. Hold.

Tuesday 17 December

Interims: Dixons Retail, Provexis

Trading statement: National Express

AGMs: dotDigital Group, Strategic Natural Resources, Tanfield

EGMs: Circle Oil, Vislink, Xenetic Biosciences

Economics: Producer price index data, Office for National Statistics house price data, consumer price index data, retail price index data

Companies paying dividends: e2v Technologies (1.4p)

As Dixons Retail (DXNS) gears up to report its half-year results on Tuesday, analysts are predicting a strong performance from the electricals retailer. A particularly good showing from the UK is anticipated, where the company’s market share has risen as it scooped up business following the collapse of rival, Comet. Dixons’ scale means that it can now leverage relationships with suppliers to streamline operations, cut prices and offer customers exclusive products. Loss-making businesses have now been exited and it’s this which analysts at Nomura reckon will boost cash flow. Its forecasting first-half pre-tax profit of £30m and underlying sales growth of 6 per cent in the second quarter. In the UK, Nomura expects comparable sales growth to rise from 6 per cent in the first quarter to 12 per cent in the second, with operating profit forecast to more than quadruple to £27m. The shares - at 52p - now trade on about 14 times 2015's forecast earnings - which isn't overly demanding given the possibility of further earnings upgrades, driven by successful business disposals and strong trading in core retail operations. Buy.

Wednesday 18 December

Interim: Darty

Final: Jersey Electricity

AGMs: Epistem Holdings, Hunter Resources, Nanoco

EGM: Eurasian Natural Resources

Economics: Bank of England monetary policy committee meeting minutes, employment data, average earnings figures, Confederation of British Industry reported sales data

Companies paying dividends: JPM Elect plc Managed Growth (2.55p), JPM Elect plc Managed Income (0.85p), Personal Group (4.65p), Renewable Energy generation (1.5p), Witan Investment (3.3p)

Régis Schultz, the new chief executive of ailing France-focused electricals retailer Darty (DRTY), is overseeing a big restructuring plan - and investors will be looking for an update when the group reports half-year figures on Wednesday. A number of changes are already coming through but, judging by the first-quarter trading statement, the business has some way to go - sales fell across the group. However, with the Italian and and Spanish units off-loaded, the balance sheet risk has eased slightly and a further progress could be on the cards if the Czech and Turkish businesses are sold. Analysts at N+1 Singer think such disposals would be significantly earnings enhancing and could result in a share price re-rating as performance picks up. UBS agrees and expects the half-year results to report pre-tax profit of €3.5m (£2.9m), up from an €11m loss last year, with underlying sales growth of 3 per cent in the second quarter. At 99p, our sell tip (57p, 21 December 2012) was poorly timed - given that the turnaround strategy is beginning to look credible, we upgrade to a hold.

Thursday 19 December

Interim: Goodwin

AGMs: Power Capital Global, Rangers International Football Club, Sylvania Platinum

EGMs: Corac, Hayward Tyler

Economics: Retail sales figures

Companies paying dividends: Getech (1.6p), Paypoint (11.4p), Vedanta Resources (13.75p)

Friday 20 December

Trading statement: Berendsen

AGMs: Bowleven, Kedco, Kolar Gold, Mining Investment Resources, Zambeef Products

Economics: GfK Consumer confidence data (December), current account balance, public sector borrowing figures, third quarter GDP figures, index of services, total business investment data,

Companies paying dividends: Baronsmead VCT 3 (4.5p), Baronsmead VCT 4 (4p), BP (5.89p), CVS Group (2p), Dunelm (11.5p), Edinburgh Dragon Trust (2.2p), Gleeson (M.J.) (2p), JPM Income & Growth (1.1p), Lancashire Holdings (28p), Liontrust Asset Management (1p), London Metric Property (3.5p), Northern Venture Trust (3p), Pan African Resources (0.803p), Record (0.75p), Scottish American Inv. (2.55p), St. Ives (4.5p), Standard Life Equity Inc (3.8p), Tesco (4.63p), Victoria (2p), Duet Real Estate Finance (5p)

Shares going ex-dividend on 18 December

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.