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 1 January
UK Bank Holiday – nothing scheduled
Tuesday 2 January
Economics: Markit UK PMI manufacturing survey
Companies paying dividends: Alliance Trust (3.29p), Bunzl (14p), Castings (3.38p), Fuller Smith & Turner ‘A’ Ord (7.55p), Great Portland Estates (4p), Headlam (7.55p), Next (53p), Sainsbury (J) (3.1p), Small Companies Dividend Trust (2.02p), TR Property Investment Trust (4.65p)
Wednesday 3 January
Trading statements: Next
AGM: Applied Graphene Materials
Economics: Markit/CIPS UK construction PMI
Companies paying dividends: De La Rue (8.3p)
Thursday 4 January
Trading statement: International Consolidated Airlines
AGM: Cambria Automobiles
EGM: Xafinity
Economics: Official reserves, Net consumer credit, Net lending secured on dwellings, Mortgage approvals, M4 money supply, Markit/CIPS UK services and composite PMI
Companies paying dividends: Hill & Smith (9.4p), McKay Securities (2.8p), Town Centre Securities (8.25p)
Friday 5 January
Economics: BRC shop price index, New car registrations, Unit labour costs
Companies paying dividends: Biffa (2.17p), BlackRock North American (1.25p), British Empire Trust (10p), Clipper Logistics (2.8p), F&C Managed Portfolio Trust Income Shares (1.3p), Homeserve (4.7p), JD Sports Fashion (0.26p), JPMorgan Global Growth & Income (3.04p), Land Securities (9.85p), Montanaro European Smaller Companies (1.75p), Premier Asset Management (4.25p), Renewi (0.95p), Rolls-Royce Holdings (4.6p), Severn Trent (34.63p), Tate & Lyle (8.4p), Ten Entertainment (3p), Triad Group (0.5p), Vp (6.8p)
Companies going ex-dividend on 4 January
| Company | Dividend(p) | Payment |
| Anglo Pacific Group Ord 10p | 1.5 | 15 Feb |
| Auto Trader Group Ord 150p | 1.9 | 26 Jan |
| Baronsmead Second Venture Trust | 4.5 | 2 Feb |
| Baronsmead Venture Trust | 3.5 | 2 Feb |
| Bisichi Mining Ord 10p | 1 | 9 Feb |
| BlackRock Frontiers Inv Tst $ cents | 3.25 | 9 Feb |
| British Land Company Ord 25p | 7.52 | 9 Feb |
| Cerillion | 2.8 | 7 Feb |
| Dairy Crest Ord 25p | 6.3 | 25 Jan |
| European Inv. Trust Ord 25p | 13.5 | 31 Jan |
| Experian PLC | 12 | 2 Feb |
| F&C Global Smaller Co's Ord 25p | 4.4 | 19 Jan |
| F&C Private Equity Tst Ord | 3.55 | 31 Jan |
| F&C UK High Income Trust A Shs | 1.21 | 2 Feb |
| F&C UK High Income Trust B Shs | 1.21 | 2 Feb |
| Foreign & Colonial Inv Tst Ord 25p | 2.7 | 1 Feb |
| Henderson European Focus Trust | 1.4 | 2 Feb |
| Henderson European Focus Trust | 20.5 | 2 Feb |
| ITE Group Ord 1p | 2.5 | 5 Feb |
| Latham (James) Ord 25p | 4.7 | 26 Jan |
| Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust | 0.9 | 26 Jan |
| McCarthy & Stone | 3.6 | 1 Feb |
| Murray International Trust Ord 25p | 11 | 19 Feb |
| Next Ord 10p | 45 | 25 Jan |
| Northern 2 VCT | 2 | 26 Jan |
| Paragon Banking Group | 11 | 19 Feb |
| PHSC Ord 10p | 0.5 | 28 Feb |
| Schroder European REIT | 1.32 | 19 Jan |
| Servoca Ord !p | 0.4 | 9 Feb |
| Shires Income Ord 50p | 3 | 26 Jan |
| Standard Life Private Equity Trust | 6 | 31 Jan |
| Stride Gaming Ord 1p | 1.5 | 1 Feb |
| Thwaites (Daniel) Ord £0.25 | 1.1 | 25 Jan |
| United Carpets Group Ord 5p | 0.135 | 19 Jan |
| UP Global Sourcing Holdings | 3.495 | 30 Jan |
The ex-dividend day 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.
