Tuesday preview: PZ Cussons, Sage Group

23rd Jan 2012 15:26

'Imperial Leather' soap maker PZ Cussons issued a profit warning back in December so while Tuesday's interim figures are unlikely to make pleasant reading for shareholders, at least they have been forewarned.The firm said high raw material costs and adverse exchange rate movement had continued to have an impact on margins in the first half of the company's financial year. The company has also been hit by severe weather in Thailand and social unrest in the Middle East. On top of that, trading conditions in Australia, and in the smaller markets of Greece, Thailand and the Middle East, have been challenging.It is Nigeria, which generates a sizeable chunk of the company's profits, that is of most concern, however, as the country was hit by a national strike in January which lasted for several days after the government ended a petrol subsidy at the behest of the International Monetary Fund.Civilian unrest has been so pronounced the government deployed troops in the country's commercial capital, Lagos, in an attempt to restore calm.Accountancy software group Sage has the opposite problem to PZ Cussons, in that it raised expectations with its trading update at the end of November. In Tuesday's interim management statement the market will be looking for an update on the company's avowed intention to increase margins. INTERIMSPZ Cussons, ZetarINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSIndustrial New Orders (EU) (10:00)FINALSChemring GroupANNUAL REPORTSinclair (William) HoldingsIMSSInternational Ferro Metals Group, Land Securities Group, Sage GroupAGMSEvocutis, Redefine International, Siemens AGTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSPlaytech Ltd.UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPublic Sector Finances (09:30)