Week Ahead: Tesco, Halma, Whitbread

12th Jun 2009 11:44

Supermarket titan Tesco gives a trading update on Tuesday and the expectations are for the market leader to again show like-for-like (LFL) sales growth that pales in comparison with sector up-and-comer Wm. Morrison, which last week announced a 9.2% year-on-year increase in LFL sales in the 13 weeks to 3 May.While competitors on its home turf are getting their act together and posing a bigger threat to Tesco, the UK's biggest grocer is increasingly looking to overseas and non-food operations to drive growth. This week the head of the Tesco Personal Finance division said the company was considering expanding into the business banking market. Meanwhile, on the mobile phone front, Tesco is going head to head with Carphone Warehouse in offering free laptops to new subscribers.On the same day Tesco announces its result, health and sensor group Halma issues final results while restaurant and hotels group Whitbread releases a trading statement.Halma said in February that its full-year pre-tax profit would be at the lower end of market expectations; market estimates at the time ran from £79m up to £84.5m. The main reason for the underperformance has been reduced investment by UK water utilities, which has hit revenues in Halma's Water division.Though Whitbread's share price has, in common with most UK equities, rallied strongly since early March, the stock is set to be ejected from the list of FTSE 100 constituents, largely as a result of the shares pulling back after the company warned at the end of April of a slowdown in trade at its Premier Inn budget accommodation chain.Monday June 15QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATECryptologic Ld, Thomson ReutersFINALSEckoh, Majestic WineEGMSMinervaAGMSBiofutures International, Globus Maritime, Sweet China, Tex HoldingsFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEConcurrent Technologies, Healthcare Locums, Severfield-RowenTuesday June 16INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBoJ Intrest Rates (JPN)Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)Housing Starts (US) (13:30)Industrial Production (US) (14:15)ZEW Survey (GER) (10:00)FINALSAssetCo, Halma, RecordAGMSDDD Group, Dexion Alpha Strategies GBP Shares, Dexion Equity Alternative, Dexion Trading, IFR Capital, Premier Farnell, Signet Jewelers, Singer & Friedlander AIM 3 VCT, Ted Baker, Work Group, Zenergy PowerTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSTesco, WhitbreadUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConsumer Price Index (09:30)Consumer Price Index (09:30)Retail Price Index (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEHiscoxWednesday June 17INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATEDriver Group, Imperial Tobacco Group, MWB Business Exchange, RWS HoldingsQUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATELand Securities GroupINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBalance of Trade (EU) (10:00)BoJ Report (JPN) (06:00)Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)FINALSRPC Group, Trifast, VictoriaEGMSVinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Ltd., VinaLand Ltd.AGMSBATM Advanced, BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Christie Group, Clipper Windpower (Reg S), Corin Group, Densitron Technologies, Havelock Europa, M. P. Evans Group, Merrill Lynch FTSE100 Stepped Growth and Income Ltd. Growth Shares, NEOVIA Financial, New Star Private Equity Inv Trust, Stobart Group, VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Ltd., Water Hall GroupUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBoE Interest Rate Minutes (09:30)Claimant Count Rate (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECello Group, Cineworld Group, Eurasian Natural Resources, Shed MediaFINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEAcal, Aurora Inv Trust, Brulines, Charles Stanley, Edinburgh Inv Trust, Elektron, Halfords Group, London & Stamford Property, National Express Group, Northern 3 VCT, Octopus AIM VCT, Perpetual Income & Growth Inv Trust, Prezzo, ProVen Growth and Income VCT, ProVen Growth and Income VCT 'C' Shares, ProVen VCT, ProVen VCT 'C' Shares, RIT Capital Partners, Severn Trent, SVM UK Active Fund, Tex Holdings, Tribal Group, United Utilities Group, Utilico Emerging Markets Ltd., Value and Income Trust, Walker Crips GroupQUARTERLY RESULTSQueen's Walk Investment Ltd.Thursday June 18INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAberdeen Asset Management, Noble InvestmentsQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEAddax PetroleumINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSInitial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (15:00)FINALSWynnstay PropertiesAGMSAlea Group Holdings (Bermuda) Limited, BH Global GBP Shares, British American Inv Trust, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company SA, Consolidated Asset Management, Core VCT I, Core VCT II, Core VCT III, Direct Wonen, Empresaria Group, Faroe Petroleum, Hampden Underwriting, Heritage Oil, Highland Gold Mining, Invesco Perpetual European Absolute Return Trust, Jetion Holdings, Pixel Interactive Media, Regal Petroleum, Slingsby H.C, Toye and Co, Turbo Power Systems, Volga GasUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSInternet Retail Sales (09:30)Public Sector Finances (09:30)Public Sector Finances (09:30)Retail Sales (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEJPMorgan Elect Managed Cash Shares, JPMorgan Elect Managed Growth Shares, JPMorgan Elect Managed Income Shares, Lamprell, Share Plc, UnileverFriday June 19INTERIMSXploiteINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAero Inventory, Carluccio's, Freshwater UK, ITE Group, Lowland Investment Co., Sage GroupQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEM&G Equity Inv Trust Income SharesINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBoJ Intrest Rates Minutes (JPN) (00:50)Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)AGMSAlbion Technology & General VCT, Albion Technology & General VCT 'C' Shares, Anglo-Eastern Plantations, Matica, Mercury Recycling, Narborough Plant, Taylor Wimpey, UK Coal, Westminster GroupFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECarillion, Chime Communications, China Medical System Holdings, DataCash Group, Derwent London, Genetix Group, Intertek Group, Invesco Perpetual European Absolute Return Trust, Kingfisher, M. P. Evans Group, Martin Currie Portfolio Trust, Midas Income & Growth Trust, Pacific Assets Trust, Provident Financial, Quarto Group, Ted BakerFINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEChina Shoto