Week Ahead: Thomas Cook, TUI, Sage

27th Nov 2009 11:33

Package tour giants Thomas Cook and TUI Travel are both set to declare full year results next week. It has not been a great year in terms of demand for expensive foreign holidays but both companies have cut capacity in anticipation of reduced demand, plus there were signs of a last minute rush to the sun as consumers regained a measure of confidence after the global financial crisis peaked.'Summer trading is finishing in line with expectations underpinned by a strong lates market and the popularity of the package holiday,' chief executive of Thomas Cook, Manny Fontenla-Novoa, said at the end of September. The company added that it had also seen an improvement in winter bookings since August.Monday's announcement from Thomas Cook should give a clearer picture of how winter bookings have gone as well as an early indication of prospects for the summer season. Market consensus is for pre-tax profit of £288.23m, up from £49.5m a year earlier, on sales of £9,410m, up from £8,167m.TUI Travel will return to profitability, with the market expecting a profit before tax of £311.5m, compared to a loss of £266.6m the year before. Sales are forecast to ease slightly to £13,903m from £13,932m.Foreign exchange fluctuations clearly have a big effect on the package holiday company but they are also likely to play a big part in the profitability of accounting software firm Sage, which does a substantial amount of its business overseas. Its US business, in particular, has been under pressure as a result of small businesses going belly-up as a result of the recession.The group said at the third quarter stage that it was budgeting for continued tough trading conditions in the final quarter of its financial year. UK house sales data will not be in short supply next week, with both the Nationwide Building Society and the former building society, the Halifax, issuing survey results, while the Bank of England will release mortgage approvals figures for October on Monday.The Nationwide and the Halifax are both expected to announce a month on month increase in house prices of around 0.4% in November. In the case of the Nationwide, a rise of 0.4% would represent the seventh successive monthly increase but also the smallest increase since April. For the Halifax, it would be the fifth successive monthly rise but a sharp fall from October's 1.2% advance.Mortgage approvals in October could hit a 19-month high of around 57,500, according to Dr. Howard Archer, of economic forecasting unit IHS Global Insight, up slightly from 56,215 in September.Monday November 30INTERIMSCreston, First Property Group, Ishaan Real Estate, TrifastINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEBAE Systems, Fujitsu, Provident Financial, SeniorFINALSThomas CookTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSSt. IvesQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEBankers Inv Trust, City of London Inv Trust, ING UK Real Estate Income Trust Ltd.INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBuilding Permits (AUS) (00:00)Chicago PMI (US) (14:45)Dallas Fed Manufacturing Activity Index (US) (15:30)Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)Industrial Production (JPN) (00:00)Housing Starts (JPN) (10:00)New Home Sales (AUS) (00:00)Producer Price Index (FRA) (07:45)Retail Sales (GER)AGMSInfoscreen Networks, JSM Indochina, Jubilee Platinum, Metal-Tech, Nyota Minerals Ltd., St IvesUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSGFK Consumer Confidence (09:30)M4 Money Supply (09:30)M4 Sterling Lending (09:30)Net Consumer Credit (09:30)Net Lending Secured on Dwellings (09:30)Mortage Approvals (09:30)Nationwide House Prices (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEFiltronic, Henderson Far East Income Ltd., London & St lawrence Inv Co., Stavert Zigomala, UK Commercial Property TrustQUARTERLY RESULTSStratic Energy CorporationTuesday December 01INTERIMSBango, Bglobal, Datong, Greene KingINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATELadbrokesQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEJPMorgan Claverhouse Inv TrustINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConstruction Spending (US) (15:00)Consumer Confidence (US) (22:00)ISM Manufacturing (US) (15:00)ISM Price Paid (US) (15:00)Pending Home Sales (US) (15:00)PMI Manufacturing (EU) (09:00)PMI Manufacturing (FRA) (08:50)PMI Manufacturing (GER) (08:55)Unemployment Change (GER) (08:55)Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)FINALSCharacter Group, Gooch and Housego, ITE Group, Shaftesbury, TUI TravelEGMSNaya Bharat Property CompanyAGMSBlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust, Brookwell Ltd. 'A' Shares, Brookwell Ltd. 'B' Shares, GR Holdings, Hargreaves Lansdown, Indian Energy , International Biotech Trust, Lewis Charles Romania Property Fund, PlexusTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSCyril SweettUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPMI Manufacturing (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAnimalcare GroupWednesday December 02INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEChloride Group, Marshalls, Mount EngineeringINTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATEAlbion Protected VCT, Albion Venture Capital Trust, Alliance Pharma, Bodycote, British Smaller Companies VCT, BSS Group, Caledonia Investments, Dee Valley Group, Dee Valley Nv, Establishment Inv Trust, Hamworthy, Hansa Trust, Hansa Trust 'A' Shares, Headlam Group, Helical Bar, Homeserve, JD Sports Fashion, Johnson Matthey, Kewill, Liontrust Asset Managament, London Stock Exchange Group, Mckay Secs., Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust, Morgan Crucible, National Grid, Northern Investors Co., PayPoint, Rensburg AIM VCT, SABMiller, Sepura, Severn Trent, Slingsby H.C, Tate & Lyle, UK Mail Group , Walker Crips Group, Wincanton, Young & Co's Brewery 'A'QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEProdesse Investment Ltd.INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBeige Book Fed Survey (US) (19:00)Crude Oil Inventories (US)MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)Producer Price Index (EU) (10:00)Retail Sales (GER)Capital Spending (JPN)FINALSBrewin Dolphin, Dawson Holdings, Optos, SageEGMSLewis Charles Sofia Property Fund LimitedAGMSBraemore Resources, Greatland GoldUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPMI Construction (09:30)FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEAssociated British Foods, Britvic, Daily Mail and General Trust, Daily Mail Trust, Greencore Group, Group NBT, JPMorgan Income & Growth Inv Trust Income Shares, JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust, Lowland Investment Co., MedicX Fund Ltd., Narborough Plant, Northamber, Smart (J) & Co., Tenon Group, Town Centre SecuritiesThursday December 03INTERIMSACM Shipping, Ashtead Group, Findel, HalmaINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSECB Interest Rate (EU) (00:45)GDP (EU) (10:00)Government Expenditure (EU) (10:00)Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)ISM Non-Manufacturing Composite (US) (15:00)Labour Cost (US) (13:30)Non-Farm Productivity (US) (13:30)PMI Services (EU) (09:00)PMI Composite (EU) (09:00)PMI Services (FRA) (08:50)PMI Services (GER) (08:55)Retail Sales (AUS) (01:30)Retail Sales (EU) (10:00)Unemployment Rate (FRA) (07:45)FINALSLocal Shopping REIT, MarstonsTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSKingfisherAGMSSportswinbet, Yangtze China Investment Ltd.UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPMI Services (09:30)Friday December 04INTERIMSBerkeley Group Holdings UnitsINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEBalfour Beatty, DCC, Hilton Food, JZ Capital Partners, Northern 2 VCT, ProVen Health VCT, SThreeINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSFactory Orders (US) (13:30)Gross Domestic Product (EU)Manufacturing Payrolls (US) (13:30)Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (13:30)Retail Sales (EU)Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)FINALSInnovation GroupEGMSDeutsche LandAGMSAssociated British Foods, Capital Lease Aviation, Ceres Power Holdings, Interior Services, LP Hill, Minerva, Pantheon ResourcesTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSSThreeFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAnglo and Overseas Trust, Ashmore Group, BlueBay Asset Management, Global MENA Financial Assets Ltd., James Halstead, Jupiter Dividend & Growth Trust, Matchtech, Murgitroyd Group, Plexus, Quadnetics Group, Schroder Oriental Income Fund, St Ives, United Carpets