Thursday preview: AB Foods and B&M updates due; UK borrowing data in focus

(Sharecast News) - Thursday will bring a trading update from Primark owner Associated British Foods, as well as a third-quarter statement from discount retailer B&M and a Q4 update from home improvement retailer Wickes. Also on the corporate front, oil and gas firm Harbour Energy will publish a trading update, while stationery, arts and crafts and gifts retailer The Works will release interim results.

According to Bloomberg consensus, AB Foods is expected to report a 1.3% jump first-half sales at constant exchange rates, with retail sales up 1.43% and Primark comparable sales down 2.46%.

As far as discount retailer B&M is concerned, JPMorgan expects it to report a third-quarter like-for-like sales decline of 2.5%. Barclays expects B&M will trim the top end of its EBITDA guidance downwards, given greater visibility on the profit outcome after the Golden Quarter.

In Europe, fourth-quarter results are due from Bankinter. UBS sees three key areas of focus.

"First, the sustainability of recent loan/deposit volumes, with our numbers seeing recent mid single digit expansion rates as recurrent insofar that would imply matching, not outpacing, nominal GDP expectations and in the context of healthy disposable income/savings rates metrics," it said.

"Second, with some signs of slippage on new production spreads on household loans in recent months, any relaxation of pricing discipline would jeopardize our stable customer spread assumption, with any c10bp erosion knocking off c5% of banks' NII.

"Third, and though not expected to have a numerical impact over 26-27E, we'll monitor banks' expectations about the impact of AI implementation in medium-term cost levels, as highlighted in our sector outlook."

On the macro front, UK government borrowing figures for December will be released at 0700 GMT, while US GDP, initial jobless claims and PCE are at 1330 GMT.

On the US corporate calendar, quarterly results are due from Procter & Gamble, GE Aerospace and Intel, among others.

Thursday January 22

INTERIMS

Ilika, TheWorks.Co.Uk

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Sirius Real Estate Ltd.

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Brickability Group , City of London 4.2% Cum 1st Prf Stk, City of London Investment Trust 4.2% Non-Cum 2nd Prf Stk, City of London Investment Trust Preference Ord Stk 14% Non-Cumulative 1, MS International, NB Private Equity Partners Ltd., Smithson Investment Trust, Solid State

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

City of London Inv Trust, M Winkworth

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

GMS

Coro Energy, Time Out Group

FINALS

Hardide

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Mandarin Oriental International (Bermuda), Mandarin Oriental International (Jersey), Mandarin Oriental International (Singapore)

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Unicorn AIM VCT

AGMS

Auction Technology Group , Barings Emerging Emea Opportunities

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Associated British Foods, B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI), Harbour Energy , TheWorks.Co.Uk, Wickes Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public Sector Net Borrowing (07:00)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Fevara, WH Smith