Wednesday preview: Saga results, Barratt Redrow update due

(Sharecast News) - Wednesday sees the release of full-year results from Saga, while Barratt Redrow, Hunting and Rank Group will publish trading updates. In the US, bank earnings will continue to roll in, with Bank of America and Morgan Stanley both on the docket.

As far as housebuilder Barratt is concerned, Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the half-year results back in January painted a mixed picture.

"Revenues raced ahead at double-digit rates, driven by growth in new home completions and average selling prices. But it turns out the group had to use more financial incentives to stimulate this buyer demand, which weighed on margins and caused first-half underlying pre-tax profits to drop 14% to £200m," he said.

He said Wednesday's third-quarter update is likely to strike a cautious tone, with the conflict in Iran bringing a host of challenges for the housebuilder.

"Higher oil prices look set to bring inflationary pressures to building materials. On top of that, market forecasts for interest rate cuts have flipped to potential rate hikes this year, which is unhelpful for buyer affordability. As a result, don't be surprised to see Barratt's full-year underlying pre-tax profit outlook wound back from prior guidance of £590mn."

In Europe, first-quarter results are due from chip equipment maker ASML. UBS said it expects a "strong" print, with the possibility that 2026 guidance will be upgraded.