The Week Ahead: Eyes towards Pets at Home for signs of a revival

Investors’ claws could come out tomorrow if Pets at Home does not show signs of a revival after a poor first half.

The FTSE 250 pet supplies retailer last month warned that the second quarter had been just as difficult as the first – dragging the share price off all-time highs.

Like-for-like sales rose 1.8 per cent in the second quarter, only slightly better than the poor first quarter, while overall revenues were up 6 per cent to £404.5m.

Adam Tomlinson, an analyst at Liberum, predicts half-year pre-tax profits of £43.9m, 4 per cent less than before October’s trading update. Investors are likely to be more interested in the progress over the past six weeks.

Thomas Cook’s annual results on Wednesday will reflect a tough first year for the travel operator’s chief executive Peter Fankhauser, who took over the turnaround mission from former boss Harriet Green.

Business suffered over the summer after the Tunisian resort attack and the downing of a plane in Egypt last month. The events are expected to cost the firm £5m each, causing a 5 per cent fall in underlying earnings to £307m.

Thomas Cook is also likely to comment on the Paris attacks even though they fell outside its reporting period.

Investors will get their first look at the new Mitchells & Butlers chief executive Phil Urban tomorrow, with the owner of All Bar One expected to report a 10.8 per cent rise in annual profits to £190.7m.

The group’s like-for-like sales fell 0.7 per cent over the summer, forcing it to warn that full-year results will be at the bottom end of expectations.

Pitcher & Piano owner Marston’s is expected to post a similar jump in annual profits to £91.5m as its focus on larger pubs that serve food pays off.

First-half results are out today from high street women’s clothing retailer Bonmarché and tomorrow from online white goods retailer AO World.

There are annual results tomorrow from West End landlord Shaftesbury, while Jon Moulton’s struggling Better Capital reveals half-year results on Wednesday, which will lay bare the extent of the Jaeger owner’s woes.