AstraZeneca 'to post £7.5bn pre-tax profits'

Drugs giant AstraZeneca is expected to post a pre-tax profit of £7.5bn when it reports full-year figures this week.

United Utilities and Severn Trent will also update, with both forecast to pay reasonable dividends. Soft drinks firm Britvic will report first-quarter results, with analysts saying it is unlikely to beat last year's year-on-year growth of 15 per cent. Soap-maker PZ Cussons, whose shares rocketed over the year, will release higher than expected profit figures on Tuesday.