THE WEEK AHEAD

TODAY

Companies

A busy fortnight for company results kicks off with interim figures from British Airways, expected to show half-time profits of pounds 425m, up a fifth.

Finals: Fleming Chinese Inv, Lynx Holdings, Stratagem Group.

Interims: Associated British Foods, Blacks Leisure, British Airways, Business Post Group, Johnson Fry Sec Utilities, Prowting, Safeland, Seton Healthcare, Whitecroft, Voyageur European Smaller.

Annual meetings: Goodwin.

Economics

Figures for industrial output are expected to show a modest increase in September. Manufacturing production is likely to have been flat or risen only slightly - in line with recent survey evidence - but the recovery in the oil sector should have continued, boosting the total.

Statistics: index of production (Sep), cyclical indicators of the UK economy (Oct).

TOMORROW

Companies

Profits before tax of almost pounds 400m from Marks & Spencer, up a tenth, will provide the customary reassuring message after the recent jitters on the high street. Questions regarding sales growth and the returns from new space are also likely to be raised, however. In July, the company confirmed trading remained difficult and said the weather was unhelpful.

Finals: Allied Domecq, Anglian Water, Broadgate Inv Trust, Mercury Keystone Investment Trust, MMT Computing, Saracen Value Trust, Scottish National Trust, UPF Group, WEW Group.

Interims: Amersham International, Bath Press Group, Boustead, British Petroleum (Q3), British Sky Broadcasting (Q1), Capital Gearing Trust, Hartlepool Water, London Insurance Market, Marks & Spencer, Mercury Asset Management, Montanaro UK Smaller, National Power, Powerscreen International, Saracen Value Trust.

Economics

Advance energy data (Oct).

WEDNESDAY

Companies

BAT is expected to have done relatively well in a US tobacco market which has seen flagging volumes but resilient margins. Financial services will benefit from a smoothed return at Eagle Star.

Overall pre-tax profits are forecast by NatWest Securities to improve 22 per cent to pounds 1.76bn in the nine months to September.

Finals: Gartmore European, Hambro Insurance Service, Lowland Inv, Lyons Irish Holdings.

Interims: BAT Industries (Q3), Electrocomponents, First Ireland Inv Co, Fleming Far Eastern, German Investment Trust, Henderson Administration Group, Scottish Power, Vosper Thornycroft.

Annual meetings: Adwest Group, Cantors China Inv & Development, DCS Group, International Biotechnology, Thorntons, FW Thorpe, TNT.

EGMs: Thorntons

Economics

The Bank of England issues its quarterly inflation report, putting interest rate policy into the spotlight.

The Bank is expected to express less concern about inflationary pressures than it did in its August report because of the accumulated evidence that growth has slowed. However, it would be a surprise if it completely retreated from its advice that the Government will not meet its inflation target without an eventual increase in base rates.

The most recent speeches on the economy by Eddie George, Governor of the Bank, and Mervyn King, its chief economist, said the balance of evidence still pointed to higher rates.

Statistics: Index of production for Scotland (Q2), Welsh Agricultural Statistics No 17 (1995), CBI/BSL regional trends survey (Oct), Bank of England inflation report (Nov), Bank of England quarterly bulletin (Q3).

THURSDAY

Companies

Second-quarter and interim results will provide further evidence of the pressures on BT's core business. All eyes will be on the dividend, where the market is looking for fresh guidance on future growth rates. Pre-tax profits of about pounds 1.62bn will be about 9 per cent ahead of last year's first half.

Finals: Asset Management Investment Co, Bett Brothers, Burton Group, Orb Estates, Willis Corroon (Q4), Villiers Group.

Interims: Appleby Westward, British Telecom (Q2), Cedardata, Central European, B Elliott, First Ireland Inv (amd), Northumbrian Water Group, Porter Chadburn, Regalian Properties, Royal Insurance Holdings (Q3), Staveley Industries, Umeco, Warner Howard.

Annual meetings: Everest Foods, Thorgmorton Dual Trust, Throgmorton 1,000 Trust, Tor IT, Trafford Park Estates, Waterman Partnership, Zambia Copper.

Economics

Today brings the key overseas statistic, US producer prices for October. Most analysts expect them to have been nearly flat.

Statistics: New Earnings Survey Part E: 1995, analyses by region and by age group, New Earnings Survey Part F: 1995.

Distribution of hours; joint distribution of earnings and hours; analyses of earnings and hours for part-time women and employees, labour market trends, travel trends.

FRIDAY

Companies

After the disappointments of the first half, third-quarter figures from Unilever will have benefited from the company's strong position in ice- cream. This might allow for upgrades to full-year profits. For the first nine months, profits of pounds 786m, up 9 per cent, are expected.

Finals: J Bibby & Sons.

Interims: Banner Homes, Investment Co, Quadrant Group, Somic, Unilever.

Economics

The CBI's distributive trades survey will give a snapshot of the state of the high street last month. Latest official retail sales figures showed scarcely any recovery in September after a depressed August, so the survey will be scrutinised for signs of improvement.