Week ahead in business and economics: January 13-17

The high street did not enjoy the best December, but official figures released on Friday are not expected to show a slowdown in consumer spending. Retail sales numbers from the Office for National Statistics are forecast to show a 3.4pc annual rise in December sales, an improvement from November’s 2.3pc increase.

The other major economic news of the week will be December’s inflation figures tomorrow. In November, the rate of consumer price rises surprisingly fell to 2.1pc, the lowest for four years, and economists expect the rate to have held steady before slowing this year. Tomorrow will also see the official house price figures for November.

The week also holds two key pieces of economic data in the US. Tomorrow, retail sales figures for December will be published, while Thursday’s inflation numbers will be closely watched, given the Federal Reserve’s recent concerns about subdued inflation.

Monday January 13

Full-year results None scheduled

Interim results None scheduled

Trading update Greene King , Optimal Payments

Economics Central bank governors’ meeting in Basel

Meetings Vedanta Resources (EGM)

Tuesday January 14

• Fund manager Ashmore will unveil second-quarter numbers, having last week enjoyed a coup when it became the first company in the West to be granted a licence to invest directly in China’s stock and bond markets.

Investors will be likely to zoom in on the effects of several large mandate wins last year, while analysts expect low but positive returns from emerging markets debt.

• Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty is scheduled to issue a full-year trading update, and Numis analyst Howard Seymour said the company is likely to “point to estimates in line with expectations”. The average analyst forecast is for annual pre-tax profits of £197.7m, according to Bloomberg.

Mr Seymour said the company has faced a number of headwinds recently: “Moving parts in Balfour Beatty have continued to affect the company, with difficult conditions in Australian professional services taking over from UK construction as the key issue, while US and other 'rest of the world’ operations have fared better.”

• More good results are expected from the housing sector this week. When housebuilder Barratt Developments last updated the market in November, it said sales were accelerating in all regions, and advance sales had increased by 47pc to more than £1.1bn.

The group was also laying foundations for the future by more than doubling the number of approved plots to 8,150. Market consensus is for pre-tax profits to more than triple to £336m in the full-year results to the end of June.

• Estate agent Countrywide Holdings will give investors a hint as to what its maiden set of results as a listed company will look like with a trading update on the fourth quarter. Market consensus is for full-year revenue of £713m, giving pre-tax profits of £100m.

Full-year results None scheduled

Interim results IG Group Holdings

Trading update Ashmore Group, Asos, Balfour Beatty, Barratt Developments, Big Yellow Group, Carrs Milling Industries, Countrywide, IG Group, Mecom Group, Michael Page International, Spirit Pub Company

Economics CPI and RPI inflation

Meetings Carrs Milling Industries (AGM), Spirit Pub Company (AGM), Superglass Holdings (AGM)

Wednesday January 15

Full-year results Fusionex International Plc

Interim results None scheduled

Trading update Burberry Group, Diploma, Energy Assets Group, Fenner, Genel Energy, Jupiter Fund Management, Smiths News, Taylor Wimpey, Tullow Oil, UK Mail Group, WANdisco

Economics Treasury Select Committee hearing on Bank of England Financial Stability Report

Meetings Diploma (AGM), Fenner (AGM)

Thursday January 16

• Troubled bookmaker Ladbrokes is due to update the market on its progress, and nervous investors will be hoping for at least some good news from the company.

In mid-November, the group was forced to deny it would sound another profit alert, telling investors that “current expectations” for 2013 remain within the range of analyst forecasts for £138m to £151m in operating profits.

However, the bookie also said “with a key part of the sporting calendar ahead, it is extremely premature to speculate on the out-turn for the year”.

Numis analyst Ivor Jones noted that Ladbrokes does not normally issue a trading statement in January, and said: “Despite sporting results continuing to improve since the dip [in the third quarter of 2013], we believe there is scope for the consensus to come down further and feel this is more likely as a result of the unusual timing of the trading statement.”

Full-year results None scheduled

Interim results NCC Group

Trading update Aberdeen Asset Management, Associated British Foods, Bovis Homes Group, Computacenter, Dixons Retail, Experian, Halfords Group, Home Retail Group, Ladbrokes, Lavendon Group, N Brown Group, Ocado Group, Premier Oil, Quindell

Economics RICS housing survey

Meetings Aberdeen Asset Management (AGM)

Friday January 17

Full-year results Evraz

Interim results None scheduled

Trading update Booker Group, Record, Spectris, Stobart Group, T Clarke, William Hill

Economics Retail sales

Meetings None scheduled

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