Figures give a mixed story

Figures out this week should provide both cheer and gloom ahead of the Budget. The third quarter national household survey tomorrow should show more people in work than before but credit figures on Friday will almost certainly show we are still borrowing far too much money, fuelling inflation.

Monday

Results: AEA Technology (H1), Allders, Allen (H1), Care UK, Dailywin Group (H1), Drummond Group (H1), Fountains, Imperial Tobacco, Intelek (H1), Nordanglia Education, Phytopharm, SBS Group, Workspace Group (H1).

A.G.M.: Cornwell Parker, Edinburgh Dragon Trust, Marylebone Warwick (e.g.m.).

Meetings: Ecofin ministers meet (Brussels to Tues); Institute of European Affairs seminar on forthcoming Swedish presidency of EU; Control Risks Group breakfast on fraud Irish management (Jurys Hotel, Dublin).

Indicators: US existing home sales (Oct).

Others: Minister for Public Enterprise Mrs O'Rourke opens Edenderry peat power station.

Tuesday

Results: Carlsberg, Compco Holdings (H1), Eidos (H1), Galen Holdings, Inflexion (H1), Kingston Communications (H1), Lonmin, Merant (Q2), Scipher (H1), Severn Trent (H1), SHL Group (H1), SSL International (H1), South Staffordshire Group (H1), Standard Life, UBS (Q3).

Meetings: Committee of Public Accounts DIRT inquiry; IBEC environment conference (Green Isel Hotel, Dublin); Workshop on Maximising the value of employee ownership (Alexander Hotel, Dublin).

Indicators: Irish quarterly national household survey (Q3); US durable goods orders (Oct) and consumer confidence (Nov); German GDP (Q3); Japanese industrial production (Oct).

Others: WTO dispute settlement body meets on EU/US row over tax breaks (Geneva); Enterprise Ireland announces European strategy; ICOS launches strategy for development of co-operative marts; Irish banks Federation publishes code of ethics and practice.

Wednesday

Results: Anglo-Irish Bancorp, Baldwins Industrial (H1), Caffyns (H1), Cedar Group (H1), Claims Direct (H1), Granada Media, Heal's, Ingenta, Johnson Matthey (H1), Marconi (H1), Phytopharm, Quintain Estates & Dev (H1), Richmond Foods, Swisscom (Q3), Trintech (Q3), VTech Holdings (H1).

Meetings: European Parliament meets (Brussels); Foundation for Fiscal Studies seminar on private practice in public hospitals (Newman House, Dublin); Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Enterprise an Transport meets on CIE signalling row.

Indicators: US GDP (Q3), Italian consumer prices (Nov).

Thursday

Results: Applied Optical Tech (H1), Auckett Assocs, Business Systems Group (H1), BPB (H1), British Land (H1), Castings (H1), Countryside Assocs, Greencore (H1), GUS (H1), John David Sports (H1), Pennon Group (H1), Plasmon (H1), Premier Farnell (Q3), Signet (Q3), South African Breweries (H1), T-Online (Q3), United Utilities (H1).

A.G.M.: Britt Allcroft, Grantchester Holdings (e.g.m.), White Young Green.

Meetings: ECB governing council meets on interest rates; EU justice, internal market and consumer affairs ministers meet (Brussles)..

Indicators: Irish Central Bank monthly statistics; US personal expenditure (Oct) and Chicago purchasing managers' index (Nov); Japanese consumer prices (Nov) and unemployment (Nov).

Others: IBEC launches Asia-Pacific Forum (Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin); Eirtricity opens Culliagh wind farm.

Friday

Results: Fuller Smith and Turner (H1), Mid Kent Holdings (H1).

Meetings: Dail Committee of Public Accounts DIRT inquiry; Davy conference on "EMU Is It Working?" (Conrad Hotel, Dublin).

Indicators: EMU purchasing managers' index (Nov); Irish unemployment (Nov); British PMI (Nov); US NAPM index (Nov); German PMI (Nov).

Others: Marketing Institute Christmas lunch (Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin).