Finance Bill 2000 in print

The Budget for 2000 has seen more reworkings than most already and the Minister has flagged a number of new initiatives which will appear in the Finance Bill when it is published on Thursday. There will be interest in the final package on individualisation and how it deals with some of the anomalies in the proposed new regime on CAT as well as any provisions to ease the tax treatment of share options to encourage employment in the hi-tech industries.

Ryanair: High-flying low-cost airline Ryanair reports third-quarter figures tomorrow and they will be closely watched by analysts who have bid up the share on the basis of its out-performance in the sector. Davy is looking for a 14 per cent increase in profits before tax to €17.6 million (£13.9 million) on the back on passenger number growth and better average yields.

Monday

Results: BA (Q3), Elan, Epic Group (H1), Foster's Brewing Group (H1), Pizza Express (H1), Torex.

A.G.M.: Villiers Group (also e.g.m.).

Meetings: Bank for International Settlements holds regular meeting of central bankers from Group of 10 and other countries (Basel); The World Trade Organisation's ruling General Council holds its first meeting for the year (Geneva).

Indicators: US consumer credit (Dec).

Others: European of the Year award presented by the President, Mrs McAleese (Berkeley Court Hotel, Dublin).

Tuesday

Results: BOC (Q1), BWD Securities, Cisco Systems (H1), Freenet.de, Henderson TR Pacific Investment Trust, Mattel (Q4), QXL (Q3), Reuters, Ryanair (Q3), Securitas, Schering, Trelleborg, UPM-Kymmene, Waterford Wedgwood.

A.G.M.: Blakes Clothing (e.g.m.), Forward Technology (e.g.m.), Property & Capital Group (e.g.m.), Rapid Technology.

Meetings: Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business presentation from Aldi Stores managing director Mr Trevor Coates.

Indicators: Irish industrial stocks (Q3) and live register flow analysis (Jan); US productivity (Q4) and unit labour costs (Q4); Japanese household spending (Dec); German consumer prices (Jan) and unemployment (Jan); Italian EU trade (Nov) and non-EU trade (Dec).

Others: Coyle Hamilton publishes Commentary 2000; US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers testifies to Congress on the US budget for 2001.

Wednesday

Results: Abbey, Aim Group (H1), Amer, BSkyB (H1), Coloplast (Q3), Dobbies Garden Centres, Goodyear (Q4), Impala Platinum Holdings (H1), Norvestia, Swedish Match.

A.G.M.: Foreign & Colonial Pep & Isa Investment Trust, Holidaybreak, SHL Group, United Drug.

Meetings: Bank of England monetary policy committee meeting (to Thurs).

Indicators: Irish index of employment in construction (Dec); US wholesale trade (Dec); Japanese wholesale prices (Jan); German industrial production (Dec).

Others: European Commission expected to rule on planned merger of TotalFina and Elf Aquitaine to form the world's fourth-largest oil company: Institute of Directors lunch addressed by the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy (Burlington Hotel, Dublin).

Thursday

Results: Bryant Group (H1), Dell (Q4), Mobilcom, Monsanto (Q3), News Com (H1), Pharmacia & Upjohn (Q4), Philips, Royal Dutch/Shell.

A.G.M.: Countryside Properties, Greencore, Henderson Strata, Metroline, MoDo (e.g.m.), Spring Group (e.g.m.), Veba (e.g.m.).

Meetings: Bank of Japan monetary policy board meets.

Indicators: EMU earnings (Q3) and labour cost index (Q3); Japanese orders (Dec); German consumer prices (Jan).

Others: Finance Bill 2000 published; Dolmen Butler Briscoe publishes investment outlook and review (Burlginton Hotel, Dublin).

Friday

Results: Electrolux, Lloyds TSB.

A.G.M.: Burndene, Porsche, Reg Vardy (e.g.m.).

Indicators: Irish output, input and income in agriculture 1999; British industrial production (Dec) and manufacturing output (Dec); US retail sales (Jan), Michigan Sentiment Survey (Feb) and Chicago Federal Index (Dec); French current account (Nov); German trade balance (Dec), retail sales (Dec) and current account (Dec).