Analysts expect budget airline Ryanair to report an increase in first-quarter profits of around 25-30 per cent next Wednesday. However, growth in earnings per share will be diluted by the issue of 14.3 million new shares last March.
Mr Shane Matthews of NCB Stockbrokers is forecasting 27 per cent growth in turnover and net earnings. He expects the carrier to report profits of some £17.8 million, driven by an expected 30 per cent rise in passenger numbers. But it has faced higher fuel costs and airport charges.
Shares in the airline closed 17 cents higher at €9.22 last Friday and analysts say it has pursued the correct strategy of focusing on passenger number growth.
Golden Vale Foods is also expected to produce good numbers when it reports interim results on Thursday, boosted by buoyant dairy markets. Demand is also high for skim milk powder and commodity dairy products generally but there may be a marginal decline in profits at Golden Vale's other businesses.
Monday
Results: Jersey Phoenix TST; Photo-Me International; Aggregate Industries (H1), Nycomed Amersham (H1); Inchape (H1); Adidas-Salomon AG (Q1).
A.G.M.: MSW Technology (EGM).
Indicators: UK industrial production (June); UK manufacturing output (June); German industrial production.
Others: ISEQ closed for August bank holiday; British Airways and Air France post quarterly turnover; C&A annual news conference; TV-2 Megafon opinion poll on Danish attitude towards joining the euro; financial regulator of Belgium's Banking and Finance Commission will decide whether to take French bank BNP Paribas to court over its buyout bid for Cobepa.
Tuesday
Results: SFI Group; BP Amoco (Q2), Dmatek (H1), Smith & Nephew (H1), Zoteforms (H1), Fairview Holdings (H1); Fortum (H1); Orion (H1); Atlas Copco (H1); Psion (Q1).
A.G.M.: Technoplast Technology; WS Atkins; Wilshaw (EGM); Xenova (EGM).
Indicators: German unemployment (June).
Others: BOC third quarter earnings; Air France news conference; Opening of European Energy Exchange (EEX) power bourse; German music software supplier company eJay AG aims to list on Germany's Neuer Markt.
Wednesday
Results: Ryanair (Q1); Bookham Technology (Q2); Reed Elsevier (H1); Air Liquide (H1); Lafarge (H1); Statoil (H1); Skandia (H1); Reed Elsevier (H1)
A.G.M.: Mountview Estates.
Indicators: Irish Live Register Flow Analysis, July 2000; Federal Reserve issues Beige Book economic summary; Bank of England inflation report.
Others: Deutsche Bank Research news conference on "Boom and new economy"; International Energy Agency releases its monthly oil market report.
Thursday
Results: Golden Vale (H1); Cannons Group (H1); Bright Station (H1); Aegon (H1); Bayer (H1); Erste (H1).
A.G.M.: Helphire; Easyscreen; Arthur Shaw (EGM); Telecom Italia (EGM)
Indicators: Irish Census of Industrial Production, 1998; Irish Industrial Production Index, August, September and October 1999; Irish Trade with Non-EU Countries, June 2000; Euro-11 ECB monthly report.
Others: French companies Canal Plus report quarterly turnover and France Telecom turnover.
Friday
Results: Esporta (H1), Autologic Holdings (H1); Electrolux (H1).
A.G.M.: Galen Holdings (EGM); James Latham; Ranger Cooker Company; Vtech Holdings.
Meetings: Bank of Japan monetary policy board meeting.
Indicators: Irish Economic Series, July 2000; Irish Industrial Earnings and Hours Worked, September 1999 (Final); Irish Livestock Slaughterings, June 2000; Irish Live Register Area Analysis, July 2000; US PPI (July); US retail sales (July).
Others: French defence electronics firm Thomson-CSF reports turnover.
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