Companies reporting next week

TRADERS returning from the Easter holidays will get an early chance to test consumer confidence as a clutch of retailers issue results or trading statements.

Drinks giant Allied Domecq has already told investors that profits are likely to be held at last year's level, prompting analysts to forecast a figure of £255m against the £251m seen a year earlier.

This was largely due to a £40m hit because of the weak US dollar and costs associated with its pension fund. So when it reports first half figures on Thursday, the City will be keen to hear of any changes in outlook.

After suffering along with its sector peers from the underperforming advertising market, media group WPP is expected to report negative revenue growth from its existing operations on Friday. Chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell is likely to reiterate his cautious outlook for the advertising market this year. He has repeatedly said that a sustained recovery should be expected only by 2004.

Analysts expect pubs operator Punch Taverns to report profits in the region of £52m for the first half when it unveils maiden interim results on Wednesday.

The company showed in January it had managed to avoid much of the downturn which plagued its high street rivals over the Christmas season because it was focused on more resilient community pubs.

While furniture retailer DFS warned in December that sales were likely to lose some of their strength, the Doncaster-based group should still improve half-year profits to £27m from £25.7m a year earlier when it reports on Thursday.

Discount retailer Brown & Jackson, which is due to report annual results on Thursday, is now focused exclusively on Poundstretcher after it sold three other loss-making chains for £1. The shake-up, headed by former Matalan boss Angus Monro, is likely to have distorted the figures, which should show pre-tax profits from continuing operations unchanged at £6m, with bottom-line losses around £3m.

Delayed annual results from serviced office provider Regus should make grim reading on Friday following a year in which trading conditions have been dire and the company has required bankruptcy protection in the US.

Regus was also forced to sell a 58% stake in its more profitable UK business to raise a much needed £58m.