Companies reporting next week

TRADERS can expect little respite from the deluge of results next week as mobile phone group

Chief executive Sir Christopher Gent is expected to go out on a high note on Tuesday when he issues his last set of results after 17 years with the company. Vodafone confounded its critics with strong interims in November, showing a 41% jump in underlying half-year profits to £4.25bn and forcing the City to raise full-year profit forecasts.

Analysts are looking for underlying pre-tax profits of around £8.2bn (compared with £6.2bn last year) with goodwill charges of around £14bn. Vodafone is expected to show solid progress in pushing up revenues per user, currently the industry's key measure of success.

Magazines publisher and radio station operator Emap has offset the effects of the advertising slowdown by growing circulation revenues. The company said in March that while revenues were down in its radio stations, its consumer media division had seen solid growth with circulation and advertising holding up well at several titles. Analysts predict pre-tax profits of around £128m on Wednesday. Last time it posted £151m before tax and one-off and amortisation charges.

The retail sector will be back on the agenda on Wednesday when Argos-owner GUS publishes full-year results. Burberry, in which GUS has a majority stake, boosted confidence on Thursday with a solid set of results. GUS surprised investors in April with news of industry-beating like-for-like sales growth of 7% at Argos.

Investors want news on the integration of the recently-bought Homebase DIY operation. Gerrards expects profits of £635m, from £522m last time.

Invensys' share price plunged after a profits warning in February, and there was no sign of an improvement in outlook in April when the engineer unveiled a sell-off that will effectively halve its size. Investors want more details on that shake-up with the annual results on Thursday. It is expected to sell loss-making software arm Baan. Invensys has already said that operating profits before exceptional and goodwill charges would be about £250m for the year ended March, from £549m last time.

Northern Foods indicated in January that results would be broadly in line with those last year after tough competition hit biscuit sales. Higher cocoa prices because of the war in the Ivory Coast have also hurt its margins.

Results due Wednesday are expected by analysts to show pre-tax profits before goodwill amortisation slightly down on last year's £101m at £99m.

Glass maker Pilkington is set to post a fall in full-year profits on Thursday, following a disappointing first-half showing. Its European building products division has been hit by the economic situation in Germany and a weak US construction market. The City predicts underlying profits of around £152m for the year ended March, from £183m a year earlier.