Companies reporting next week

THERE could be news about

With the owners of Icelandair building their stake in easyJet to more than 10%, there will be interest in any talks between the two and in any further clarification of the Reykjavik-based flag carrier's intentions.

EasyJet is unlikely to surprise the market with its pre-tax profits, which are expected to be £72m against £96.3m last time.

Radio group GWR presents half year figures on Tuesday, when shareholders will be hoping to hear more about a proposed merger with Capital Radio. GWR's pre-tax profits are expected to be broadly in line with last year, at £6.6m, while an overall fall in revenue should mask underlying increases as some turnover will have been lost through the disposal of overseas operations.

GWR and Capital, which is also expected to report full year pre-tax profits on Thursday of £23m against £22.8m last time, were more cautious than most at the time of recent pre-close updates.

Since then, results from rivals Chrysalis, Emap and Scottish Radio Holdings have suggested that this caution was well founded, although it remains to be seen whether GWR has noted any worsening in conditions.

Analysts expect top-flight pub company Enterprise Inns to post a 25% rise in pre-tax profits to £220m on Thursday, despite poor summer weather and cost increases this year. In September, the group said trading was comfortably in line with expectations.

The results will include a six-month contribution from the Unique Pub Company, which Enterprise acquired in March.

The imminent completion of regulatory reviews is expected to overshadow the half year results of utility groups United Utilities (UU) and AWG, so analysts are not expecting much information on Thursday about the outlook of UU's regulated operations or its dividend policy after March next year. While the group is poised to turn in pre-tax profits of £193m against £171m previously, attention is set to focus on UU's non-regulated businesses.

On Wednesday, AWG is set to report pre-tax profits of £45.2m against £46.4m last time. Analysts hope to hear more about the management's strategy for the water business, but will have to content themselves with a presentation on AWG's non-regulated Morrison construction business that should follow the results meeting.

Also on Wednesday, British Land's interims are tipped to provide further evidence of the current strength of the property investment market, mainly in retail and the London office sector.

The company is expected to report net asset value figures of £1.015bn, up 5% on the previous year's £966m, in new chief executive Stephen Hester's first set of results.

Chemicals and coatings group Johnson Matthey is tipped to turn in half-year profits of £96m, against £93m previously, on Thursday.

Johnson is expected to say it has benefited from robust auto-catalyst demand and high precious metal prices.

Pharma Materials is expected to have shown good growth in profits and the Colours and Coatings division is also likely to have performed well.