Friday preview: JD Wetherspoon, Investec and SThree results due

Noted dove Vlieghe will deliver a speech at the Society of Business Economists’ annual conference at around 09:50 in London.

Before this, JS Wetherspoon will have issued its final results for the 53 weeks to 30 July, having already disclosed like-for-like sales growth accelerating to 5.3% in the early summer and standing 3.9% higher over the first 50 weeks of the year.

Founder Tim Martin also reiterated his guidance that LFL sales of about 3-4% will be required to maintain profits at this year's levels in the next financial year.

Numis expects an EBIT margin at the top of the guided range, 7.6-7.8%, which implies £128m of EBIT and 63.6p of EPS.

"The step change EPS in FY17 reflects LFL sales growth well above industry average and a pick-up in margin from an historic low in FY16 as the company has raised prices to close the substantial gap versus competitors."

The broker also noted that JDW had been buying back stock "at an unprecedented rate" in recent weeks, "suggesting either a looser leverage target, confidence on outlook, or both".

Recruiter SThree is due to update investors on its third quarter, after the second saw net fees increase 4% on a like-for-like basis after a flat start to the year.

UBS forecast a small acceleration in LFL growth to at least 4% and also said there was potential for currency-driven upgrades from recent euro strength.

The bank expects a meaningful improvement in the UK, after holding back group performance in the second quarter with a 14% decline, boosted by management changes and market data continuing to pick up.

"Continental Europe should remain robust in mid/high-single digits, Americas strong double-digits, and APAC and ME should hopefully remain in growth."

Investec is in the diary to provide an update on its first quarter, having in May reported a 18.5% increase in full-year statutory operating profits to £599.1m that drove a 6.3% rise in statutory earnings per share to 48.3p.

Good balance sheet growth in both the UK and South Africa is expected, Numis said, with continued net inflows into both the asset management and wealth management businesses.

"We expect a compression in the yield on assets within the UK bank but a reduction in funding costs and more importantly a reduction in excess liquidity to have supported the group NIM.

"We remain cautious about the UK economic outlook and commodity and political risks remain in South Africa but we believe both the Wealth and Asset management businesses have attractive prospects."

Later in the day the US Census Bureau will produce its monthly update on retail sales for August. Month-on-month sales growth is estimated to have eased to 0.1% from 0.6%, or if excluding automobiles it is seen remaining at 0.5% for another month.

US industrial production, also due at 1330 BST, is seen easing to 0.1% from 0.2% a month earlier.

Friday, 15 September

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Retail Sales (US) (13:30)
Industrial Production (US) (14:15)
U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00)
Business Inventories (US) (15:00)

FINALS
Wetherspoon (J.D.)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
SThree

AGMs
SVM UK Emerging Fund, Tungsten Corporation, Blenheim Natural Resources, Aberdeen Private Equity Fund Ltd.,
Sterling Part Shares, Invesco Income Growth Trust, PetroNeft Resources

EGMs
JSC Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System GDR (REG S)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Ashtead Group, Severfield, Walker Crips Group, Greene King, Lazard World Trust Fund, London & Associated Properties

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Informa, Apax Global Alpha Limited, Berkeley Group Holdings (The), Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, RM Secured Direct Lending, Securities Trust of Scotland, IMI, Chemring Group, Maven Income and Growth VCT 5, GCP Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Maven Income & Growth 3 VCT, Hazel Renewable Energy VCT 1, North Midland Construction, Maven Income & Growth 2 VCT, Hazel Renewable Energy VCT 2, Pearson, Synectics

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Cambian Group

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
General Electric Co.

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
BlackRock World Mining Trust, Canadian General Investments Ltd., Carnival