Friday preview: Bellway, Hornby

On Friday, house builder Bellway issues an interim management statement which Northland Capital Partners thinks should point to further growth.

"A positive trading update from Bellway will keep our estimates well within reach given 94% of the target revenue for the full year is now in hand," the broker said.

"Growth is driven by increasing the number of available sites (215 targeted by early 2012) in optimal locations given Bellway's regional positioning and its 18,086 plot land bank. This offers continued margin recovery and 6% volume growth," Northland said, as it reiterated its "buy" recommendation.

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The company should also have seen a boost from a late rush to take advantage of the first-time buyers stamp duty holiday before it was removed on March 24th.

Toy train set maker Hornby is one of a number of companies hoping for some sort of boost from the London Olympics. The group has a number of collectible items with an Olympics theme which it hopes will tempt collectors young and old.

The company could certainly do with an Olympian surge after it issued a profit warning in January. The firm has indicated that underlying profit before tax for the year to the end of March will be not less than £4.5m after a subdued finish to the financial year.

Broker WH Ireland is expecting profits to come in at around £4.8m on sales of £68m.

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Sage Group, Smiths News, Spirit Pub Company

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Barclays, Honeywell International Inc., Lilly (Eli) & Co, M Winkworth

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)

Balance of Trade (US) (13:30)

Current Account (GER) (07:00)

Factory Orders (GER) (11:00)

Retail Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)

GMS

Norseman Gold

FINALS

Hornby

ANNUAL REPORT

Electrocomponents

AGMS

JSC VTB Bank GDR (Reg S), M. P. Evans Group, Oxford Catalysts Group, Sterling Green Group, Volga Gas

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Bellway, SThree

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Cape, Clarkson, F&C Private Equity Trust, Lighthouse Group, Macfarlane Group, Northbridge Industrial Services, Octopus Second AIM VCT, Porvair, Rightmove, TT Electronics, William Hill

JH