Friday preview: Rain a pain again for Marshalls

'Rain, rain, go away' should be the mantra for landscaping products firm Marshalls, which issues a pre-close trading update on Friday.

In its interim management statement in May the firm grumbled about the rainfall in April being an important factor in sales being down that month by £5m on April 2011, so the wettest June in living memory in the UK will not have pleased management.

"Construction markets remain subdued with growth only really visible in larger infrastructure schemes where Marshalls is less well exposed. So, it is unlikely

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that we'll see any market-led improvements," suggests Peel Hunt.

"Marshalls remains very active, however, on self-help measures to underpin the revenue while markets are tough. Ultimate recovery in markets and growth from self-help feeding through to high marginal profitability remains the key attraction," the broker added.

INTERIMS

Sandvine Corp.

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Alternative Networks, Associated British Foods, Cardiff Property, Daily Mail and General Trust A (Non.V), Debenhams, Grainger, Noble Investments (UK), Shaftesbury

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

British Assets Trust

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Verizon Communications

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Industrial Production (GER) (11:00)

Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (13:30)

Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)

Q2

Sandvine Corp.

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

F&C Managed Portfolio Trust Income Shares

AGMS

Northern Investors Co, Software Radio Technology

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Balfour Beatty, Camellia, Cello Group, Densitron Technologies, First Derivatives, Hill & Smith Holdings, Huntsworth, Judges Scientific, JZ Capital Partners Ltd, M&C Saatchi, Marshalls, Morgan Crucible Co, Prezzo, Stobart Group Ltd., Tesco, Utilico Emerging Markets Ltd (DI), Yule Catto & Co

TRADING STATEMENT

Marshalls

JH