Friday preview; GDP, Aga, Berendsen

The stats compilers at the Office for National Statistics have another go on Friday at guessing what UK gross domestic product (GDP) was in the second quarter of 2012.

Expectations are that GDP will have shrunk 0.5% during the quarter to a level down 0.6% year-on-year. Those figures, if correct, would represent a slight improvement on the first stab at estimating GDP, which suggested the UK economy had shrunk by an eye-watering 0.7% during the quarter, after declining by 0.3% in the first quarter.

On the corporate front we will find out what's cooking at Aga Rangemaster, the oven maker, which is set to declare its interim results.

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The group has already indicated that overall revenues and operating profits, excluding property profits, were slightly lower in the first half of 2012 than in the corresponding period of last year. Despite this, the group said in early July that it continues to expect to achieve revenue and profit growth for the full year as its product and cost initiatives work through.

Particular attention is likely to be paid to Ireland, where sales have been on the slide as the Irish tighten their belts.

Textile maintenance business, Berendsen, will post flat revenues in the half year to the end of June, after taking into account currency effects.

The company, formerly known as Davis Service Group, should deliver an increase in operating margin at the half-year stage.

INTERIMS

Aga Rangemaster Group, Berendsen, Henry Boot

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Edinburgh UK Tracker Trust, Microgen, Throgmorton Trust

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Picton Property Income Ltd

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)

GMS

Mouchel Group, Small Companies Dividend Trust

FINALS

Eurocommercial Properties NV

ANNUAL REPORT

Renishaw

AGMS

IRET Securities Ltd Zero Div Pref, Pathfinder Minerals , Pathfinder Minerals , Picton Property Income Ltd, Stagecoach Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GDP (output, income & expenditure) (09:30)

Index of Services (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Aberdeen New Dawn Inv Trust, AEC Education, Heath (Samuel) & Sons, Latham (James), Puma VCT V, RIT Capital Partners, Volex

JH