Wednesday preview: Domino's Pizza, Homeserve

Say what you like about Domino's Pizza - great delivery, shame about the pizza - the company is a money-harvesting machine.

The third quarter interim management statement on Wednesday should see the pizza delivery outfit benefit from the UK's indifferent weather, which will have persuaded many hungry diners to stay at home and order in instead.

Credit Suisse reckons the firm should achieve like-for-like sales growth of 3.5%, down from 6.9% in the second quarter, as it is going up against tougher comparatives, while the second quarter received a boost from the Euro 2012 footie tournament.

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"The de-rating through 2011 rightly factored in a more modest growth outlook for the core UK business, and we see management commentary on Germany (bullish, but little detail) and Switzerland (roll-out) as more important share price catalysts," the Swiss broker said.

HomeServe, the international home emergency business, has been making progress resolving its UK issues, where it is looking to simplify and refocus the business.

All the while, in the background, the Financial Services Authority's (FSA's) investigation will be playing on management's minds.

The interim management statement will cover the less important first half of the financial year, so the outlook statement may be more significant than the raw numbers.

"We anticipate trading to be in line with expectations but, with the majority of new business traditionally won in H2 [second half], this won't necessarily be a reliable indicator of what to expect for the full year," Peel Hunt said.

The broker is forecasting half-year profit before tax of £20m.

"We will be looking out for any update on the response rates for the new UK

marketing material - we understand that responses to the first FSA approved

mailings that went out earlier in the year were disappointing," Peel Hunt revealed.

Panmure Gordon, meanwhile, notes: "Growth in its International operations has been seen."

"Encouragingly, new partners have been added in the US and retention levels have stayed high - suggesting that negative read-across from UK is not impacting. Test marketing is under way in Italy and Germany while progress is being made in France," Panmure Gordon said.

INTERIMS

IQE, Panmure Gordon & Co, S & U, Snoozebox Holdings, Trap Oil Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

British American Tobacco, Lancashire Holdings

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Bovis Homes Group, Braime (T.F.& J.H.) Holdings, Braime (T.F.& J.H.) Holdings (Non-Voting), BrainJuicer Group, Brightside Group, British Smaller Companies VCT 2, Centrica, Christie Group, Derwent London, Dignity, Drax Group, Filtrona PLC, Good Energy Group, H.R. Owen, Invesco Perpetual UK Small Companies Inv Trust, IS Solutions, Kentz Corporation Ltd., M. P. Evans Group, Morgan Sindall Group, Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets, Netplay TV, Networkers International, North American Income Trust (The), Primary Health Properties, Quarto Group Inc., Real Estate Investors, Rotala, RSA Insurance Group, Smurfit Kappa Group, Vitec Group, Wynnstay Group

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Africa Opportunity Fund Ltd., Dow Chemical Co, Yamana Gold Inc.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Highland Gold Mining Ltd.

AGMS

Absolute Return Trust Ltd. GBP Shares, Intercede Group, Micro Focus International, Namibian Resources, Sirius Minerals, Sofia Property Fund Ltd., Sweett Group, WYG

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Atkins (WS), ICAP, Topps Tiles

IMSS

Domino's Pizza Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

CBI Distributive Trades Surveys (11:00)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Anite, Development Securities, Hansard Global, Oxford Instruments, Photo-Me International