Wednesday preview: Steady progress expected at Topps Tiles

Flooring specialist Topps Tiles is set to update the market on how trading has been going in the second quarter of the current financial year.

Peel Hunt is not expecting the like-for-like (LFL) sales decline to improve all that much, it thinks the business has continued to make steady progress since the step-down in trading in the July-September quarter, and could be moving steadily ahead of the broker's trading forecasts.

"We had pencilled in a H1 [first half] forecast of -6% LFL at the start of the financial year, and believe Q2 [second quarter] is likely to have traded consistently with Q1," Peel Hunt said.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Abbey, AdEPT Telecom, Air Partner, British Sky Broadcasting Group, Haynes Publishing Group, Henderson EuroTrust, Matrix Income & Growth 2 VCT, Photo-Me International, Produce Investment, Renewable Energy Generation Ltd.

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Africa Opportunity Fund Ltd., British Land Co, Dow Chemical Co, Small Companies Dividend Trust, Yamana Gold Inc.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

Current Account (09:30)

Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

GMS

Pathfinder Minerals , Red Emperor Resources NL (DI)

FINALS

Churchill China, Dolphin Capital Investors Ltd., Evraz, Hansteen Holdings, Henry Boot, Instem, JKX Oil & Gas, Melrose Resources, Petropavlovsk, PV Crystalox Solar, Valiant Petroleum

IMSS

Domino's Pizza UK & IRL

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

City Merchants High Yield Trust

AGMS

Domino's Pizza UK & IRL, eServGlobal Ltd., Galleon Holdings, MDY Healthcare, Octopus Titan VCT 1, Octopus Titan VCT 2, United Bank Ltd. GDR (Reg S)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Topps Tiles

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

GDP (quarterly national accounts) (09:30)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Anglo American, AZ Electronic Materials SA (DI), Baronsmead VCT 5, Bovis Homes Group, Delcam, Devro, Dragon Oil, Eurasian Natural Resources Corp., F&C Asset Management, Glanbia, Law Debenture Corp., London Capital Group Holdings, LSL Property Services, Moneysupermarket.com Group, New Britain Palm Oil Ltd. (DI), New World Resources A Shares, Nichols, Prudential, RSA Insurance Group, Schroders, Schroders (Non-Voting), St James's Place, Stadium Group, Tikit Group, Wynnstay Group