LONDON -- Results announcements are heating up in February as companies with years ending in December start to churn out their figures. We've already covered some of next week's big stories in our look ahead to February, including ARM Holdings, BP, and GlaxoSmithKline.
But there are plenty more, so here's a round-up of what else is coming our way from the FTSE 100 next week.
Randgold (LSE: RRS)
Randgold Resources, the Africa-based gold miner, starts the week off with annual results for the year to December on Monday. And they're expected to be decent, with a 14% rise in earnings per share currently expected by City pundits. And if forecasts are to be believed, we should see nice earnings growth over the next two years, too. The shares, currently trading at 6,085 pence -- they gained almost 2% today -- are on a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 20, but that is expected to fall to 12 by 2014.
A third-quarter update in November was generally positive, though profit for the quarter was down 15% on the previous quarter. Subsequent to that, the firm was hit by a fire at its Tongon mine in Cote d'Ivoire, but there was no serious damage done, and production was back to normal three weeks later.
BG Group (LSE: BG)
Tuesday is annual results day for BG Group, and the oil and gas producer is scheduled for a pretty flat year. Those expectations caused quite a dent in the share price when the news was revealed in October's third-quarter update, but there is a decent return to growth expected for the next two years.
At 1,128 pence the shares are on a P/E for 2012 of 13, but with forecasts suggesting 4% earnings growth this year and 18% next, that is slated to fall to about 11 in two years' time. And with global economic recovery looking more optimistic, I think it would be hard to call BG shares expensive right now.
Smith & Nephew (SN 1.88%)
Orthopedics and wound care specialist Smith & Nephew is next up, with full-year results expected on Thursday. And what a year the shares have had: At today's 728 pence, they're up 20% over the past 12 months and up 26% from their low point of 580 pence last May.
Third-quarter figures were encouraging, and the firm has since made a nice-looking acquisition of wound care business Healthpoint Biotherapeutics for $782 million in cash. Overall forecasts suggest a fairly flat year in terms of earnings, but I reckon Smith & Nephew has good long-term potential. At 731 pence and on a P/E of 16, the shares don't look expensive to me.
Hargreaves Lansdown (HL +0.00%)
On Wednesday we should have half-year figures from Hargreaves Lansdown, and this is another company whose shares have done exceptionally well. Although they have fallen back from their November peak of 780 pence to 703 pence today, that's still a gain of more than 60% over the past 12 months.
Based on current forecasts, the shares are on a P/E of about 24, so the recent bull run might have gone far enough for now -- though analysts are expecting to see a 20% rise in earnings per share for the year to June, with a 3.5% dividend yield.
TUI Travel (LSE: TT)
And to finish our look at the week, Friday brings us a first-quarter update from TUI Travel. While fellow high-street travel agent Thomas Cook was just about escaping insolvency by the skin of its teeth, TUI Travel managed to weather the storm without harm to its dividend, and it has emerged strongly with a couple of years of earnings growth.
With the shares on 295 pence, the latest analysts' consensus for the year to September puts them on a P/E of under 11, with a 4.2% dividend yield expected. News on the important winter booking season will be keenly awaited.
Finally, whether you invest for growth or income, healthy dividends can make a major contribution to your long-term profits -- you can spend them or reinvest them as appropriate. With that in mind, I'd recommend you get a copy of the brand-new Fool report "The Motley Fool's Top Income Share For 2013," in which our top analysts identify a share that is currently offering a yield of 5.7% and should be a profitable investment for years to come. But it will only be available for a limited period, so if you want to find out the name of this high-yielder, click here to get your copy of the report today.
