LONDON -- Looking ahead to next week, as reporting season for companies with years ending December tails off, we do still have a few important FTSE 100 reports coming our way -- and we are starting to approach the time of March pre-close updates.
Let's take a look at three FTSE 100 companies set to bring us news during the week ahead.
Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN)
Aberdeen Asset Management will bring us a pre-close trading update on Monday ahead of interim results due on April 29. If you had bought shares in the investment management group a year ago, you'd be sitting on a gain of nearly 70% now that the shares have risen to 418 pence.
After earnings fell for a couple of years leading into 2009, the firm has bounced back with strong profit growth. And the dividend was lifted year on year throughout, regularly providing an income of more than 4% -- although the rising share price meant that 2012's yield fell back to 3.7%.
Forecasts for the year to September 2013 suggest a rise in earnings per share of about 10%, putting the shares on a forward price-to-earnings ratio of just less than 16. The full-year dividend is also expected to be lifted by 18% to 13.5 pence per share this year. The firm's first-quarter update told us that it attracted 10.8 billion pounds in new business in the period, with assets under management rising to 193.4 billion pounds.
Kingfisher (KGF -0.48%)
Tuesday will bring us full-year results from Kingfisher, the owner of B&Q and Screwfix in the U.K., together with European outlets including the French DIY chain Castorama. Kingfisher shares haven't done that well of late, falling about 5% over the past 12 months to 286 pence.
The company's fourth-quarter update on Feb. 21 told us that like-for-like sales for the period were down 3.4% on the previous year's final quarter despite an extra week's trading this time. U.K. sales were particularly weak, with like-for-like down 5.8% overall and B&Q down 6.4% -- though Screwfix sales gained 10.3%.
Full-year forecasts indicate a 13% fall in earnings, but there's still a 4.4% rise in the dividend expected for a yield of 3.2%.
Resolution (LSE: RSL)
We should also have full-year results from Resolution Limited on Tuesday. The firm, which specializes in consolidation within the life insurance sector, is forecast to reward investors with a hefty dividend. The predicted full-year payment of 21 pence represents a yield of 7.6% on the current share price of 276 pence. A payment of 7.05 pence was made for the first half.
At the time of the company's third-quarter update in November, Andy Briggs (who will be appointed chief executive on March 28) told us the results demonstrated "continued momentum, with the Group delivering significantly improved new business profitability despite the challenges in the wider economy," but he did also talk of "the continued uncertainty in Europe and other markets weighing on overall performance."
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