Wednesday Preview: Imperial Tobacco, Ultimate Leisure, Woolworths

Source from:  Tue 18 Sep 2007 LONDON (SHARECAST) 09/19/2007

Imperial Tobacco should give some respite from the turmoil in financial sectors. The group recently acquired Gauloises owner Altadis, financed with a hefty rights issue. It will not have any benefit from that deal yet, but tobacco company earnings are nothing if not steady and Imperial's comments should underline that point again. Night club operator Ultimate Leisure should give a steer on whether recent rises in interest rates are stopping people going out and enjoying themselves. Profits are likely to be only very modest this time. High street retailer Woolworths recently reported a better than expected 3.7% increase in like for like sales in the eight weeks to 28 July. Improved sales of DVDs, due in part to the unseasonable weather, also helped sales for the full 25 week period. The company said indoor products had done well due to the wet summer, although this was offset by weaker demand for outdoor products. INTERIMS ACTA, Alkane Energy, Amtel, AOI Medical, ArmorGroup, Atlantic Global, Autologic Holdings, Business Control Solutions, Climate Exchange, Concurrent Technologies, Development Securities, Entelos, Havelock Europa, Inion, Lombard Medical Technologies, Moneysupermarket.com, Newcourt Group, Whatman, Woolworths Group INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE First Quantum Minerals, St James's Place INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE Admiral Group, Amlin, Antofagasta, Aukett Fitzroy Robinson Group, Aviva, Cadbury Schweppes, Candover Investments, Cattles, Cello Group, Chaucer Holdings, Christie Group, Computacenter, Davis Service Group, Devro, Dialight, Dignity, F&C Asset Management, French Connection, Goldenport, Hammerson, Ideal Shopping Direct, International Personal Finance, International Real Estate, Invesco, Just Car Clinics Group, LogicaCMG, Lookers, Maintel Holdings, Management Consulting Group, Meggitt, Morson Group, Motivcom, NSB Retail, Panmure Gordon & Co, Parkwood Holdings, Playtech, Premier Farnell, Property Recycling Group, Quarto Group, Rathbone Brothers, Restaurant Group, Smallbone, Somero Enterprises (Reg S), Tex Holdings, Tikit, ToLuna, UK Select Trust, Win, Xstrata INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Building Permits (US) (13:30) Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30) MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00) Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00) FINALS Ascribe, Dunelm, Just Retirement, Ultimate Leisure Group EGMs Galahad Gold, Westbury Property Fund, Yoomedia AGMs Dunedin Ent.IT., Granby Oil and Gas, Impact Holdings, Invesco Perpetual Select Trust 'A' Shares, Medical Marketing International Group, Misys, Ovoca Gold TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Imperial Tobacco Group UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS BoE Interest Rate Minutes (09:30) FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE ACM Shipping, Admiral Group, Antofagasta, CPL Resources, Gartmore Growth Opportunity, Invesco Perp Recovery Tst 2011, Jupiter Primadona Growth Trust, Mid Wynd International Trust, Redrow, Stewart and Wight, Telent, The Capital Pub Company, Tribal Group, Western Selection Enditem