Tuesday Preview: M&S, Imperial Tobacco, Dairy Crest, Mitchells and Butlers

Source from:  uk.biz.yahoo.com LONDON (ShareCast) 05/20/2008

Marks and Spencer (LSE: MKS.L - news) will be hoping pre-tax profits for the full year breach ￡1bn, but brokers are divided on whether this can be achieved. JPM forecasts a 2% rise in full-year pre-tax profits to ￡989m and expects the food and fashion retailer to say warmer weather early in May helped lift sales. Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH - news) sees pre-tax profits coming in at ￡1.02bn. Imperial Tobacco (LSE: IMT.L - news) posts half year results and JPM is predicting pre-tax profits of ￡913m. Dairy Crest's full-year results will be watched for an indication of the effects of input costs on profits. Mitchells and Butlers (LSE: MAB.L - news) has been in the news after the Telegraph said billionare investor Robert Tchenguiz gained a seat on the board. Clarification on board restructuring is likely to be the main item of interest in M&B's interim results. INTERIMS Andor Technology (LSE: AND.L - news) , Formation Group (LSE: FRM.L - news) , Fountains (LSE: FNT.L - news) , Imperial Tobacco, In