CRH kicks off what is a very busy week on the Irish corporate front tomorrow. It is one of eight constituents of the Irish Stock Exchange Quotation reporting interim figures in addition to three - Adare Printing, ITG and Celtic Resources - which hold annual general meetings.
CRH, the largest of all those reporting, is expected to bring in a 22 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to €131 million (£103 million) in the first six months on the back of a strong performance in the buoyant Irish and US markets.
The figures augur another good year for the group, which produces the bulk of its profits in the second half and which, this year, will see those figures boosted by recent acquisitions in the US, which will have no impact on the interims.
Other big players reporting this week are: Kerry Group (tomorrow); Jefferson Smurfit, Waterford Wedgwood and FBD (Wednesday); and Independent News & Media, Glanbia and Kingspan (Thursday).
Monday
Results: KPN Telecom (H1), Real Software (H1), Sabena (H1), Skanska (H1).
A.G.M.: Simint.
Indicators: US new home sales (Jul); Japanese retail sales (Jul) and industrial production (Jul); Italian retail sales (Jun).
Others: Bank holiday in Britain; EU Parliament starts vetting new Commission team (Brussels to Fri).
Tuesday
Results: CRH (H1), Hammerson (H1), James Finlay (H1), Impala Platinum, Kerry Group (H1), Kvaerner (H1), Macro 4, Marshalls (H1), MayrMelnhof Karton (H1), Persimmon (H1), Sasol, Scoot.com (H1), TNT Post Group (H1), Valeo (H1), VI Group (H1).
A.G.M.: Celtic Resources, Investment Trust of Investment Trusts, Mentmore Abbey (e.g.m.), Middlesex Holding, Swan Hill (e.g.m.), Sytner (e.g.m.).
Meetings: Dail Select Committee on Public Accounts holds first hearings in DIRT inquiry (to Fri).
Indicators: EMU foreign trade (May); British consumer credit (Jul), M0 data (Aug) and M4 figures (Jul); US consumer confidence (Aug), New York NAPM (Aug) and Chicago PMI (Aug); Japanese unemployment (Jul), job ratio (Jul), construction orders (Jul) and housing starts (Jul); French unemployment (Jul), industrial production (Jun), official reserves (Jul) and housing starts (Jul); Italian producer prices (Jul); Canadian current account (Q2) and GDP (Q2).
Wednesday
Results: Bemrose Corp (H1), Britannic Group (H1), Casino (H1), Clydeport (H1), CMG (H1), Continente (H1), Domestic & General, FBD (H1), Glaverbel (H1), Guardian IT (H1), Holmes Place (H1), Linx Printing, Mallett (H1), Matalan (H1), Perkins Foods (H1), Pittards (H1), Repsol (H1), Serco (H1), Singer & Friedlanger (H1), Slouch Estates (H1), Jef- ferson Smurfit (H1), Tabacalera (H1), Telefonica (H1), VA Technologie (H1), Waterford Wedgwood (H1), Wembley (H1), Whatman (H1), Wilson Bowden (H1).
A.G.M.: Adare Printing Group, Booker, ITG, St Andrew Trust (e.g.m.), Whitcroft (e.g.m.).
Indicators: EMU PMI (Aug); British PMI manufacturing (Aug); US NAPM (Jul), construction orders (Jul), leading indicators (Jul) and car sales (Jul); Japanese foreign reserves (Aug); German PMI (Aug); French PMI (Aug); Italian PMI (Aug).
Others: Former New Zealand Prime Minister Mike Moore takes up his post as new Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.
Thursday
Results: Ahold (H1), Alfred McAlpine (H1), Amec (H1), Delhaize (H1), Glanbia (H1), Harveys Furnishings, Independent News & Media (H1), Kingspan (H1), Save (H1), Sema (H1), Skyepharma (H1), Vickers (H1).
A.G.M.: Aston Villa, Carcloi Engineering, Central European Growth Fund (e.g.m.), Man (E,D & F), Faupel Trading, Mentmore Abbey, Wintrust.
Indicators: Irish planning permissions (Q2); British official reserves (Aug); US factory orders (Jul), productivity (Q2), unit labour costs (Q2), and weekly jobs and monetary data; Japanese household spending figures (Jul).
Others: Small Firms' Association annual lunch attended by the President, Mrs McAleese (Burlington Hotel, Dublin).
Friday
Results: Enterprise Oil (H1), GEI International, ITNET (H1), Lawrence (H1), Regal Hotel Group (H1), Scor (H1), Senior (H1), Tarsus.
A.G.M.: Adam & Harvey, British Bloodstock, Daejan Holdings, Dyson (J & J), Hartford (e.g.m.), Holmes & Marchant (e.g.m.), HW Group, Inter Link Foods, International Greetings, Latchways, Mediaset, Menzies (John), Precoat International, Ross.
Indicators: Irish unemployment (Aug); British construction output (Q2); US unemployment (Aug), average hourly earnings (Aug), average working week (Aug), housing completions (Jul) and NAPM non-manufacturing (Jul); Italian non-EU trade (Jul) and EU trade (Jun).
