British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, faces the irony of chairing the pivotal EU summit which this week will confirm who will and who will not join the fledgling economic and monetary union in the knowledge that Britain has backed away from joining at the outset on political grounds. Among the key items to be decided by the summit in Brussels, which begins on Friday and continues through to Sunday, is the tussle over who will be named to head up the nascent European Central Bank. With both the Netherlands and France hardening their positions in the run-up to the summit, there is much talk of compromise candidates, although there is still a chance that Mr Wim Duisenberg will be appointed, once France obtains certain commitments in relation to other future appointments.
Monday
Results: Caldwell Investments, Debenhams (H1), EIS Group, Strategem (H1), Wardle Storeys (H1), WPP Group (Q1).
A.G.M.: Astra, Bowness Leisure, Darby Group, Esselte, Freeport Leisure (e.g.m.), Hafslund ASA, Hat Pin, Henlys, Heywood Williams (e.g.m.), ITPA (e.g.m.), Murray International Trust, Skandia Insurance.
Meetings: EU foreign ministers (Luxembourg); OECD starts two-day ministerial meeting (Paris).
Indicators: US existing home sales (Mar); Japanese retail sales (Mar) and industrial production (Mar); German import/export prices (Mar).
Tuesday
Results: Air London (H1), David Brown Group (H1), Den Norske Bank (Q1), Fibrenet Group (H1), Leeds Sporting (H1), McCarthy & Stone (H1), S&U.
A.G.M.: Albright & Wilson, Barclays, Carnaud Metalbox, CBT, Expamet, General Accident, Guardian Royal Exchange (also e.g.m.), Irish Permanent, Lasmo, Lionheart, Northern Rock, NRP (e.g.m.), SmithKline Beecham, Arthur Wood & Son.
Meetings: Revenue Commissioners appear before the Dail public accounts committee; SFA appears before Oireachtas joint committee on the family.
Indicators: British trade data (Feb/Mar); US consumer confidence (Mar) and durable goods orders (Mar); French consumer spending (Mar); Japanese unemployment (Mar).
Others: Ryanair chief executive, Mr Michael O'Leary addresses a Dublin Chamber of Commerce lunch (Burlington Hotel, Dublin); Accountancy Ireland awards.
Wednesday
Results: ACCBank, Chiroscience Group, Electrolux (Q1), Ericsson (Q1), Hiscox, Ryan Hotels, Shiloh, Tweefontein United (H1), VTR (H1).
A.G.M.: Aggreko, An Post, Ashanti Goldfields, Bank of Asia, BICC, British Aerospace, CCF, S Daniels, Dunloe House, Elementis, Ericsson, Fleming Natural Res, Gibbs & Dandy, Gowrings, Graham Group, Henderson High Income, Heywood Williams, Kiatnakin Finance, Law Debenture Group, Lorein, Loxley Public Co, Mediakey, Ocean Group, Property Perfect, Rea Brothers, Reed International, Schering, Schroders, Sci Entertainment (e.g.m.), Sino-Thai Engineering, Staffware, Union Asia Finance, Vickers.
Meetings: Irish Association of Pension Funds annual conference (Dublin Castle).
Thursday
Results: Allied Domecq (H1), Andrew Sykes Group, Arcadia Group (H1), Ashanti Goldfields (Q1).
A.G.M.: Alizyme (e.g.m.), Bayer, Benson Group (e.g.m.), Billan, Cattles, Charter, Flying Flowers, Gaskell, Hemaraj Land, Land & Houses, Limelight Group, Mayborn Group, Minmet, Pentland, Robinson Department, Select Appointments, Television Corp, Thai Central Chemical, TR Technology (e.g.m.), Waterford Wedgwood, WSP Group.
Meetings: Bundesbank council; Bank of France monetary policy committee
Indicators: British CBI industrial trends survey (Apr); US real GDP (Q1), Japanese housing starts (Mar) and construction orders (Mar); French unemployment (Mar); Italian trade figures (Feb/Mar).
Friday
Results: BAT Industries (Q1), Unilever (Q1).
A.G.M.: BAT Industries, British Aerospace, Edinburgh US Tracker, T Clarke, Govett Asian, Pearson, PT BDNI (also e.g.m.), Scottish Media, Servomex.
Meetings: EU summit (Brussels to Sun).
Indicators: Irish unemployment (Apr); British PMI manufacturing index (Apr) and consumer credit (Mar); US personal income/spending (Mar), construction spending (Mar), NAPM (Apr) and Michigan Survey (Apr); Japanese consumer prices (Mar).
