Kingfisher plc (LON: KGF), Ladbrokes PLC (LON: LAD) and Sports Direct International Plc (LON: SPD) bring us news next week.
Yesterday we took a look at three constituents of the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices that are due to bring us news next week, as we're firmly into reporting season for companies whose year ended December 2012.
Today we have three more for you -- one from the FTSE 100, and two near the top of the FTSE 250:
Kingfisher
Kingfisher (LSE: KGF), the owner of the UK's B&Q and Screwfix brands, is scheduled to deliver a fourth-quarter update on Thursday, ahead of full-year results due on 26 March. Third-quarter figures released in November showed sales down 3.9% (like-for-like sales down 2.8%), with retail profit flat. Chief executive Ian Cheshire told us at the time that the company had had a "particularly tough first half", but that Q3 delivered a solid performance.
Forecasts indicate a fall of over 10% in earnings for the full year, but there should still be a dividend yield of around 3.3%. The Kingfisher share price has fallen around 2% over the past 12 months to 273p, while the FTSE 100 is up 7%.
Ladbrokes
Thursday will also bring us full-year results from Ladbrokes (LSE: LAD), and after a few erratic years, analysts are expecting to see a 16% rise in earnings per share. Interim figures for the third quarter to September showed a 3.9% rise in revenue but just a 0.4% rise in operating profit to £49.2 million. But the first half had already brought in a 25% rise in earnings per share, so current expectations look reasonable.
The dividend was slashed in 2009 as profits plunged, but it's been rising since then and there's a payout of 8.5p currently forecast, up 9% on last year's. That actually represents a yield of under 4%, because the price has powered up more than 50% over the past 12 months to today's 223p. The shares are on a P/E of 13 on 2012 estimates, remaining the same for 2013 as pretty flat earnings are predicted.
Sports Direct
Sports Direct International (LSE: SPD) should be bringing us a third-quarter update on Thursday. The firm has enjoyed three years of rising earnings, resulting this year in quadrupling of the share price over the same period -- the shares stand at 423p at the time of writing. There have been no dividends since 2009, but payouts are set to resume for the full year to April 2013. It'll be less than 1% to start with, but it should grow in subsequent years.
Half-time results to October 2012 showed a 22.5% rise in revenue, with pre-tax profit up 25% and earnings per share (EPS) up 28%. And that's set to continue, with analysts forecasting a 29% EPS rise for the full year, putting the shares on a forward P/E of 18.
Finally, coming out of a recession when depressed share prices are rising, the odds can be tipped in favour of growth investors -- and we've seen strong share prices rises for two of the three companies featured here today. But finding the best growth shares is not easy.
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> Alan does not own any shares mentioned in this article.
