Bula AGM gets underway today

Bula’s annual general meeting is set to be a stormy affair with irate investors intent on removing former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds as chairman of the board.

The exploration company has been mired in controversy which forced it to de-list from the London and Dublin exchanges.

Shareholders are likely to give Reynolds a grilling over investment received from Colonel Gaddafi’s son plus a €1.5 million paid to a Bahrainian entity.

Horizon Technology reports its H1 figures.

William Hill issues its first set of results since its July flotation. Most analysts believe the bookmaker did well in the first half, with turnover boosted by changes to British betting duty and the football World Cup. Last year the group reported pre-tax profits of stg£55m, and investors will be hoping for a notable increase on this.

Tomorrow: Baltimore Technologies releases its first-half results. Last month the firm said it would meet analysts’ expectations for the results and said sales would be stg£21.5-22.5m. It has been a turbulent year for the firm. Chief executive Fran Rooney was replaced by Bijan Khezri and there were significant layoffs and asset disposals.

Investors will be looking for reassurance that the software security company can realise positive earnings by early 2003.

Baltimore said it had net cash of stg£23.6m at the end of June and analysts have voiced

concern that the company could run out of cash before turning a profit.

Construction company Kingspan issues its H1 figures.

General retailer Woolworths is expected to show it has cut interim losses slightly. Analysts are predicting pre-tax losses will be trimmed from stg£48m to stg£43.1m.

Wednesday: No major announcements scheduled on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Thursday: BAE Systems issues interim results. Its commercial division was rocked by the September 11 attacks and subsequent downturn in the aviation sector and Most analysts are therefore expecting pre-tax profits to fall from stg£482m to stg£385m.

However, growth is expected in 2003 from its major programmes division as contracts mature, notably those for the Eurofighter.

Shipping group P&O is expected to report a decline in interim pre-tax profits, from stg£90.4m to stg£40m.

High street fashion chain Next, which shocked the market earlier this year with a slowdown in like-for-like sales, releases interim results.

Most analysts expect sales to have stabilised and fund manager Gerrard is forecasting pre-tax profits to grow from stg£93m to stg£104.5m.

Friday: No major announcements scheduled.