Bid speculation relating to EMI, Yell and Emap will be put to the test when they join a number of heavyweight companies reporting results next week.

Music group EMI is releasing results on Wednesday, but the focus is likely to be on the possibility of a takeover bid for the troubled record label rather than its full year figures.

Reports suggest that EMI - home to stars including Coldplay, Lily Allen and Gorillaz - has opened its books to potential suitors. Warner Group is said to be back in the picture after EMI rebuffed its offer earlier this year. A number of private equity firms are also thought to be interested.

Publishing group Emap will release its full-year results on Tuesday following a difficult few months.

The publisher of Heat and FHM has published profits warnings and made job cuts since the start of the year, following tough trading conditions at its consumer magazines and radio divisions.

The troubles led to the resignation of chief executive Tom Moloney this week, which sent the firm's shares soaring seven per cent.

Emap has suffered amid a fragmentation of the media industry as the sector becomes increasingly digitalised. Declining circulations at its consumer magazines, particularly men's titles, and pressure on advertising revenues throughout the business have heightened the need to restructure.

Pubs and restaurants group Mitchells & Butlers is to update the market for the first time since February when it posts its half-year figures on Tuesday.

Analysts expect like-for-like sales to have grown at a rate of about four per cent amid stable trading conditions at the All Bar One and Harvester owner.

They will also be looking for an update on the current conversion of the portfolio of 239 pubs acquired from Whitbread last July. The group said in February it had hoped to convert half of the estate by the end of May.

Analysts are looking for signs of continued recovery at Cable & Wireless when it posts its full-year results on Thursday.

At its interim results in November, the group said it had exceeded its own earnings expectations for the six months to September 30, and raised its profit forecasts for the year to between £145m and £150m.

Yellow Pages directories business Yell has become a potential bid target after shares slumped last month. The stock came under pressure as Yell said revenue was likely to grow by a weaker-than-expected three per cent in the US during the current financial year, which runs until next March.

Analysts had been expecting a figure between eight and nine per cent, putting pressure on profits expectations.

Fresh from its £85m acquisition of the Early Learning Centre, Mothercare is likely to report a rise in pre-tax profits for the year to March 31, despite what were tough trading conditions for the group.

While analysts are not expecting great things from the firm - Investec is forecasting a rise of only four per cent to £21.3m - it will be seen as a sign of resilience and further evidence that the group has turned its fortunes around after £24.8m losses in 2003.

The recent takeover has also offered hope for the future, with cost savings of £8m expected from the combination of the two groups.

Companies reporting next week include:

Monday

Finals: Big Yellow, Homeserve, MITIE, Thus

Interims: Britvic, Cardpoint, Local Radio Group

Tuesday

Finals: British Land, Dairy Crest, De La Rue, Emap, Kingston Communications, Marks & Spencer, Yell

Interims: Care UK, Mitchells & Butlers, Paragon, Topps Tiles

Wednesday

Finals: EMI, Experian, ICAP, Speedy Hire, SSL International, Tate & Lyle

Interims: 2ergo

Thursday

Finals: Cable & Wireless, Domestic & General, Mothercare

Interims: Daily Mail and General Trust, Old Mutual (Q1)