SOME of Britain’s best known companies will be in the spotlight this week when they announce results.

British Gas parent company Centrica is likely to generate further anger over its profits when it announces half-year results on Wednesday.

The energy firm cashed in on the cold spell over the winter, with residential gas consumption up 18 per cent over the first four months of this year, shortly after it raised prices by six per cent in December.

In a trading update in May, it admitted that it had made so much money from hardpressed householders during the freeze that it was putting a lid on more tariff hikes for the time being. But consumer groups said the company must go further and reduce prices.

Forecast pre-tax profits of £350m for the first half of this year from the company’s British Gas Residential arm would represent a 1.4 per cent rise from £345m for the same period last year.

Operating profits for the whole group, which includes activities in generation and energy storage, are forecast to be up seven per cent, to £1.55bn.

Broadcaster ITV will justify big spending on original TV content tomorrow as growing earnings from its studios business offset tough advertising markets.

The group has been snapping up production companies behind programmes such as 24 Hours In A&E and the Graham Norton Show to build an arsenal of original content it can sell around the globe.

It recently bought the maker of comedies Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, paying £12.5m for London-based production house Big Talk.

Last month, it pumped $30m (£19m) into a majority stake in Thinkfactory Media, the producer behind awardwinning American western drama Hatfields and McCoys.

Deals such as these have helped revive its studios business, fuelling the group’s progress despite sluggish advertising markets.

While first-quarter net advertising revenues grew six per cent, results for the first six months of the year are expected to show advertising demand flattening out. But analysts at Credit Suisse said the recovering UK economy could boost advertising spending.

It sees ITV growing firsthalf adjusted profits to £264m from £228m a year earlier. But group revenues are forecast to fall one per cent to £1.11bn.

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey will highlight the impact of Government measures on the housing market when it posts half-year figures on Wednesday.

Profit margins at Britain’s second-biggest housebuilder by volume were boosted above 13 per cent in the first six months by the Help to Buy scheme.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank expect full-year pre-tax profits to surge to £290m from £185m last year.