GIN, beer and pizza will be among the items on investors' minds next week, in a bumper session for corporate results, which will include updates from the likes of Diageo, Pizza Express and JD Wetherspoon.

Pizza Express is expected to deliver a tasty 25 per cent jump in profits when it posts full-year figures on Monday.

Continued strong sales will be the main driver for the profits rise, to about £40.5m, with like-for-like growth of ten per cent already recorded in the first half of the year.

The City will be licking its lips in anticipation of further news on the group's San Marzano takeaway concept and plans for the development of its overseas operations.

Drinks firm Diageo is forecast to show full year pre-tax profits have risen to £2bn when it reports on Thursday, up from £1.8bn last time.

The group said last month its core drinks activities - including brands such as Gordons and J&B - had continued to perform strongly, although non-core businesses had slowed, and the market will be keen for an update. Investors will also be looking for comments on the demerger of Burger King. The group is expected to make a decision on the future of the fast food firm later in the year.

Half-year profit figures from Centrica, the British Gas-to-AA group, are expected to show a drop to £340m, from £401m the previous year.

Figures, due on Thursday, are likely to be hit by higher gas supply costs and investment in its telecoms services, although the AA and its financial services division could see improved profitability.

The City will also be interested in the group's rumoured interest in Scottish Power's Southern Water business, as well as details of its recent acquisitions of telecoms group One.Tel and two electricity generation units from TXU.

Pubs group JD Wetherspoon is expected to report another year of strong profits growth on Friday, broker Gerrard said.

The firm is expected to have opened more than 90 pubs in the past year and is forecast to report like-for-like sales growth of more than six per cent. Pre-tax profits are forecast to be £45.5m against £36.1m the previous year.

* Companies reporting next week:

MONDAY - Finals: Molins, Pizza Express, Provalis. Interims: British Vita, Enterprise, Guardian IT, Mears Group, Parkwood Holdings, Project Telecom, SIG, Vitec Group, Whatman, Wilson (Connolly) Holdings.

TUESDAY - Finals: Caffe Nero Group, Linx Printing Technologies.

Interims: Aga Foodservice Group, Associated British Ports, Axis-Shield, Biofocus, Brammer, Brandon Hire, CRH, Dawson International, Dechra Pharmaceuticals, Headlam, Old Mutual, Orchestream, Parity Group, P&O, Pharmagene, Serco Group, Soco International, Sportec, Taylor Woodrow, Tullow Oil, WSP Group.

WEDNESDAY - Finals: Brambles Industries, Logica. Interims: Biotrace International, Chubb, Churchill China, Clarkson, Clydeport, Gallaher, Glanbia, Irish Life & Permanent, ITouch, Lavendon, Riversoft, Screen, Signet Group, Spirent, Thistle Hotels, Tibbett & Britten.

THURSDAY - Finals: Diageo, McBride. Interims: Arriva, Avis Europe, Centrica, Chelsfield, Chorion, Devro, Enterprise Oil, Holmes Place, Hunting, Kidde, Marshalls, McBride, Meggitt, Mowlem (John), Orange, Queens Moat Houses, Quicks Group, Senior, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Staffware, Travis Perkins, Wireless Group, Yorklyde, Zen Research.

FRIDAY - Finals: Go-Ahead Group, Wetherspoon (JD). Interims: Tranxenogen.