Investors hope for some tasty titbits

Aside from that, the City will be on tenterhooks for any further profit warnings following Marconi's dramatic announcement.

Investors will be hoping for some tasty titbits on Monday from Inter Link Foods when it publishes year-end results.

This year it bought three cake makers, and investors will no doubt be interested to hear an update on their integration.

Last year Inter Link reported pre-tax profits of £1.1m - analysts will be looking for a figure around the £1.7m mark this year.

Electrical components group Pace Micro Technology could offer a glimmer of hope for tech watchers on Monday when it publishes year-end figures.

The group announced earlier this year it was outsourcing the remainder of its manufacturing - at a cost of 470 jobs - and said its figures were on track to hit market expectations.

Analysts are predicting pre-tax profits of £39m, an increase on last year's figure of £23.9m.

Plastics and specialist materials group Low & Bonar will be presenting its interim figures on Tuesday.

There should not be too many surprises, however, as it has already warned the City profits will be down because of slowing demand.

Analysts are predicting a sizeable drop in pre-tax profits, down from £14.1m last year to £12.4m.

It has not all been fun and games for betting group Stanley Leisure over the last 12 months.

As well as foot-and-mouth, which shut a number of race courses, Stanley has also suffered the bad luck of others' good fortune. In March it issued a profit warning after a number of big wins at its Mayfair casino.

Year-end pre-tax profits are forecast to dip to £25m against the £28.5m reported 12 months ago, when it reports on Thursday.

l Companies reporting next week:

MONDAY: Finals: Artisan UK, Inter Link Food, Pace Micro Technology, Rexonline.

TUESDAY: Finals: Northgate Info Services. Interims: Low & Bonar.

WEDNESDAY: Interims: QA.

THURSDAY: Finals: Jurys Doyle Hotel, Stanley Leisure.

FRIDAY: No results.