TAKEOVER target Go-Ahead, the bus and train operator, will be the centre of attention when it reports results to the City next week.

The bus and train operator of Thames Trains - one of the companies involved in last year's Paddington rail crash - will be firmly in the spotlight when it reports its half-year profits on Friday.

The company was this week the subject of a hostile £326m bid from French consortium C3D, which Go-Ahead firmly rejected.

With Go-Ahead expected to post pre-tax profits of around £42.4m, against £41.2m last time, the City will be keen to find out how the company intends to defend itself should C3D now launch a higher bid.

Half-year results from cleaning, catering and services group Rentokil Initial on Wednesday are expected to show pre-tax profits of around £245m, against last time's £253m.

But brokers Greig Middleton warn making a comparison between the two figures will be difficult because of the company's five disposals during the period for a total of £537m.

The company, whose chairman Sir Clive Thompson earned the nickname "Mr 20 per cent" because of its 20 per cent growth target, is in the process of buying back shares in a bid to dispel the poor sentiment surrounding the company.

Mining group Billiton, which reports its full-year results on Thursday, is expected to report strong figures, with pre-tax profits forecasted to be around £545m, against £352m the time before.

Half-year results from construction group Persimmon on Tuesday are expected to shed light on the latest state of the housing market.

With the consensus being that the housing market, especially in London and the south east, has now gone off the boil, the City will be keen for evidence of how the housing sector is doing in other parts of the country.

Pre-tax profits for the year are being forecast at around £44.8m, compared with £35.7m last time round.

l Companies reporting next week:

MONDAY - Stock Market closed.

TUESDAY - Interims: Persimmon, Informa group.

WEDNESDAY - Finals: Morse Holdings, Domestic & General Group.

Interims: Save Group, BGR, Britannic, CMG, Johnston Press, Rentokil Initial, Hammerson, Kerry Group, Delcam.

THURSDAY - Finals: Hays, Billiton.

Interims: Sheffield Installations, Mallett, London Bridge Software Holdings. Intercare Group, Costain Group, Amec, Heywood Williams, Rexam, VI Group.

FRIDAY - Interims: Go-Ahead, Tarsus Group, Whatman, Schroders