FIGURES from advertising, engineering and hotels groups will provide the interest for the City next week.

Engineering group Weir is expected to report interim pre-tax profits of £23m, against £28.3m when it reports on Wednesday.

The company warned at its annual general meeting that profits for the half year would be lower than last year, although it remains more upbeat about the second half.

Half-year results from advertising group WPP on Monday are expected to show strong growth in revenues and profits, following a healthy first quarter where revenues rose by 20 per cent.

Pre-tax profits are forecast to come in at around £135m, up from £112.6m last time.

Half-year figures from marketing group Cordiant Communications on Thursday will be overshadowed by questions on the integration of US rival Lighthouse Global Network, the company it bought last month for £392m.

Hotel group Millennium & Copthorne's half-year results will bear no comparison with last year's figures as the group has rapidly expanded, buying Regal Hotels in the US and other acquisitions in south-east Asia and Australasia.

Besides this, the group has been adding to its UK portfolio, most notably with the opening of the Millennium Madejski Hotel in Reading.

Pre-tax profits are forecast to come in at £50m, from £29.2m last time when it reports on Monday.

Household goods company Reckitt Benckiser's earnings are unlikely to match the strong growth performance seen in the same period last year when it reports second quarter figures on Wednesday.

The weakness of the euro is expected to have impacted on figures while restructuring benefits from its merger are not expected to fully show until the second half of this year.

Second quarter pre-tax profits are forecast to be £67m, up from £65m last time, brokers Greig Middleton said.

The City will be keen for an update from Computacentre following its profit warning in June after being hit by a slower-than-expected recovery of the IT market.

lCompanies reporting in the week beginning August 14 include:

MONDAY - Finals: NWF Group.

Interims: Lavendon Group, Millennium & Copthorne, Xenova, Medical Solutions.

TUESDAY - Finals: Stoves Group.

Interims: Asda Property, Mersey Docks & Harbour Company, Sanderson Brammall, Stadium Group, Biotrace International, Pifco Holdings, Proudfoot Consulting.

WEDNESDAY - Finals: JSB Software.

Interims: Balfour Beatty, Patsystems, Wier Group, Morgan Sindall, Reckitt Benkiser (Q2)

THURSDAY - Interims: Cordiant, Green Property.

FRIDAY - Interims: T Clarke, NSB Retail Systems