Bank of Ireland publishes what should be hearteningly strong results on Thursday. Recent figures from Irish subsidiary ICS Building Society, US interest Citizens Financial and new British holding Bristol & West have only whetted the appetite of analysts and investors.
Pre-tax profits projections from analysts range from around £525 million (Davy) to £536 million (NCB), indicating a rise of between 32 and 35.5 per cent, with earnings per share of between 68p and 69.2p.
A burgeoning mortgage market, in which its share is growing, and general economic buoyancy underlie the latest figures.
Irish Life: Shareholders will get a chance to gauge the approach of the new chief executive of Irish Life and his plans for the coming year when he addresses the group annual meeting in Dublin on Friday.
Monday
Results: Cable & Wireless Communications, DCC, Hitachi Credit (UK), Virgin Express (Q1).
A.G.M.: Cavendish Wates, Dentmaster (e.g.m.), Ladbroke Group, Merchants Trust, Olim Convertible Trust, Proteus (e.g.m.), Rentokil Initial, Tracker Network, Tring International (e.g.m.), United Plantations.
Meetings: Group of 10 central bank governors meet at the Bank for International Settlements (Basle); EU energy ministers meet (Brussels). to Wed).
Indicators: British industrial production (Mar), producer price index (Apr) and manufacturing output (Mar); US Chicago Federal Index (Mar); Japanese wholesale prices (Apr).
Others: Intel opens new wafer fabrication plant at Leixlip, Co Kildare.
Tuesday
Results: BOC Group (H1), Body Shop Internaitonal, Celsis International, Deltron Electronics (H1), General Accident (Q1), MMT Computing (H1), Novo Group (Q1), SAS Airlines (Q1), Sedgwick Group (Q1), Vaux Group (H1).
A.G.M.: BLP Group, Delta, Edinburgh Oil & Gas, FBD, Haden MacLellan, Marley, Radius, Reckitt & Colman, Try Group, TT Group, Vega Group (e.g.m.), Whitchurch Group.
Indicators: Irish industrial production (Jan); British CBI regional trends survey (May); US import/export prices (Apr) and Atlanta Federal Index (Apr); Japanese trade data (Apr); French consumer sentiment (Apr).
Wednesday
Results: Albany Investment Trust, Cable & Wireless, Century (H1), Colt Telecom Group (Q1), Commercial Union (Q1), Fenner (H1), Safeway, Sage Group (H1), Telefonica (Q1).
A.G.M.: Anglo American, Asia Cement, Churchill China, Courtauld Textiles, Dean Corporation, Evans Halshaw, Kleinwort Smaller, Legal & General, JN Nichols, Norish, North Midland Construction, Readymix, Rio Tinto, Thistle, Total, Tung Ho Steel.
Indicators: British unemployment (Apr), wage costs (Mar) and average earnings (Feb); US retail sales (Mar) and producer prices (Apr); French consumer prices (Apr).
Others: British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown attends debate, vote at European Parliament on nominees for European Central Bank board.
Thursday
Results: Aegon (Q1), Alvis (H1), Bank of Ireland, BG (Q1), Car Group (H1), Ferguson International, Micro Focus Group (Q1), Quadramatic (H1), Tomkinsons (H1).
A.G.M.: Aegon, British Polythene, W Canning, Fidelity Japanese, French Connection, GKN, Glynwed International, Hammerson, Independent Insurance, Johnson Fry, Leslie Wise, Marine Mercantile, Meristem, WM Morrison, John Mowlem & Co, Novara, Orange, Premier Oil, Rutland Trust, Thai Euro Fund, TI Group, UK Safety.
Meetings: Bundesbank Council meets (Frankfurt); Bank of France monetary policy council meets (Paris).
Indicators: Irish consumer price index (Apr), wholesale price index (April); US consumer prices (Apr), real earnings (Apr), business inventories (Mar) and weekly jobless claims and monetary figures; Japanese machinery orders (Mar); Canadian consumer prices (Apr).
Friday
Results: Chrysalis Group (H1), Crompton Greaves, Kvaerner (Q1).
A.G.M.: Bilton, Dawsongroup, Derwent Valley, Irish Life, LucasVarity, Monument Oil & Gas, Nor- wich Union, Nycomed Amersham (e.g.m.), Pacific Electric, Rugby Group, Sincere Navigation, Teco Electric, Tudor, United News & Media..
Meetings: Summit of the Group of Eight the Group of Seven plus Russia (Birmingham to Sat); British-Irish interparliamentary body holds extraordinary session (Dublin).
Indicators: Irish industrial turnover index (Jan); US industrial production (Apr), capacity utilisation (Apr) and Michigan Sentiment Survey (May); Italian industrial production (Mar); French current account (Feb).
