Insurers provide a business insight

This Week: A picture of the state of the Irish insurance market should emerge this week with results from Hibernian's parent…

This Week:A picture of the state of the Irish insurance market should emerge this week with results from Hibernian's parent, Aviva, and from Royal & Sun Alliance, which has a strong presence in the Irish home insurance sector.

Domestic bank assurer Irish Life & Permanent will publish full-year figures today.

The Competition Authority will also publish the final report tomorrow of its study into the Irish insurance industry, along with a series of recommendations.

IL&P will be joined by a host of Irish listed companies this week, with results, from Grafton, Kingspan, FBD Holdings, Datalex and Irish Continental.

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On the international scene, attention will focus on the Bank of England's monetary policy committee which will meet on Wednesday to discuss interest rates. A series of increases is seen as having put the brakes on an economy in danger of overheating, especially in the housing market. The consensus view is that rates will be left on hold at this stage although they are likely to rise again in the near future.

Monday

Results: Aggregate Industries (H1), British Vita, Close Brothers (H1), Concurrent Technologies, Datalex, Glisten (H1), ICM Computer (H1), IMI, Incisive Media, Intertek, Irish Continental, Irish Life & Permanent, Keller, Management Consulting, NetB2B2 (H1), Taylor Nelson, Travis Perkins, UTV, Vitec, WSP.

A.G.M.: Red Squared.

Meetings: Euro group of euro-zone finance ministers meet; Group of 10 central bankers hold regular bi-monthly meeting at Bank for International Settlements (Basel); Irish hotels Federation annual conference (Silver Springs Morans Hotel, Cork - to Tues); Cork Chamber of Commerce HR seminar on employment legislation (Maryborough House Hotel, Cork); Institute of Food Science and Technology of Ireland hosts lecture by Michael Carey chief executive of Jacobs Fruitfield Food Group on "How local food brands can win in the battle with multinationals" (Red Cow Moran's Hotel, Dublin).

Indicators: Irish IIB/ESRI Consumer Sentiment Index (Feb); US consumer credit (Jan) and transportation services (Dec).

Others: Ofcom is scheduled to award the FM commercial radio licence for Belfast; Traffic figures from EasyJet; Investor briefings by Danske Bank.

Tuesday

Results: Acambis, Aegis, Allergy Therapeutics (H1), Amlin, Biotrace, Chime Communications, Claims People, Degussa, DX Services (H1), French Connection, Goshawk Insurance, Inion, Interserve, Kingspan, Lavendon, Metalrax, Mobilcom, P&O, Redrow (H1), RPS, Sig, Volkswagen, XN Checkout Holdings.

Meetings: Ecofin meeting (Brussels); Irish Family Business Conference 2005 (University College Cork); Women in Technology & Science breakfast to celebrate International Womens Day (Digital Hub, Dublin).

Indicators: Irish tourism and travel figures (Q4); US consumer sentiment (Mar).

Others: Competition Authority publishes final report of study of competition in the Irish insurance market; Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin publishes Skillnets mandate 2005-10 (Gresham Hotel, Dublin).

Wednesday

Results: 1st Dental Laboratories, Accor, Adidas-Salomon, Ascom, Aviva, Axel Springer, Balfour Beatty, BASF, Carillon, Christian Dior, Cyprotex, EADS, FBD, Grafton, Hill & Smith, IP2IPO, ITV, James Fisher, Julius Baer, Law Debenture Corp, LVMH, A&J Mucklow (H1), Publicis, Restaurant Group, VNU.

A.G.M.: Novo Nordisk.

Meetings: InterTrade Ireland Equity Network Private Equity Conference (Dublin Castle); Bank of England monetary policy committee meeting (to Thurs); Seminar on property investment fundamentals (Sweepstakes, Dublin).

Indicators: British industrial production (Jan), manufacturing production (Jan) and trade balance (Jan); German industrial production (Jan); Japanese leading indicators (Jan) and coincidental indicators (Jan).

Others: OECD publishes annual report on taxing wages.

Thursday

Results: Adventis, Agfa-Gevaert, Amec, Amlin, Ark Therapeutics, Carrefour, Cobham, Computerlinks, Delhaize, E.ON, Essilor, Fayrewood, Fortis, Heywood Williams, InterContinental Hotels, International Power, ISS, John Lewis, Lagardere, NSB Retail Systems, Primary Health Properties (H1), Royal & Sun Alliance, SMG, Suez, T&F Informa, Vivendi, Western Wireless (Q4).

A.G.M.: First Choice Holidays, Unilever, VA Tech.

Meetings: CeBIT Computer Fair (Hanover - to Wed).

Indicators: Irish consumer prices (Feb); US wholesale inventories (Jan) and federal budget (Feb); German trade balance (Jan); French industrial production (Jan); Italian GDP (Q4); Japanese machinery orders (Jan).

Others: National Lottery publishes annual report for 2004 and holds annual general meeting; Moneymate & Investor Magazine Fund Manager Awards (Burlington Hotel, Dublin); Bank of Ireland briefing on transition to IFRS financial reporting; Ifo institute releases report on the European economy 2005; National briefing on Chip and Pin (Fitzwilliam Hotel, Dublin); European central Bank publishes monthly report.

Friday

Results: Associated British Ports, Benfield, Catlin, Charles Taylor, Ducati Motor, Flying Brands, Marshalls, Singer & Friedlander, T Clarke, Thales, Waterman (H1).

A.G.M.: Buhrmann (egm).

Meetings: Institute of European Affairs seminar on Enlargement of the EU's Stability and Growth Pact.

Indicators: US trade (Jan); German DIW forecast (Q1) and consumer prices (Feb); French trade balance (Jan).

Others: International Energy Agency publishes monthly oil report.