Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Budget is the dominant economic feature in what will also be a busy week for corporate results.

Among those declaring full-year figures are the media companies Reach, owner of the Daily Record, and broadcaster STV.

Reach has been grappling with declining revenues, forcing it to impose a hefty round of job cuts. The parent company last month announced it had sold the Record and Mail head office on the Clyde following its relocation to the financial district.

STV has won new business for its studios business and benefited rom a series of acquisitions., but it said in November that it expects lower operating profit as it takes a hit from weak UK television advertising revenue.

Shares in the life insurance, pensions and investment giant Legal & General have not done much over the past year, or indeed the past five years, say analysts at AJ Bell. That is despite the ambitious five-year capital generation and earnings growth plan laid out by former chief executive Sir Nigel Wilson and the board for 2020 to 2024 and the eye-catching 8%-plus dividend yield that is on offer..

Sir Nigel stepped down at the end of 2023 after twelve years in charge but he did so before the end of the five-year spell, and benchmarking the 2023 full year results against that plan will be a test for his successor, Antonio Simoes.

General insurer Aviva also reports annual results and its CEO Amanda Blanc has said it is on track to grow annual operating profits by between 5% and 7%.

The most recent trading update from Edinburgh-based hospital software company Craneware suggested a return to double digit growth in the near term, whilst consensus is still looking for mid-high single digits. First half figures are due on Monday.

Guidance from Renfrewshire-based Beeks Financial Cloud will be watched keenly after its recent contracts wins that sent its share up by nearly a third. It said trading in the first half to the end of December was in line with board expectations, with revenue growth of over 25% versus H1 FY23 and a positive free cash flow position in the period.

The latest US jobs figures are released on Friday, with the world’s largest economy generating bumper employment numbers that have defied pressure from rising interest rates. February’s jobs report will help to determine the timing of any interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve, which meets to make its next decision on 20 March. 

DIARY

Monday 4 March

• Full-year results from Senior and Clarkson
• First-half results from Craneware

Tuesday 5 March

• Full-year results from Intertek, Greggs, Travis Perkins, Keller, IWG, Hiscox, STV, Reach, Inchcape, Foxtons and Bakkavor
• First half results from Beeks Financial Cloud
• BRC UK retail sales monitor

Wednesday 6 March

• Full-year results from Tullow Oil, Legal & General, Nichols, CLS, Breedon and Capita
• First-half results from Galliford Try and Ricardo
• Trading statements from DS Smith and Endeavour Mining
• UK Budget
• Purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for the UK construction industry

Thursday 7 March

• Full-year results from Aviva, Entain, Rentokil Initial, Fresnillo, Melrose Industries, Spirax, ITV, Robert Walters, Funding Circle and H&T
• First-half results from Kier, Darktrace and Revolution Bars
• Halifax UK house price index

Friday 8 March

• Full-year results from Informa, Just Group and Franchise Brands
• US non-farm payrolls, unemployment and wage growth