Lloyds Share News (LLOY)

Lloyds Banking Group releases its half-year results on Thursday following its separation from TSB Banking Group.The lender is expected to take another £500m hit for payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling, taking the total it has set aside for the scandal to more than £10bn.On Monday the bank was fined a joint $370m by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority and US regulators for its alleged role in global interest rate rigging. Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is also investigating material linked to an inquiry into manipulation of benchmark rates, according to reports on Wednesday. Numis predicts the bank will report statutory pre-tax profit of £1.15bn after £2.26bn of adjustments including the provision for PPI, a £1bn charge for the exchange of enhanced capital notes into extra new tier 1 bonds, offset by a £700m defined benefit pension scheme gain. Underlying pre-tax profit is forecast at £3.4bn, up from £2.4bn the previous year, driven by a substantial pick-up in the banking net interest margin to 2.32% from 2.01% and a reduction in the loan impairment charge to £1.2bn from £1.8bn.Lloyds' results are among a swathe of company results out on Thursday including Diageo, Schroders, Weir, AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, BG Group, BT, Rolls Royce, Centrica and Thomas Cook. Thursday 31 JulyINTERIMSAstraZeneca, BAE Systems, BG Group, Bodycote, Centaur Media, Centrica, COLT Group SA, Countrywide, Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), Essentra, F&C Asset Management, Greencoat UK Wind, Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Sing.Reg), HydroDec Group, Inchcape, Intu Properties, Laird, Lloyds Banking Group, Management Consulting Group, Mandarin Oriental International (Singapore), Merlin Entertainments , Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, National Express Group, Promethean World, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B', RPS Group, Schroders, Schroders (Non-Voting), Spirent Communications, Telefonica SA, Volkswagen AG, Weir GroupINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEChrysalis VCT, Schroder UK Mid Cap FundQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEJP Morgan Chase & Co, Middlefield Canadian Income PCC, Schroder Income Growth Fund, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund LimitedINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSChicago PMI (US) (14:45)Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)International Reserves (EU) (11:00)Retail Sales (GER) (07:00)Unemployment Rate (EU) (10:00)Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)Q2AstraZeneca, BG Group, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B', Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (ATT) GDR (Reg S), Telefonica SAGMSBraime (T.F.& J.H.) Holdings, Thor MiningFINALSDiageoANNUAL REPORTOxford InstrumentsIMSSInvestec, Thomas Cook GroupDRILLING REPORTKazakhmysSPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATESchroder UK Growth FundAGMSBonmarche Holdings, Elektron Technology, Hotel Corporation (The), Jupiter Green Inv Trust, Messaging International, Octopus VCT , Pennon Group, Petrel Resources, Torotrak, Vitesse MediaUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConsumer Confidence (09:30)GFK Consumer Confidence (00:05)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAcal, Burberry Group, Caffyns, Crawshaw Group, Edinburgh Inv Trust, Mckay Securities, Panther Securities, Royal MailQ1BT GroupRD