Thursday preview: Autonomy, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey

In a nod towards its US-centric focus, data search software firm Autonomy will announce its first quarter results at 1:00pm, UK time, on Thursday, and although the first three months of the year do not typically set the tone for the company's year, Singer Capital Markets thinks the announcement will nevertheless be interesting, if only to see whether "management provides any indication of upside risk to consensus estimates for the full year."According to Singer, since Autonomy published its full year results it has announced contracts worth in excess of $93m. "Whilst these are multi-year contracts, it is indicative of positive momentum and investors would look to see how these have impacted some of the key metrics," Singer said.The broker is expecting revenues to be in the region of $216.2m, a little above consensus of $216.2m, and has pencilled in a figure of $91.7m for adjusted earnings before interest, tax and amortisation (after share based payments). For adjusted pre-tax profit it predicts $93.3m, also after share based payments. Persimmon, the biggest of the UK housebuilders by market value, brings out an interim management statement which Panmure Gordon expects will "confirm that the robust trading picture reported in March has continued in the weeks since, with underlying prices broadly stable, and a small increase in net reservation rates." The same broker thinks Taylor Wimpey, due to report the same day as Persimmon, will indicate that volumes and pricing have remained relatively stable, and is hopeful that the company will report an improvement in net margins that drive profitability growth with-in the UK business.On the economic front, UK retail sales and public finance data are out. Barclays Capital (BarCap) says it is a notch above consensus in predicting a 0.6% increase in headline retail sales in March, following on from a 0.8% decline in February. It thinks the core retail sales number will also be up 0.6% on month - the consensus is for a 0.4% fall - after February's 1.0% decline. "On the public finances, we expect public sector net borrowing excluding the impact of financial interventions (PSNBx) to come in at £18.9bn (consensus £20.0bn, last £11.8bn) and headline PSNB to come in at £18.7bn, in line with consensus but ahead of February's £10.3bn. Finally, we expect the public sector net cash requirement (PSNCR) to be £20.6bn, ahead of consensus (£14.0bn) and February's £7.0bn," BarCap said.INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEBritish Sky Broadcasting Group, Brooks Macdonald Group, Craneware, Develica Deutschland Ltd., Downing Absolute Income VCT 1, Renewable Energy Generation Ltd., Smiths Group, Trading Emissions, Waterman GroupINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSIfO Business Climate (GER) (09:00)IfO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00)IfO Expectations (GER) (09:00)Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)Leading Indicators (US) (15:00)Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (15:00)FINALSEurasia Drilling Co Ltd. GDR (Reg S), Vimetco GDR NV GDR (Reg S)IMSSPersimmon, William HillAGMSAfrican Barrick Gold , Anglo American, Capital & Counties Properties , Capital Drilling Ltd. (DI), H&T Group, JSC Halyk Savings Bank of Kazakhstan GDR (Reg S), Komercni Banka GDR (Level 1), Mentum Inc., New Europe Property Investments, Persimmon, Rotork, SThree, Tay-lor Wimpey, Ultra Electronics Holdings, W H Ireland Group, Wolfson MicroelectronicsUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBBA Mortgage Lending Figures (09:30)Internet Retail Sales (09:30)Retail Sales (09:30)Trends in Lending (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAll Leisure Group, IDOX, Low & BonarQ1Autonomy Corporation, Telekomunikacja Polska GDR (Reg S)---jh