Tuesday preview: Go-Ahead, Whitbread, Imagination Technologies

Go-Ahead said in October that expectations for the full-year are unchanged as rail and bus operations continue performing well.However, that was before the recent snow disruption, which has seen passengers on Southeastern, the Go-Ahead-owned company that operates between London and Kent, stuck on trains for several hours. The problems might not hit trading significantly but could put a dampener on any optimism over the company's financial performance.Go-Ahead also said in October that the Comprehensive Spending Review is unlikely to affect the company in the current year and that any impact further ahead should be manageable, so perhaps it will have something to say about its plans to withstand the spending squeeze.Hotel and coffee shop operator Whitbread is expected to report steady trading at both Premier Inn and Costa Coffee. A report in the Times says that new chief executive Andy Harrison is expected to scotch speculation that the company might spin off Costa Coffee. Back in the FTSE 250, chipmaker Imagination Technologies releases interim results. Last month Imagination reported trading in line with expectations overall, though revenues in the digital audio broadcasting (DAB) division, PURE, are now expected to be lower in the second half of the financial year than in the first. This theme will be apparent in the interim results, with strong chip royalty revenues helping tide the company over.Imagination has also been building up its war chest o fund an acquisition spree, starting with HelloSoft, a US voice over internet protocol (VOIP) operator. Some believe another acquisition could be unveiled tomorrow. Tuesday will see the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) hold its final meeting of the year in which it will review its performance in 2010. There may be a defensive tone to the statement given the lukewarm reception given to the committee's decision to launch another round of quantitative easing (QE) last month.QE2, as it was quickly dubbed, has not lowered long term interest rates and neither has it brought the dollar down a peg or two; both outcomes might well have been what the FOMC was hoping for when it launched the initiative.Tuesday December 14INTERIMSCarpetright, European Nickel, Imagination Technologies Group, Private & Commercial Finance Group, Scott WilsonINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEBraemar Shipping Services, Man Group, PersimmonQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEUnileverINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSIndustrial Production (JPN)Capacity Utilisation (JPN)Tertiary Industry Index (JPN)Tankan Large Manufacturers Index (JPN)Consumer Prices Index (FRA) (06:30)ZEW Survey (EU) (10:00)ZEW Survey (GER) (10:00)Industrial Production (EU) (10:00)NFIB Small Business Optimism (12:30)Business Inventories (US) (13:30)Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)Retail Sales (US) (13:30)Manufacturing Inventories (US) (15:00)Retail Sales Inventories (US) (15:15)FOMC Interest Rate (US) (17:15)ABC Consumer Confidence (US) (22:00)GMSBaronsmead AIM VCT, iPoint-MediaFINALS2 ergo Group, Domino Printing Sciences, Infrastrata, Interbulk Group, Renovo Group, RWS HoldingsIMSSTravis PerkinsAGMSAfrican Medical Investments, Agriterra Ltd., Artilium, Discover Leisure, JPMorgan Chinese Inv Trust, Keystone Inv Trust, RSM Tenon Group, Sable Mining Africa Ltd. (DI), Tottenham Hotspur, Value Catalyst Fund Ltd. (The) (DI), Weatherly InternationalTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSDomino Printing Sciences, Drax Group, Go-AheadUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSRICS House Price Balance (00:01)Consumer Price Index (09:30)Retail Price Index (09:30)DCLG House Prices (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEMorant Wright Japan Income Trust Ltd., World Careers Network