Friday preview: British Airways, Non-farm payrolls

LONDON (ShareCast) - BA's first half is likely to be short of good news, with a rumoured conclusion of a tie-up with Spanish carrier Iberia (Madrid: IBLA.MC - news) likely to provide the only respite and that if it actually happens.

Losses are tipped to hit nearly £200m, with revenues down to £4.1bn. The group also faces pressure from possible strike action at Christmas, anti-monopoly concerns and onerous pension fund liabilities.

Losses will reflect a sharp fall in premium traffic and pressure on passenger yields from lower fuel surcharges, exchange movements and mix effects, brokers say and chief executive Willie Walsh faces a tough day.

Pest control giant Rentokil Initial (LSE: RTO.L - news) is expected to continue its recent recovery with profits for the three months to September tipped to rise to £46m as losses from parcels arm City Link reduce. Revenue growth in its other businesses will be what brokers are looking for.

Economic news includes the keenly watched US monthly non-farm payrolls numbers. Consensus forecasts are for another 175,000 jobs to have over the last month. The rate of unemployment could hit 10%, economists suggest.

INTERIMS British Airways (LSE: BAY.L - news)

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Advance Developing Markets, BBA Aviation (LSE: BBA.L - news) , Cenkos Securities (LSE: CNKS.L - news) , Derwent London (LSE: DLN.L - news) , Fiberweb (LSE: FWEB.L - news) , Forth Ports (LSE: FPT.L - news) , Gaming VC Holdings, Huntsworth (LSE: HNT.L - news) , Hydrogen Group (LSE: HYDG.L - news) , Judges Scientific, Motivcom (LSE: MCM.L - news) , Pinewood-Shepperton, S & U, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW.L - news) , UK Select Trust Ltd., Weir Group (LSE: WEIR.L - news)

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Investors Capital Trust 'A' Shares, Investors Capital Trust 'B' Shares

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS NIESR GDP (00:01) Producer Prices Index (09:30)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Consumer Credit (US) (20:00) Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00) Change in Non-farm Payrolls (US) (13:30) Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30) Wholesale Inventories (US) (15:00) Consumer Credit (US (20:00) Trade Balance (FRA) (07:45) Factory Orders (GER) (11:00)

AGMS AIREA (LSE: SRDR.L - news) , Dechra Pharmaceuticals (LSE: DPH.L - news) , Quayle Munro (LSE: QYM.L - news)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS PureCircle (LSE: PURE.L - news) , Rentokil Initial

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Advance Developing Markets, Daejan Holdings (LSE: 381220.L - news) , Eclectic Investment Company, JPMorgan Emerging Markets Inv Trust

QUARTERLY RESULTS Smith & Nephew