The week ahead in business and finance

Monday

Hopes that takeover target Revolution Bars has enjoyed strong festive sales were boosted earlier this month by nightclub owner and suitor Deltic reporting buoyant Christmas trading.

Analyst believe that following positive festive figures earlier this month from Deltic and Stonegate, which also tried to swoop for the company last year, Revolution Bars may have beaten City expectations and its expansion plans will also be put under the microscope by investors.

Revolution Bars will be first of many from the food and drink sector to report their festive figures this week with Marston's, JD Wetherspoon, Restaurant Group, Fuller Smith & Turner and Greene King all looking to win the Christmas sales battle.

Trading update: Revolution Bars, Safestyle, Computacenter

Tuesday

Pets at Home's new strategy will be back under the spotlight after initial signs suggested that lowering its prices has helped tempt shoppers back to its stores.

Fears that B&M Bargains were snapping up market share by undercutting the company on prices after sales declined prompted the strategy rethink last year with this week's update providing the latest indications over whether its momentum continued into the festive period.

Margins have been knocked by the price cuts and online competition could have been "a contributing factor to recent problems", noted George Salmon, the Hargreaves Lansdown analyst, adding that a rejigged online strategy could be on the cards.

Interim results: IG

Trading update: easyJet, Dixons Carphone, Marston's, Pets at Home, Fevertree Drinks, N Brown, Cairn Energy, Paragon, SSP

Economics: Public sector net borrowing (UK), CBI industrial trends survey (UK), Consumer confidence (EU)

Wednesday

Full-year results: Crest Nicholson

Trading update: WH Smith, JD Wetherspoon, Fresnillo, Polymetal, Sage

Economics: Labour statistics (UK), Manufacturing and services PMI index (US & EU)

Thursday

Smirnoff vodka maker Diageo wooed investors in the summer by launching a £1.5bn share buy-back programme after freeing up cash by making further progress on its cost-cutting programme.

Cost savings and productivity gains are expected to again be in focus for investors in this week's results, George Salmon, the Hargreaves Lansdown analyst said.

Investment in the US and its Scotch business could impact margins but Diageo should benefit from its leading position in the rebounding Scotch industry, he added.

Shares in London-focused estate agent Foxtons tumbled last Thursday after its peer Countrywide spooked investors by issuing a second profit warning in three months. Investors expect the lower transactions and slowing sales that marred Countrywide's update to also feature in Foxtons's figures, which could be even more disappointing given its higher exposure to the struggling London property market.

The company surprised the City in October by insisting that it its "resilient" lettings business is helping it survive the downturn in the London market, however.

Analysts believe that its troubles are largely due to a challenging market rather than the growing threat of online competition such as Purplebricks, but it warned that trading could soon suffer from the Government's plans to end letting fees and house prices being putting under more pressure.

Interim results: Sky, Diageo, Renishaw

Trading update: Restaurant Group, Greene King, Fuller Smith & Turner, ASOS, Brewin Dolphin, Antofagasta, CMC Markets, Countryside Properties, KAZ Minerals, Kier Group, St James's Place, Foxtons

Economics: CBI distributive trades survey (UK), ECB monetary policy decision (EU)

Friday

No FTSE 350 companies are reporting.

Economics: GDP growth (UK & US), Durable goods orders (US)

Economics this week

Economists are braced for a heavy load of statistics this week.  The latest official data on public sector borrowing will be revealed tomorrow. The data will help determine if borrowing is still on track to reach £49.9bn by the end of the financial year. The Confederation for British Industry will also release its latest survey on business optimism. Labour market statistics will be published on Wednesday.

Experts expect that the UK's record low unemployment of 4.3pc will not be maintained. Estimates for how the UK economy performed in the final quarter of 2017 are due on Friday. The consensus among economists is that the economy grew by 0.4pc in the three months to December.   There is speculation about the future of the US, Canada, Mexico trade agreement, Nafta, ahead of Donald Trump's Friday speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Mark Carney, the Bank of England Governor, is also expected to speak at the Swiss summit on Friday.