On Wednesday, the market will get the first word on whether the looked-for upturn in activity on the voice broking side of ICAP's business has occurred.

So-called 'triple-play' (pay TV, phone and Internet service provider) British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) updates the market on Tuesday on how it fared in the final three months of 2011.

Aveva, the Cambridge based engineering information technology company, issues an interim management statement on Friday, and bearing in mind that sector peer Invensys recently issued a profits warning relating to delays to Chinese nuclear projects, Aveva may be keen to reassure that all is hunky-dory at its own Chinese nuclear operations.

The management of financial software provider Misys will take a break from batting away questions about a potential takeover of the company to update the market on the operational side of things on Thursday

With the flurry of Christmas trading updates almost over, newsagent WH Smith is one of the last of the household names from the retail sector to report, when it has its annual general meeting on Wednesday.

'Imperial Leather' soap maker PZ Cussons issued a profit warning back in December so while Tuesday's interim figures are unlikely to make pleasant reading for shareholders, at least they have been forewarned.

Close Brothers, the banking, securities and asset management firm, issues a trading update on Friday, and followers of the company will be keen to see whether fortunes have picked up for its Securities division.

Attention will be back on the retail sector on Thursday with Primark-owner Associated British Foods due to report, and fast-growing Internet retailer ASOS weighing in. Meanwhile, the 'pint and a punt' constituency are served by updates from brewer SABMiller and bookmaker William Hill.

Pubs group JD Wetherspoon gives an update on Wednesday for the second quarter of its financial year, which will cover the hyper-busy Christmas and New year trading period.

Fashion chain Burberry has been one of the success stories of the British retail scene in recent years, thanks in no small part to its international cachet. On Tuesday, it releases an interim management statement covering the third quarter of its fiscal year, which will include the Christmas trading period.

T.Clarke, the building services group, said in mid-November it was on track to meet market expectations for the full year and in Panmure Gordon's opinion it had better deliver, or face the wrath of the market.

There are not many things Britain's number one retailer Tesco does not sell, or so it seems, but tin hats are not among their product lines, which is unfortunate as shareholders may have need of some protection when the supermarket chain issues its Christmas trading update on Thursday.

The market was none too enthused on Monday with the Christmas trading update from supermarket group Morrisons and on Wednesday it is the turn of rival Sainsbury to march to the crease when it publishes a fiscal third quarter update. Nomura Securities thinks the UK's number three supermarket chain will have made a better fist of trading over the Christmas than its peers.

Christmas update season for the retailers is getting into full swing with heavyweight Marks and Spencer set to weigh in on Tuesday, along with smaller rivals Debenhams and Dunelm.

Profit warnings last month from rivals Michael Page and SThree suggest that Friday's trading statement from recruitment firm Robert Walters might not be for the squeamish.

Thursday is usually the busiest day of the week for scheduled company announcements, but tomorrow's agenda is looking a bit threadbare.

Wednesday looks like it could be a big day for the retail sector with fashion chain Next making a trading announcement that should give a clue to how the festive shopping season went. The retailer is set to release sales figures covering the period up to and including Christmas Eve, and may also provide some anecdotal indications of how the post-Christmas sales period has been going.