WITH a raft of blue-chip companies reporting results, and Chancellor Gordon Brown due to deliver his pre-Budget report, next week looks set to be busy in the City.

After the storm over Shell's record 80 per cent growth in earnings last week, it will be BP Amoco's turn to take the stage when it reports third quarter figures on Tuesday.

BP is expected, like its Anglo-Dutch rival, to report record income on the back of higher oil and gas prices - figures likely to fuel the controversy over petrol prices as further protests loom.

Its exploration and production division is expected to be the main driver of growth, and net income for the last quarter is forecast to come in at £2.52bn, against £1.2bn at the same point last year.

Store closures, perhaps of underperforming ex-Littlewoods shops, may be on the cards when troubled retailer Marks & Spencer reports half-year figures on Tuesday.

Pre-tax profits are forecast to be down sharply, with stockbroker Greig Middleton predicting £150m, against £192m last time.

But with clothing sales drifting, its new retail director not due to arrive until January, concerns rife about its food division, and a reduced contribution expected from financial services, the City will be looking for clear signs of direction from chairman Luc Vandevelde.

The City will want BT to realise it's good to talk - especially about its strategic review - when it unveils half-year results on Thursday.

With pre-tax profits expected to decline to £1.15bn against £1.66bn last time, investors are getting impatient with BT's board and its share price has languished.

Amidst a feeling BT has over-extended itself by doing too much, too quickly, analysts will be looking for clear indications of future strategy from embattled chairman Sir Iain Vallance and chief executive Sir Peter Bonfield.

Half-year figures from British Airways on Monday are expected to be more of a tailspin than a controlled landing.

Stockbroker Greig Middleton is forecasting interim pre-tax profits to descend to £103m, against £240m last time.

The City will want to see how chief executive Rod Eddington intends to earn his wings and what, now the KLM deal is buried, might be his next alliance/merger destination.

l Companies reporting next week:

MONDAY - Finals: Terence Chapman, Wescol. Interims: British Airways, Carphone Warehouse, Focus Solutions, Netstore (Q1).

TUESDAY - Interims: BP Amoco (Q3), Bright Station (Q3), Cadcentre, Colt Telecom, First Group, GWR Group, Imagination Technologies, Maelor, Marks & Spencer, Robert Wiseman Dairies.

WEDNESDAY - Finals: Fenner, McCarthy & Stone, Minorplanet Systems. Interims: Associated British Foods, Baltimore Technologies (Q3), Bookham Technology (Q3), British Energy, CGNU, Electrocomponents, Radstone Technology, Thus, Umeco, Volex Group.

THURSDAY - Finals: Capital Radio, Dimension Data Holdings, MMT Computing, Superscape. Interims: BT, Chamberlin Holdings, P&O Princess (Q3), Scottish Power, Tate & Lyle, Yates Group.

FRIDAY - Interims: Express Dairies.