THE London market's fragile confidence will be tested next week, as another clutch of major companies are due to post results.

HSBC will be the last of the "big five" banks to post results next week, with analysts expecting the company to add £11.56bn in profits to £25bn-plus already posted by Barclays, HBOS, Lloyds TSB and Royal Bank of Scotland over the past fortnight.

But HSBC has given investors a rocky ride in recent times, with February's shock news that the group's bad debt provisions had been increased by 20 per cent - £887m - to cover US borrowers defaulting on their mortgages.

The news led to the departure of the chief executive of the bank's US operation, Bobby Mehta, last week.

Citigroup analyst Simon Samuels said: "We expect more disclosure on HSBC's problems."

Investors will be keen to hear new ITV executive chairman Michael Grade's plans to turn around the struggling broadcaster in a declining advertising market at full-year figures on Wednesday.

Barclays analyst Amanda Purton said: "We believe the chairman will put the focus firmly on improving programming and generating more hit series to win back market share."

Consensus forecasts have marked ITV's expected pre-tax profits down to £347m, from £452m last time.

With its £1.2bn takeover of RHM only days from completion, Premier Foods will have plenty on its plate when it presents full-year results on Tuesday.

Premier, which is best known for making Branston Pickle and Loyd Grossman sauces, has already indicated that figures will be towards the bottom end of expectations because of a warm winter and higher costs.

Graham Jones, an analyst at Panmure Gordon stockbrokers, said he still expected sales to rise by 21 per cent to £956.8m, driven by five months of Premier's acquisition of Homepride and Oxo business Campbell Soup and continued strong performances from key brands such as Quorn and Branston.

He estimates that profits will jump from £72.9m to £94.6m, but with the major growth coming through in the current year when the Campbell and RHM deals should leave a full-year figure of about £256m.

More Than insurer Royal & Sun Alliance will highlight its new found strength when it posts higher full-year operating profits for 2006 on Thursday.

Analysts have pencilled in a consensus figure of £764m, up from £698m a year earlier and despite pressure on UK commercial pricing.

The group is seeing the benefits of a major restructuring, which it started in 2003 with a focus on the UK, Scandinavia and an international arm.

Balfour Beatty, the UK's biggest construction firm, is expected to report healthy numbers on Wednesday after reassuring analysts in January with a positive trading update, a cash-rich position and an order book which grew by some 20 per cent last year to £9bn.

Consensus forecasts predict an 11 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £149m for last year.

Like other sector peers, bus and rail operator Arriva has suffered from rising fuel costs in the past year, but consensus forecasts estimate underlying pre-tax profits eight per cent higher at £112m in the company's 2006 results on Thursday.

Arriva has continued to grow its bus business in the UK and overseas with recent acquisitions in Spain and the Czech Republic.

Companies reporting next week include:

Monday

Finals: Amlin, British Polythene Industries, HSBC, Huveaux, Ideal Shopping Direct, IMI, Intertek, IP, IX Europe, Jardine Lloyd Thompson, Just Car Clinics, Kingspan, Paddy Power, Rok, Taylor Nelson Sofres, William Hill, WSP

Interims: Ricardo

Tuesday

Finals: Axon, CRH, Galiform, Genetix, Inchcape, Independent Media Distribution, Lavendon, Meggitt, Premier Foods, Psion, Travis Perkins, Zotefoams

Interims: Admiral, Ashtead (Q3), ICM Computer, Manganese Bronze, Powerleague, Redrow

Wednesday

Finals: Ark Therapeutics, Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Devro, Dragon Oil, ITV, Johnston Press, Lancashire Holdings, Omega International, Provident Financial, Restaurant Group, Spring, Unite, Yule Catto

Interims: A&J Mucklow, Beazley, Dunelm

Thursday

Finals: Aggreko, Arriva, Axis-Shield, Drax, John Lewis, Office2office, Royal & Sun Alliance, Slough Estates

Strategy update: Misys

Friday

Finals: Catlin, Corac, Marshalls, T Clarke