After a quiet couple of weeks, City announcements are set to pick up, with a number of high street store firms due to give updates on the key Christmas trading period.

Analysts say anecdotal evidence suggests most of the UK retailers have traded strongly over the festive period, with less stock going into the January sales.

A survey this week from the CBI showed retailers had a bumper Christmas, with sales growth the highest since the 1980s boom.

Among areas of strength this Christmas are thought to be clothing and white and brown goods (such as kitchen equipment and electronics), especially digital products and household goods, said fund manager Gerrard.

Clothing retailers issuing trading updates next week include fashion chain Next on Tuesday, Top Shop-to-Dorothy Perkins group firm Arcadia on Wednesday and department store Selfridges on Thursday.

Rowan Morgan, analyst at Teather & Greenwood, said Arcadia had brought forward its statement by a week, adding the only implication was the news must be good.

Among next week's announcements, investors will be gearing up for a robust set of figures on Wednesday when car dealership Reg Vardy publishes its interim results. In September, chairman Sir Peter Vardy told shareholders that new vehicle registrations had enjoyed continuous growth over the previous 11 months, with falling prices and low interest rates encouraging people to splash out on new cars.