IN A busy week for corporate results, the telecoms sector will hog the limelight. Figures from Vodafone, Cable and Wireless and Marconi are due - giving investors more clues about how the industry will cope with a global slowdown.

Troubled telecoms group Marconi's half-year results on Tuesday will give the City a chance to quiz the firm about its outlook.

Analysts think it is unlikely to be able to give meaningful predictions for the third quarter, let alone its full year. Losses before one-off costs are forecast to be £348m against a £276m profit, fund manager Gerrard predicts.

Vodafone is forecast to post half-year pre-tax profits of £2.9bn on Tuesday, against £1.8bn the previous year.

Last month, the group reported a jump in subscriber numbers to 95.6 million worldwide, and said it was on track to expand its customer base by 20 per cent this year.

Cable and Wireless, which reports half-year results on Wednesday, warned in September that trading was difficult and it was expecting a five per cent dip in revenue from its key Global division serving business customers.

Earnings before interest and depreciation are forecast at £450m, Gerrard said.

Consumer products group Reckitt Benckiser will demonstrate the defensive qualities of its business on Wednesday as pre-tax profits in the third quarter are expected to rise to £94m from £83m a year earlier.

International Power, the generating company demerged from National Power, has only been running since October last year, so comparisons for the third quarter will not be possible on Thursday.

However, fund manager Gerrard expects pre-tax profits for the three-month period to be £60m.

Thursday will see Invensys chief executive Rick Haythornthwaite unveil the engineering firm's interim figures after little more than a month in the job. Invensys is forecast to post pre-tax profits of £180m - a massive slide on last year's £368m - after being hit hard by the US slowdown.

l Companies reporting next week:

MONDAY - Finals: Carr's Milling Industries

Interims: Azlan Group, DCC, Redbus Interhouse (Q3), Renold

TUESDAY - Finals: Galen Holdings Interims: EMAP, Energis, Focus Solutions Group, Kewill Systems, Marconi, Northern Foods, Oxford Instruments, Sterling Publishing Group

WEDNESDAY - Interims: Cable & Wireless, Eyretel, Haslemere (Q3), Helical Bar, Land Securities, Luminar, Reckitt Benckiser (Q3)

THURSDAY - Finals: Capital Radio, McCarthy & StoneInterims: Glenmorangie, International Power (Q3), Invensys

FRIDAY - Interims: Hornby, Xans