BEER and trains will be things on investor's minds next week as a slew of high-profile companies post their figures.

It has been a busy half year for brewing and pubs group Scottish & Newcastle, after agreeing the sale of Center Parcs and Pontins, while snapping up Kronenbourg from Groupe Danone.

As well as reflecting these deals, its half-year figures will also include sales from the Greenall's pubs bought last December.

Pre-tax profits on Tuesday are forecast to come in at £235m against £222.3m, and as well as interest in the figures, the City will be quizzing S&N over its future strategy.

Still in brewing, results from hotels and pubs group Bass on Thursday are expected to show full-year figures bubbling up to £755m from £684m.

Figures will contain a full contribution from the brewery business it has sold to Interbrew, and should show reasonable second-half volume growth from its pubs, although margins may have weakened slightly, stockbroker Greig Middleton said.

Its hotels, which include Inter-Continental and Holiday Inn, are expected to show a strong performance.

Transport group Stagecoach's half-year figures on Tuesday are forecast to come in at £97.5m, against £130m last time, with the decline due to selling Porterbrook, its train leasing subsidiary.

The City will be interested in progress achieved in improving the returns on its American subsidiary Coach USA, as well as plans to lure new customers onto its UK buses.

There will be questions asked about the effect of the present railway problems on South West Trains and Virgin Rail