NEXT week will be a busy one for half year results, with updates due out from supermarkets, holiday and record groups.

Releases from the Spice Girls and a new compilation from the Beatles should help record company EMI to a strong second-half year.

However, when it gives its first-half update on Tuesday, the group is forecast to see a decline in pre-tax profits and earnings, due to the release schedule which is skewed to the second half.

Six month pre-tax profits are expected to come in at £62m, against £75m, stockbrokers Greig Middleton said.

Holiday group Airtours has had less than a sunny time lately, with problems relating to German unit Frosch Touristik, which is suffering overcapacity in the German tour operator market.

FTi was originally an associate but Airtours bought out the minority stake in order to better control the recovery process.

Full-year pre-tax profits on Tuesday are forecast to come in at £100m against £156.5m last time. Also under pressure is its Scandinavian business where demand shrank as customers were unwilling to pay higher brochure prices, brokers Greig Middleton said.

National Grid's half-year figures on Tuesday will include the first material contribution from its two US acquisitions, New England Electric Systems and Eastern Utilities Associates.

As a result, revenues will be more than double the comparable period last year, however the increase in operating profits from these two acquisitions will be partly offset by start-up losses in its Brazilian Telecoms joint venture, Intelig