Marks & Spencer are set to reveal their annual results

Annual results from retail giant Marks & Spencer should be the highlight of another busy week for corporate news, with figures also due from pubs group Mitchells & Butlers and babycare retailer Mothercare.

Marks & Spencer's annual results on Tuesday are set to bear the scars of poor clothing sales in the first three months of 2008, compounding a disappointing Christmas for the group.

Hopes that M&S could post £1 billion in profits for the year to March 31 were inspired by forecast-beating interim profits in November, but these look to have been dashed by the sharp downturn seen since then.

Consensus forecasts put pre-tax profits at around £989 million - higher than last year's £965.2 million - although the tough high street conditions have delivered the first serious jolt to the recovery of the business led by chief executive Sir Stuart Rose.

Pubs group Mitchells & Butlers is due to publish the outcome of a strategic review alongside its interim results on Tuesday. This followed a merger approach by rival Punch Taverns - since abandoned - and interest from private equity firms in buying a minority stake in the company.

M&B had initially been in talks with Punch over a series of proposals, including a full blown merger and then a private equity backed bid from M&B for Punch's managed pub arm Spirit.

But talks between the two firms collapsed, with Punch pulling out of the merger and then saying "any transaction" with All Bar One and O'Neills owner M&B would not be in the interest of shareholders.

Babycare retailer Mothercare is expected to report a near-50% jump in annual profits on Thursday after help from a major acquisition and a surge in demand at its internet and catalogue arm.

Consensus forecasts put profits for the year to March 31 at £33.6 million - well ahead of last year's £22.6 million - as last year's £85 million acquisition of the Early Learning Centre also adds to the bottom line.

The group should update on the review of its property portfolio following the deal, as well as the cost savings to be made from the integration of the two businesses.