Three of the best performers to produce updates

Fuller planes of passengers fleeing Britain’s freezing weather are expected to boost figures from budget airline EasyJet when it updates on trading on Friday.

The group, which recently entered the FTSE 100 Index, is expected to report good momentum, with analysts at Numis Securities forecasting a “positive pricing environment”.

EasyJet’s load factor –- the measure of how full its planes are –- improved to 88.2 per cent in the 12 months to the end of February, ahead of the 87.8 per cent rate seen a year earlier. Passenger numbers were also up seven per cent to almost 60 million over that period.

Ahead of easyJet’s update for the six months to the end of March, Numis Securities believes the carrier’s winter trading has been boosted by the weather sending Britons abroad in search of warmer conditions.

Analyst Wyn Ellis said: “We believe the ski season was strong and the very poor weather in the UK has provided a significant boost to recent bookings.”

Britons’ appetite for fast food is expected to continue driving growth at pizza delivery chain Domino’s, which updates on trading for the first three months of the year on Thursday.

While heavy snowfall affected its performance, Domino’s said it made a “solid” start in the first seven weeks of 2013, with like-for-like sales in the UK stores up by 1.6 per cent. The chain said that would have been 2.6 per cent growth without the snow.

Fourth-quarter results from Booker Group on Thursday will shine a light on recent trading as the cash and carry chain celebrates approval for its takeover of smaller rival Makro.

Booker was handed a boost recently when the Competition Commission provisionally approved its acquisition of the 30-store chain. Booker supplies nearly half a million businesses including corner shops, pubs and restaurants.