Next week on the stock market

Novo Nordisk’s full-year guidance will be under intense scrutiny in next week’s first-quarter results. In February, the company said it expected sales growth of 16-24%. There’s likely to be a particular focus on the weight loss jab Wegovy. And while we still see plenty of opportunities to go for in the anti-obesity market, Novo’s market share is coming under pressure. There have also been some disappointments on what use cases US public healthcare providers are prepared to fund. Competition is heating up to bring differentiated products to market in the space too.

With that in mind, we’ll also be looking out for updates from Novo’s research pipeline. An oral formulation of the active ingredient in Wegovy, additional approvals for existing therapies, as well as next-generation medicines are all still in play.

Palantir has become a key name in the AI investment space, but its high valuation means there’s immense pressure to deliver impressive growth. In the past three months, the stock’s been twice as volatile as the broader market, so investors have had to strap in. Next week’s first-quarter results need to show continued strength, with revenue growth of 36% and a significantly bigger jump in profits expected.

We’ll be closely watching progress in Palantir's consumer division and the adoption of its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). Success in these areas is vital for expanding beyond government contracts and tapping into the vast enterprise market. This is an exciting business, but the valuation can only be justified with an unprecedented level of growth over the medium term - results will likely need to exceed expectations to keep the bears at bay.

Next saw strong growth in the early weeks of the year, primarily driven by rising online and overseas sales. However, its retail stores continue to face challenges in the tough UK market, and we’re eager to see if there are any signs of revival in this segment.

The company's performance is expected to be stronger in the first half of the year, with sales estimates for this period being revised upwards to 6.5% from the previous 3.5%. As the year progresses, Next expects growth in the UK to slow due to rising employer taxes and their subsequent impact on consumer confidence and employment.

Next has gained a bit of a reputation for beating expectations, after a series of strong results saw multiple profit upgrades last year. We’re hoping to see this trend continue in next week’s first-quarter update.

A director of Hargreaves Lansdown plc is a Non-Executive Director of Next plc.