MARKS & Spencer Group Plc's profit and share-price estimates were cut at Pali International and Investec, raising to four the number of brokers that have reduced projections or ratings last week for the United Kingdom's largest clothes retailer.

Marks shares fell as much as 2.6 percent, last week's second-biggest drop, in London trading.

Pali expects pre-tax profit at the London-based company of 670 million pounds (US$1.2 billion) for the current fiscal year, and Investec predicts 660 million pounds, both less than the 703 million-pound average of 22 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg News.

The retailer is scheduled to update investors next Thursday on sales, which are deteriorating as Britons favor lower-priced competitors, spurred by pressure on incomes from higher grocery and energy bills.

Morgan Stanley lowered its estimate for the current fiscal year's profit and Deutsche Bank stopped advising investors to buy the stock.

"UK trading is the focus next Thursday," Nick Bubb, an analyst at Pali in London who advises selling Marks shares, wrote in a research report yesterday.

The brokerage firm had expected the retailer to earn 700 million pounds before taxes for the year, and Investec had predicted 738 million pounds. Pali lowered next year's estimate to 550 million pounds from 590 million pounds, and Investec reduced its projection to 505 million pounds from 725 million pounds.

Marks stocks dropped 4.25 pence, or 1.9 percent, to 223.75 pence at 9:25am yesterday.