Company News in Brief

Year ended 31 December

Anagen, the specialist blood-testing equipment maker, reduced taxable losses from pounds 5.4m to pounds 4m on sharply higher turnover of pounds 1.7m ( pounds 238,000). Lps is 11p (23.7p).

EIS Group, the engineer, increased pre-tax profits to pounds 16.2m ( pounds 15.1m). Turnover grew to pounds 237.6m ( pounds 187.9m). Eps 24.9p (26.8p) Total dividend is 12.3p (12p).

How Group, construction services provider, incurred pounds 2.1m ( pounds 2.3m) taxable loss. Lps 3.61p (3.96p). Total dividend is 0.75p (1.5p).

Sykes-Pickavant, the tool maker, advanced to pounds 305,000 ( pounds 118,000) pre- tax profit. Eps 1.98p (1.02p). The total dividend is 1.33p (2.66p).

Others

Rentokil, property care services group, has bought SIDWA and Associates, an interior landscaping company in Dallas, and Comes Commercial Exterminators, a pest control firm in Kenneshaw, Georgia, for pounds 900,000 in cash.

James Dickie, the engineer, more than doubled pre-tax profits to pounds 628,000 ( pounds 250,000) for the six months to 28 February. Eps 6.91p (3.03p). Dividend is 1p.

Pascoe Group incurred pounds 970,000 taxable loss for the six months to 31 December against pounds 3.3m restated loss for the year to 30 June.