Company News in Brief

Half-year to 30 June

Aspen Communications, the printing and media group, fell to pounds 923,000 ( pounds 1.1m) pre-tax profit. Interim dividend is 2p (2.7p).

Ransomes, the engineer and property developer, reversed taxable losses of pounds 767,000 to report pounds 2m pre-tax profit. No dividend.

United Friendly Group, the insurance underwriter, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 9.5m ( pounds 7.8m). Interim dividend is raised to 4.9p (4.2p).

British Polythene, which makes packaging products, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 6.5m ( pounds 4.5m). Interim dividend is 3.5p (3p).

EIS Group, the engineer, made pounds 7.3m ( pounds 7.05m) pre-tax profit. Interim dividend is 3.5p (3p).

J Billam, aircraft and motor industry engineer, doubled pre-tax profits to pounds 239,000 ( pounds 109,000). Interim dividend is 1.9p (1.64p)

Arthur Wood, earthenware maker, incurred pounds 43,000 pre-tax loss (profit pounds 41,000). No dividend.

Kingston Oil & Gas slumped to pounds 209,000 ( pounds 761,000) pre-tax profit. It held the dividend at 1p.

Sharpe & Fisher held the dividend payout at 1.5p after it announced a fall in pre-tax profits from pounds 436,000 to pounds 420,000.

Roskel, which instals ceilings and partitions, lifted pre-tax profits pounds 652,000 ( pounds 548,000). The dividend is held at 1.3p.

Servomex, maker of gas analysis machines, increased pre-tax profits to pounds 1.04m ( pounds 922,000). Interim dividend improved to 1.9p (1.8p).

Star Computer Group made pre- tax profits of pounds 119,000 (loss pounds 886,000). No dividend.

Others

FII Group, footwear and laboratory equipment maker, eased to pounds 6.5m ( pounds 7.2m) pre-tax profit in the year to 31 May. Final is 8.5p, making 14p (14.75p).

Merchants Trust is paying 5.3p (5p) dividend for the six months to 31 July. The net asset value is 195.3p (231.7p).

Kleinwort Development Fund is paying 10.5p dividend for the year to 31 July. Net asset value is 320.89p (337.93).

Second Alliance Trust is paying a final dividend of 24.5p (23.5p), making 36.5p (35p) for the year to 31 July. Net asset value is 12.79 (13.61p).