Comapny News in Brief

Year to 30 April

Brandon Hire, the tools, catering equipment and furniture leasing company, has reduced taxable losses from pounds 291,000 to pounds 14,000. Turnover eased to pounds 3.9m ( pounds 4m). A tax credit of pounds 60,000 produced earnings per share of 0.44p (LPS 1.72p). No dividend.

British Thornton, information systems builder and packaging group, is to pay a final dividend of 0.25p, making 0.5p (nil). It achieved pounds 1.3m ( pounds 947,000) pre-tax profit on turnover of pounds 8.7m ( pounds 4.7m). Earnings per share fell to 0.98p (1.04p) due to the increased number of shares following the rights issue in October 1992.

Six months to 30 April

Sleepy Kids, which produces children's animations for television, achieved pounds 3,000 pre-tax profit (loss pounds 109,000). No dividend.

Baldwin, the tour operator and printing and property firm, deepened pre- tax losses to pounds 2.25m ( pounds 2m) despite improved sales of pounds 8.4m ( pounds 4.2m). Interim dividend is 1.6p.

Half-year to 30 June

Ayrshire Metal Products increased pre-tax profits from pounds 115,000 to pounds 572,000 on higher turnover of pounds 16.5m ( pounds 14.4m). Earnings per share improved to 3.8p (0.8p). No dividend.

Lilleshall, the building, plastic and engineered products maker, fell from pounds 2.05m to pounds 1.8m pre-tax profit on pounds 31.3m ( pounds 25.7m) turnover. Earnings per share are 5.4p (5.1p). Interim dividend is 1.7p (1.6p). It is to buy Chartadd, a holding company of St Helens Glass, which makes replacement windows, doors and conservatories, for an initial price of pounds 6.25m. The acquisition will be financed with a rights issue.

Relyon Group, bedroom and kitchen products maker and surveillance equipment supplier, lifted pre-tax profits from pounds 1.5m to pounds 1.9m on a slight fall in sales to pounds 20m ( pounds 21m). Earnings per share are 6.15p (4.77p). Interim dividend is raised to 1.9p (1.75p).