Company News in Brief

M&W, the foods retailer, plans to increase the pace of acquisitions and looks for continuing improvements in operating efficiency. Pre- tax profits in the 53 weeks to 3 October rose to pounds 2.22m from pounds 2.03m the previous year. Sales were up from pounds 72.5m to pounds 79.58m and earnings per share increased 53 per cent to 12.52p. Final dividend is 1.9p (1.5p) making 3p.

J Saville Gordon, the property and stockholding group, more than doubled pre-tax profits to pounds 2.62m from pounds 1.26m in the half-year to 31 October. Turnover rose from pounds 13.76m to pounds 17.62m while earnings improved to 1.74p from 0.85p. Interim dividend is 1p (0.5p).

Dudley Jenkins, the direct mail services specialist,increased pre-tax profits from pounds 383,000 to pounds 430,000 on the back of a sales rise from pounds 5.18m to pounds 6.4m in the half-year to 31 October. Interim dividend is increased to 1.05p (1p), with earnings per share down marginally at 2.33p (2.55p).

Property Trust, which owns and deals in property, saw earnings per share collapse from 5.6p to 0.5p in the half-year to 30 September, with pre-tax profits down to pounds 102,000 from pounds 426,000. The group, which is again paying no interim dividend, said investment income would benefit from recent acquisitions.