Company News in Brief

James Smith Estates has agreed to buy the Westway Shopping Centre at Botley, near Oxford, from Southend Property Holdings for a little over pounds 4.8m in cash. The current income from the property is pounds 458,000 per annum.

Year to 30 September

Cardiff Property, the developer, climbed from pounds 918,000 taxable loss to pounds 119,000 pre-tax profit. Earnings per share 6.5p (LPS 35.7p). Total dividend 2.5p (2.4p).

LPA Industries, the electrical accessories maker, fell sharply from pounds 477,000 to pounds 66,000 pre- tax profit. EPS 0.44p (3.53p). Total dividend 2.45p.

Year to 31 December

Malvern UK Index Trust, which tracks the FT-Actuaries All-Share index, lifted the net asset value per share 22 per cent to 150.4p, compared with a rise of 23.3 per cent in the index over the same period. Final dividend 2.3p (2.07p).

Selective Assets Trust raised the dividend to 1.45p (1.2p) per share. Net asset value per share 203.76p (155.95p).

St Andrew Trust declared a higher dividend of 5.1p (4.85p). Net asset value per share jumped from 249.5p to stand at 324.8p at the year end.