Company News in Brief

Continental Assets Trust is to pay 3p (2.4p) final dividend for the year ended 31 December. Net asset value per share is 229.1p (170.3p).

Farepak, the mail order and food processing group, slipped deeper from pounds 1.4m to pounds 1.5m taxable loss in the six months to 31 October, suffering from a 29 per cent fall in turnover to pounds 8.1m ( pounds 11.4m). Interim dividend is 1.85p (1.65p).

Gresham Telecomputing, the software products firm, revealed lower pre-tax profits of pounds 551,000 ( pounds 767,000) for the year ended 31 December, hit by a fall in turnover to pounds 5.8m ( pounds 7.3m). Earnings per share are 1.04p (1.94p). Final dividend is 0.27p (0.25p).

Louis Newmark, the machine maker and watches distributor, reduced pre-tax losses from pounds 888,000 to pounds 638,000 in the six months to 31 March, helped by higher turnover of pounds 12.1m ( pounds 10.6m). Loss per share was cut to 15.2p (30p). No dividend.

Partridge Fine Arts, the antique furniture dealer, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 1.8m ( pounds 1.1m) for the year to 31 October. Turnover rose to pounds 13.7m ( pounds 8.4m). Earnings per share are 5.54p (3.25p). Final dividend is 1.5p, making 2.7p (2.25p).

Witan Investment Company is paying a 3.1p dividend, lifting the total payout from 5.6p to 5.8p. Net asset value per share rose to 271.7p (212.8p).