Company News in Brief

Interim results to 30 June

Serco, the facilities manager, made taxable profits of pounds 6m ( pounds 4.35m). Earnings per share were 5.6p (4.5p). The dividend is 1.25p (1.06p).

Ropner, the engineer, made pre- tax profits of pounds 2m, up from pounds 1.6m. Earnings were 5.2p (4.2p). The interim dividend is 3.5p (same)

Johnston Press, the printing and publishing concern, made profits before tax of pounds 6.7m ( pounds 6m). Earnings per share were 13.9p (12.9p). The dividend is 2.75p (2.5p).

Cairn Energy, the oil and gas explorer, made pre-tax profits of pounds 616,000 down from pounds 665,000. Earnings per share were 0.64p (1.2p). There is no dividend.

Beckenham Group, the engineer, made a taxable loss of pounds 2.6m compared to a loss of pounds 186,000. The loss per share was 12.9p (3p). There is no dividend.

Partco, the vehicle spare parts distributor, made taxable profits of pounds 2.9m ( pounds 2m). Earnings per share were 8.4p (6.3p). The interim dividend is 2p (nil).

Domnick Hunter, the filtration equipment maker, made pre-tax profits of pounds 2.6m against pounds 2m. Earnings per share were 4p (3.2p). There is a special dividend of 1p.

Other news

IAF, the investment trust, made pre-tax profits of pounds 2.6m in the nine months to 30 June compared to pounds 2m for the 12 months to 30 September 1993. Earnings per share were 2.4p against 1.86p. The dividend is 0.1p.

Louis Newmark, the engineer, made a pre-tax loss of pounds 896,000 ( pounds 1.6m) for the year to 31 December. The loss per share was 21.3p (53.8p). There is no dividend.

Brigend Group, the distribution company, has sold its Belgian subsidiary St Gery to High Street Holdings for pounds 600,000.

Britannia, the construction group, has won pounds 9m of new orders, including a contract to build a retail park near Swindon.

Stag Furniture, the furniture group, made taxable profits of pounds 720,000 ( pounds 730,000) for the six months to 2 July. Earnings per share were 4.4p (4.5p). There is no dividend.

Northern Leisure, the leisure group, has appointed Clive Preston as managing director.