Company News in Brief

Jos Holdings, the split capital investment trust, is paying a final-quarter dividend of 3.025p, making 11.65p for the year to 31 July. Net asset value per capital and ordinary share are 217.29p and 163.58p respectively.

Half-year to 30 June

Britannic Assurance, the life insurer, has increased its interim dividend by 12 per cent to 3.85p a share, prompting its shares to rise by 10p to 442p. Britannic reduced the underwriting loss on its general insurance business from pounds 2.3m to pounds 1.4m, less than the pounds 1.6m it earned on its investments. The company is paying increased bonuses on certain with-profits pension contracts.

Broadcastle, the financial services company, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 224,000 ( pounds 155,000). Earnings per share 1.22p (0.48p). Dividend is 0.25p.

Horace Small Apparel slumped to pounds 553,000 ( pounds 1.5m) pre-tax profit, hit by lower margins and a 32 per cent rise in trading costs. Earnings per share fell to 1.3p (4.2p). Dividend is held at 1p.

North Midland Construction rose to pounds 95,000 ( pounds 84,000) pre-tax profit. EPS 0.71p (0.56p). Dividend is 0.4p (0.3p).

Richardsons Westgarth, the steel stock holder, achieved pounds 1.4m ( pounds 1m) pre-tax profit. EPS improved to 3.32p (2.84p). Dividend is 1.3p (1.25p).

Rosebys increased pre-tax profits to pounds 681,000 ( pounds 606,000). EPS 2.3p (1.9p). Dividend is 1.4p (0.9p).

Six months to 31 July

Dunedin Income Growth IT's net asset value per share grew to 645.4p (506.5p). Dividend is 8.75p.

Fleming Mercantile IT's net asset value per share rose from 246p to 316.5p. The sale of its 25 per cent stake in Caledonian Newspaper Publishing added pounds 7m to the balance sheet. Second-quarter dividend is 1.68p.