Company News in Brief

Denmans Electrical made pounds 1.52m ( pounds 1.26m) in the year to 30 September. Earnings per share 23.73p (18.75p). Final dividend 4.3p.

Jones Stroud made pounds 3.29m ( pounds 2.49m) in the six months to 30 September. Eps 12.32p (9.19p). Interim dividend 3.3p (3.0p)

Birkdale made a pre-tax loss of pounds 494,000 (profit pounds 64,000) in the six months to 30 September. Loss per share 2.9p (earnings 0.5p). No interim dividend.

Hampson Industries recorded a pre-tax profit of pounds 1.69m ( pounds 1.62m) in the six months to 30 September. Eps 1.41p (1.36p). Interim dividend 0.4p (0.6p).

Microgen made pounds 8.24m ( pounds 7.28m) before tax in the year to 31 October. Eps 13.8p (12.2p). Final dividend 5.05p making 7.25p (7.0p).

Neotronics Technology made a pre-tax profit of pounds 3.03m ( pounds 2.62m) in the six months to 30 September. Eps 7.65p (7.26p). Interim dividend 0.85p (0.8p).

Windsor made a pre-tax profit of pounds 616,000 (loss pounds 1.2m) in the year to 30 September. Eps 1.69p (loss 3.20p). No dividend.

Wyko Group made a pre-tax profit of pounds 121,000 ( pounds 279,000) in the six months to 31 October. Loss per share 0.07p (earnings 0.66p). Interim dividend 0.5p (1.40p).

Aspen Communications is raising pounds 1.1m through an offer of new shares at 173p each.

Aberforth Smaller Companies Fund saw its net asset value fall to 122.8p (126.2p) at 31 December. Final dividend 2.5p making 4.6p (4.5p).

Kershaw & Sons had pre-tax investment income of pounds 9.9m in the year to 31 October. Final dividend 18p making 27p (unchanged) out of earnings of 27.9p (28p).

River & Mercantile Extra Fund paid an interim dividend of 1.96875p (same) for the year to 30 September.

Albrighton, which recently agreed to buy Tarmac's dimensional sandstone business, said it saw signs of recovery. 'We believe the Tarmac acquisition is well timed and will allow Albrighton to take advantage of that recovery,' Peter Woodman, chairman and chief executive, said.