Company News in Brief

Microgen Holdings, which operates information storage and retrieval systems, improved pre-tax profits to pounds 4.4m ( pounds 4.3m) in the six months to 30 April. Interim dividend is held at 2.2p.

Caverdale Group, supplier of motor and engineering consumables, reduced pre-tax losses from pounds 1.2m to pounds 297,000 for the year ended 31 December. It also announced a two for seven rights issue to raise pounds 1.8m to finance the acquisition of Dunham and Haines motor dealers and to provide working capital.

Burtonwood Brewery, the brewer and hotel and licenced premises management group, reported a slight fall in pre-tax profits to pounds 4.6m ( pounds 5.6m) in the year to 31 March. Final dividend is 3.75p, making 4.45p (4.24p).

Domino Printing Sciences, developer and maker of ink jet printing systems, has lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 4.5m ( pounds 3.4m) in the six months to 30 April. Interim dividend is raised to 2.4p (2.1p).

A Kershaw & Sons, the investment company, made pounds 3.2m ( pounds 3.3m) pre-tax profit in the six months to 30 April. The interim dividend will be held at 9p.

Jurys Hotel Group, the hotel management company, based in Dublin, fell to Ir pounds 2.5m (Ir pounds 3.3m) in the year to 30 April. Final dividend is 3p, making a total unchanged at 5p.

Stewart & Wight, the property investor, lifted pre-tax profits pounds 310,000 to pounds 352,000 in the year to 31 March. Total dividend was shaved to 102p (105p).

Symonds Engineering saw a decline in pre-tax profits to pounds 156,000 ( pounds 220,000) in the year to 31 March. Final dividend is 0.7p, making an unchanged total of 1p.

Reg Vardy, the multi-franchise motor retailing group, fell slightly from pounds 4.4m to pounds 4m for the year to 30 April. Final dividend is 2.7p, making a total of 4p (3.6p).

Joseph Hoyle climbed out of a pounds 243,000 pre-tax loss to make a pounds 24,000 pre-tax profit for the year to 28 March. No dividend.

Dowding and Mills has bought US-based Equipment Maintenance Services, which repairs and services electrical and mechanical equipment, for about dollars 11m ( pounds 5.7m).