Company News in Brief

Half-year to 30 June

Joseph Holt, owner and operator of public houses and hotels, improved pre-tax profits from pounds 3.3m to pounds 3.6m. Interim dividend is raised to 10p (9p).

How Group, which provides mechanical and electrical engineering services to the building industry, plunged to pounds 96,000 pre-tax loss (profit pounds 507,000). Interim dividend is 0.75p (1p).

Metsec, the building and engineering products company, incurred deeper pre-tax losses of pounds 868,000 (loss pounds 285,000). Turnover dropped from pounds 41.8m to pounds 31.1m. No dividend (2.7p).

Half-year to 31 July

Xtra Vision, which sells and rents videos, eased from Ir pounds 708,000 to Ir pounds 504,000 pre-tax profit. Sales were virtually unchanged at 10.76m ( pounds 10.85m). No dividend.

Greenacre Group, the residential homes owner and operator and cat litter supplier, lifted pre-tax profits from pounds 377,000 to pounds 605,000, on turnover of pounds 2.1m ( pounds 1.3m). Interim dividend is 0.13p (0.125p).

Other

GT Japan Investment Trust's net asset value per share fell from 235.4p to 149p as at the end of the year to 30 June. Final dividend is 0.75p, making 1.4p, including a 0.25p (1.15p) special dividend.