COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF

Year to 31 December

J Billam, the precision engineer, incurred £243,000 taxable loss (profit £385,000), hit by lower turnover of £6.1m (£6.7m). LPS 9.8p (EPS16p). Final dividend is 3.1p, making 5.3p (same).

Chieftain Group achieved £375,000 pre-tax profit (loss £372,000), despite a 22 per cent fall in turnover to £9.7m. EPS 2.71p (LPS 3.33p). Final dividend is 1.5p, making 3p (3.5p).

Record Holdings, the tool maker, edged pre-tax profits up to £2.9m (£2.4m). EPS 5.1p (4.4p). Total dividend is held at 3.6p.

Six months to 31 December

British Data Management fell to £535000 (£1.7m) pre-tax profit. EPS 1.47p (5.44p). Dividend is held at 1.65p.

Chesterton, the property consultancy, reversed from £256,000 taxable loss to £126,000 pre-tax profit, aided by a rise in turnover to £29.9m (£24.5m). EPS 0.1p (LPS 0.4p). Dividend is 1p.

Finelist Group lifted pre-tax profits to £3m (£1.2m). EPS 0.5p (0.67p). Dividend is 1.7p.

Galliford, the builder, rose to £942,000 (£267,000) pre-tax profits on £108.9m (£100.2m) turnover. EPS 0.71p (0.2p). Dividend is held at 0.5p.

Renishaw, CAD systems maker, advanced pre-tax profits to £4.4m (£2.8m). EPS 5.7p (3.6p). Dividend 2.5p (2.3p).