COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF

Automated Security slumped to £11.8m taxable loss (profit £7.3m) in year to 30 November.

Year to 31 January

Alexon Group cut taxable losses to £3.7m (£12m). LPS 9.22p (30.38p). No dividend.

QS Holdings' pre-tax profits were ahead at £5.26m (£5.25m). Total dividend 5.19p.

Year ended 31 December

Ayrshire Metal lifted pre-tax profits to £2.2m (£1.3m). Total dividend is 4.75p (1.5p).

British Fittings climbed to £2.4m (£1.4m) pre-tax profit. Total dividend is 3p (2p).

Fitch fell to £300,000 (£3.2m) pre-tax profit. LPS 1p (EPS 9.6p).

Grosvenor Development Capital incurred £362,000 (£337,000) taxable loss. Total dividend is 1.2p.

Higgs & Hill edged pre-tax profits ahead to £1.3m (£1.2m). Total dividend is held at 2.5p.

Irish Life pushed pre-tax profits up to Ir£44.2m (Ir£41.9m). Total dividend is 10p (9.12p).

Mayflower Corporation's pre-tax profits rose to £8.6m (£5.4m). Total dividend 1.5p (1.35p).

Morgan Sindall deepened taxable losses to £3.4m (£1.5m). Norcor lifted pre-tax profits to £4m (£3.8m). Total dividend 3.1p.

Rathbone Brothers lifted pre-tax profits to £6.1m (£5.25m). Total dividend 9p (7.5p).

Rutland Trust slid to £9.3m (£10.9m) pre-tax profit. Total dividend is 1p (0.87p).

Seaperfect cut taxable losses to £971,000 (£2.7m). No dividend.

Silvermines advanced pre-tax profits to Ir£2.6m (Ir£1.6m). Total dividend is Ir1p (Ir0.5p).

TLS Range surged to £1.7m (£210,000) pre-tax profit. Total dividend is 1.5p (0.5p).

UK Safety made £1.6m (£1.5m) pre-tax. Dividend held at 2.6p.