Company News in Brief

Resort Hotels bought County Resorts' seven hotels for pounds 3.5m, to be satisfied by the issue of 8.5 million new shares. The seven hotels in the South of England total 329 bedrooms.

National Express Group has acquired Scottish Citylink Coaches through Saltire Holdings.

James Beattie, the stores group, saw pre-tax profits fall to pounds 6.8m ( pounds 7.7m) in the year to 31 January. Earnings per share were 9.8p (11.3p) but the dividend rises to 6p (5.75p).

Sims, the food company, bought Grand Metropolitan's hamburger manufacturer, Oakland Fast Food, for a maximum of pounds 10.25m.

Serif, the plastic cards printer, reduced losses to pounds 943,000 before tax in 1992, against pounds 2.2m the previous year. Exceptional charges were pounds 649,000 ( pounds 1m). Losses per share were 4.1p (10.1p). There is no dividend.

LIT Holdings, the financial services group, made pre-tax losses of pounds 1.2m in 1992, against profits of pounds 1.3m. An exceptional charge of pounds 1.8m related to the sale of LIT America.

Celtic Gold, the exploration group, saw pre-tax losses rise to pounds 160,321 in 1992, against pounds 65,878. Write-offs of exploration properties led to an exceptional charge of pounds 130,000.