Companies in Brief

Six months to 30 September

Ascot Holdings sharply reduced pre-tax losses from pounds 68.5m to pounds 555,000. LPS 0.6p (LPS 16.7p). No dividend.

Baring Stratton IT's net asset value per share rose to 238p (182p). No dividend.

CML Microsystems, which makes specialised electronic devices, advanced from pounds 1.5m to pounds 1.65m. Turnover increased to pounds 8.4m ( pounds 6.2m). EPS 5.74p (5.36p). No dividend.

Kembrey, supplier of electrical equipment to the aerospace and automobile industries, achieved pounds 29,000 pre-tax profit (loss pounds 304,000), despite lower sales of pounds 9.4m ( pounds 11.7m). EPS 0.11p (LPS 1.08p). No dividend.

SW Wood Group, the printing and packaging business, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 750,000 ( pounds 425,000). Turnover rose to pounds 6.3m ( pounds 4.9m). EPS 3.3p (2p). Dividend is 0.75p (0.5p).

Year to 30 August

Ferraris Group, the specialist engineer, boosted pre-tax profits to pounds 681,000 ( pounds 191,000). Turnover edged up to pounds 10.5m ( pounds 10.3m). EPS 6.1p (1.2p). Total dividend is 2p (1p).

VTR, the USM-quoted video editing group, doubled pre-tax profits from pounds 434,000 to pounds 884,000, helped by a 29 per cent jump in turnover from pounds 7.3m to pounds 9.4m. EPS 7.7p (3.5p). Total dividend is 3.75p.

Other

Tepnel Diagnostics incurred pounds 1.4m pre-tax loss for the 15 months to 30 September, after charging research and development expenditure of pounds 931,000. LPS 6p. No dividend.