Companies in Brief

AJ Mucklow, the industrial and commercial property developer, edged pre-tax profits ahead to pounds 10.85m (pounds 10.77m), helped by a higher contribution from rental income of pounds 15m (pounds 13.7m) for year to 30 June. Final dividend is 3.103p, making 5.925p (5.643p). Net asset value per share is 155p (158p).

Half year to 30 June

Brake Bros, which supplies the catering industry with frozen food products, slightly increased pre-tax profits from pounds 6.95m to pounds 7.12m. It is paying 1.85p interim dividend, up from 1.65p previously.

Comac Group, the computer recruitment agency, slumped from pounds 187,000 to pounds 44,000 pre-tax profit. Earnings per share fell by almost three-quarters to 0.44p (2.01p).

Crestacare, builders of purpose-built nursing homes and developers of retirement villages, reported a two-thirds decline in pre-tax profits to pounds 312,000 (pounds 970,000). Interim dividend is 0.1p.

Hartons, the plastic sheet, rod, tube and film supplier, reduced pre-tax losses from pounds 2.1m to pounds 938,000 on a small fall in turnover to pounds 45.6m (pounds 47.6m). No dividend.

Harrington Kilbride, the magazine publisher, achieved a 46.5 per cent rise in pre-tax profits from pounds 288,000 to pounds 422,000. Turnover showed a similar increase from pounds 3.9m to pounds 5.5m. Earnings per share rose from 2.3p to 2.7p. The company also announced its first interim dividend payout of 1.5p since it was floated in December last year. Its flotation price of 120p has since grown to 168p.

Norish, provider of food-care services to the food processing industry, lifted pre-tax profits from Ir pounds 903,000 to Ir pounds 1m, despite a fall in turnover to Ir pounds 4.9m (Ir pounds 7m). Interim dividend is held at 4.47p.

Seafield Resources advanced from pounds 9,0000 loss to pounds 838,000 pre-tax profit after turnover almost tripled to pounds 3.6m (pounds 1.4m). No interim dividend.

Wolstenholme Rink, the metallic printing inks maker, pressed ahead with a 35 per cent rise in pre-tax profits from pounds 1.2m to pounds 1.7m, although turnover declined from pounds 27.5m to pounds 24.7m. Interim dividend is 6.5p (6.3p).