Company News in Brief

Five Oaks Investments, the property investor and developer, achieved pounds 655,000 pre-tax profit (loss pounds 953,000) in the six months to 31 December. Earnings per share are 0.8p (lps 2.04p). Interim dividend is 0.2p.

Year ended 31 December

Blockleys, building products maker, increased pre-tax profits to pounds 419,000 (pounds 352,000). Earnings per share are 1.04p (0.73p). Total dividend is maintained at 1p.

Bostrom, maker of seating and components for the automotive industries, drove pre-tax profits sharply higher from pounds 919,000 to pounds 2m. Turnover grew from pounds 34.3m to pounds 50m. Earnings per share improved to 11.4p (9p). Total dividend is 6p (same).

Dolphin Packaging, producer of plastic packaging, reported higher pre-tax profits from pounds 1.5m to pounds 2.5m. Earnings per share rose to 7.72p (5.22p). Total dividend is maintained at 4.5p.

Erith, the building materials distributor, turned around from pounds 557,000 taxable loss to pounds 1.1m pre-tax profit. Eps recovered to 1.74p (0.82p). Total dividend is 1p (0.35p).

Hemingway Properties incurred pounds 837,000 (pounds 855,000) taxable loss. Loss per share was reduced to 1.07p (1.57p). No dividend.

Lopex, the public relations firm, recovered to pounds 502,000 pre-tax profit (loss pounds 372,000). Earnings per share recovered to 0.3p (Lps 2.53p). Final dividend is 0.25p.

Mid-States, automotive parts trader, revealed lower pre-tax profits of pounds 3.5m ( pounds 4.2m). Earnings per share slipped to 5.3p (7.3p). There is no dividend.