Company News in Brief

Year ended 31 December

Aran Energy, the oil and gas producer, increased pre-tax profits to Ir pounds 5.69m (Ir pounds 3m). Eps Ir1.67p (Ir1.16p).

Helene, the textile merchant, made pre-tax profits of pounds 4.5m ( pounds 2.4m). Group turnover of pounds 101.6m ( pounds 78.2m) included pounds 10.9m from acquisitions. EPS 2.5p (1.9p). Total dividend is held at 2.01p.

Norman Hay, the metal finisher,deepened pre-tax losses to pounds 3.8m ( pounds 3.05m). Lps worsened to 25.43p (19.75p). No dividend.

Reece reduced taxable losses from pounds 662,000 to pounds 195,000. Lps 0.16p (0.52p). No dividend.

Richards Group, the specialist engineering products maker, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 85,000 ( pounds 53,000). Eps improved to 1.42p (1.03p). Final dividend is 1.25p.

Year to 31 Janaury

Daks Simpson boosted pre-tax profits to pounds 5.2m ( pounds 1.4m) on turnover up from pounds 65.5m to pounds 71.7m. Eps jumped to 46.66p (2.86p). No dividend.

Year to 28 February

Grampian Television pre-tax profits rose 18 per cent to pounds 3.8m on turnover of pounds 20.53m ( pounds 20.62m). Eps 18.71p (15.68p). Final dividend 6p (5p) making 7.50p (6.10p).

Six months to 31 December

Moran Holdings turned a pounds 398,000 loss to a pounds 789,000 pre-tax profit. Eps 2.9p (19.01p). No dividend.

Lendu Holdings incurred pounds 126,000 taxable loss (profit pounds 953,000). Loss per share is 0.67p (eps 7.44p). No dividend.