Company News in Brief

Wessex Water is to put to shareholders at the annual meeting in September a proposal to divide each existing ordinary pounds 1 share into two new ordinary shares of 50p. The company said it was keen to encourage wider share ownership in Wessex.

Year to 30 April

Wyko Group declared a 0.5p (1p) dividend, despite revealing a sharply widening loss from pounds 20,000 to pounds 4.2m. LPS worsened to 11.3p (0.5p).

Howard Holdings climbed from pounds 205,000 taxable loss to pounds 405,000 pre-tax profit, supported by a sharp rise in turnover to pounds 6.4m ( pounds 3.1m). EPS 1.07p (LPS 0.56p). Total dividend is 0.8p (0.5p).

Half-year to 30 June

BPP Holdings lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 3.5m ( pounds 3.3m). EPS edged up to 7.7p (7.6p). Dividend is 3.1p (3p).

Edinburgh Oil & Gas incurred pounds 60,000 loss (profit pounds 103,000) on turnover of pounds 886,000 ( pounds 1.2m). LPS 0.22p (EPS 0.6p). No dividend.

Hemingway Properties achieved pounds 1.25m pre-tax profit (loss pounds 851,000). EPS 0.66p (LPS 1.07p) No dividend.

Lilleshall almost doubled pre-tax profits from pounds 1.8m to pounds 3.5m. Turnover rose to pounds 48.8m ( pounds 31.3m). EPS grew to 7.67p (5.06p). The dividend improved to 1.85p (1.7p).

Microvitec advanced from pounds 570,000 to pounds 1.1m pre-tax profit, assisted by the growth in turnover to pounds 20.9m ( pounds 17.9m). EPS jumped to 1.24p (0.78p). No dividend.