Company News in Brief

Armitage Brothers, the pet product manufacturer, increased pre-tax profits by 22 per cent to pounds 1.07m ( pounds 875,000) in the year ended 29 May. Sales rose 3.4 per cent to pounds 22.7m boosted by Christmas products and Wafcol dog food. Final dividend edged up to 6.4p per share (6.2p).

Goode Durrant, the specialist vehicle and equipment manufacturer, has sold its housebuilding interests in the North-west of England and Wales to Bowey Group of Newcastle for pounds 5m cash. The group is also selling Bowey its three remaining sites in the North-west for pounds 320,000.

Tarkett, the hardwood flooring company that intends to seek a stock market listing in the next two years, lifted pre- tax profits for the six months ended 30 June rose 72 per cent to pounds 16.7m. Sales edged up to pounds 270.9m ( pounds 263m).

Mercury World Mining Trust, the investment trust launched last December, announced group revenue before tax of pounds 3.17m in its first six months to 30 June. Net asset value per share is 93.6p. Earnings per share 0.5p.

Rea Brothers, the London merchant banker, wrote down its bond portfolio by pounds 854,000 in the first half of 1994, but progress in the rest of the business saw pre-tax profits fall only a fifth to pounds 621,000. EPS fell from 1.42p to 1.13p. The dividend rose from 0.3p to 0.5p.