Company News in Brief

Community Hospitals, provider of management of healthcare services, increased pre-tax profits from pounds 1.9m to pounds 2.95m in the six months to 31 December. Earnings per share improved to 6.6p (4.3p). Interim dividend is 2.8p (2.4p).

Fairway Group, the print finishing services group, raised pre-tax profits to pounds 2.2m ( pounds 1.5m) for the year ended 31 December on sharply higher turnover of pounds 42.2m ( pounds 29.3m). Earnings per share improved to 4.79p (2.9p). Total dividend rose to 3.35p (3.15p).

Grafton Group, the builders' merchant, achieved higher pre-tax profits of Ir pounds 4.1m (Ir pounds 3.9m) for the year ended 31 December on the back of a strong recovery in the Irish housing market. Earnings per share increased to Ir20.9p (Ir18.6p). Final dividend is Ir4.25p, making Ir7.25p (Ir6.5p).

Lincoln House, which makes home furnishing products, more than doubled pre-tax profits from pounds 120,000 to pounds 274,000 for the year ended 31 December. Sales grew 8 per cent from pounds 7.95m to pounds 8.6m. Earnings per share rose to 1.6p (0.7p). No dividend.

Porvair, synthetic materials maker, reported a 27 per cent advance in pre-tax profits to pounds 2.55m ( pounds 2m) for the year to 30 November. Earnings per share 13.2p (11.6p). Total dividend is 4.2p (3.6p).

Serif, the commercial printer that makes security products, incurred a pounds 1.2m pre-tax loss (loss pounds 1.7m) for the year ended 31 December, adversely affected by production losses. Loss per share was 3.9p (6.2p). No dividend.