Company News in Brief

Ricardo Group has agreed to buy FF Developments, a supplier of automotive engineering services based in the UK and US, for pounds 13.6m in shares and loan notes.

Year to 31 March

Allied Colloids increased pre-tax profits by 3.5 per cent to pounds 46m. Eps rose 9.6 per cent to 12.45p. Total dividend 4.7p (4.3p).

Anglian Group achieved pounds 25.1m ( pounds 23.1m) pre-tax profit. Eps 19.3p (18.7p). Dividend is 10.3p (9.5p).

CML Microsystems advanced to pounds 4.5m ( pounds 4.3m) pre-tax profit. Eps 15.58p (15.15p). Total dividend is 6p (4.7p).

Great Portland Estates warned that, in the absence of rental growth, property values were probably unsustainably high. It cut the full-year dividend to 8p (9.7p) after pre-tax profits fell to pounds 25.4m ( pounds 34m). Eps 5.5p (11.3p).

Ingham almost doubled pre-tax profits from pounds 838,000 to pounds 1.9m as turnover rose from pounds 11.2m to pounds 25.3m. Total dividend is 5p (6p).

Leigh Interests lifted pre-tax profits from pounds 9.5m to pounds 9.9m. Eps 10.8p (10.3p). Total dividend is 7.83p.

Powerscreen slipped to pounds 24.6m ( pounds 25.3m), despite a 26 per cent rise in group turnover to pounds 120.4m. Eps 22.4p (20.7p). Total dividend is 7.3p (6.6p).

RPC Group made higher pre-tax profits of pounds 7.6m ( pounds 6.8m). Eps 9.4p (9.3p). Total dividend is 3.2p (3p).