Company News in Brief

Beales agreed to acquire the whole of the issued share capital of UDEC for pounds 1.3m. UDEC, based in Washington, Tyne and Wear, designs, installs and services large industrial refrigeration plant.

H Young, provider of distribution services, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 547,000 (pounds 532,000) in the the six months to 31 March. EPS 2.21p (2.15p). Dividend is 1.2p (2p).

Millwall Holdings boosted pre-tax profits to pounds 1.4m (pounds 383,000) in the six months to 30 November. No dividend.

Year to 31 March

Bristol Evening Post, the newspaper publisher, reported higher pre-tax profits of pounds 5.1m (pounds 4.1m). EPS 12.98p (10.96p). Total dividend is 12.25p (11.75p).

Castings, the iron castings group, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 5.25m (pounds 4.4m). EPS 16.27p (14.3p). Total dividend is 5.2p (4.35p).

B Elliott, the electrical and mechanical engineer, revealed a sharp turnaround from pounds 3.1m taxable loss to pounds 2.8m pre-tax profit. EPS recovered to 6.7p (LPS 42.1p). Final dividend is 1p.

South Staffordshire Water rose to pounds 12m (pounds 10.3m) pre-tax profit. Earnings per share improved to 160p (159p). Total dividend is 52p (47p).

William Cook, makers of steel castings, achieved pounds 6.7m pre-tax profit. Final dividend is 5p, making 7.5p.