Company News in Brief

Forward Technology Industries, the electronics equipment group, climbed from pounds 1.2m taxable loss to pounds 340,000 pre-tax profit in the six months to 30 June. Earnings per share recovered to 0.8p (LPS 3.6p). Dividend is 0.5p.

Kelt Energy, the oil and gas group, produced higher pre-tax profits of pounds 3.4m ( pounds 3.2m) in the six months to 30 June despite a fall in turnover from pounds 18.2m to pounds 15.6m. Earnings per share were maintained at 1.8p. No dividend.

MY Holdings, the packaging maker, increased pre-tax profits from pounds 2.5m to pounds 4.5m in the year to 31 August, bolstered by a jump in turnover to pounds 51.2m ( pounds 35.1m). Earnings per share are 4.5p (3.9p). Total dividend is 1.6p (1.25p).

Richards Group, provider of engineering products and services to the oil, petrochemical and power industries, doubled pre-tax profits to pounds 120,000 in the six months to 30 June. Earnings per share are 1.07p (0.55p).

Interim dividend is held at 1p.

Riva Group, which makes electronic point-of-sale systems for the retail, hospitality and wholesale markets in Europe, recorded a further rise in taxable losses to pounds 629,000 ( pounds 425,000) in the six months to 30 June, hit by losses in Spain and Denmark. Turnover edged up to pounds 27m ( pounds 26.4m). Loss per share worsened from 1.9p to 2.5p. No dividend.

Ross Group, the consumer products maker, dived to pounds 15,000 ( pounds 602,000) pre-tax profit in the six months to 30 June. Turnover grew to pounds 32.3m ( pounds 22.9m). Loss per share is 0.04p. No dividend.