Company News in Brief

Half-year to 30 June

Bournemouth Water reported a marginal rise in pre-tax profits from pounds 2.06m to pounds 2.07m. Turnover rose to pounds 6.1m ( pounds 5.9m). Earnings per share were 115p. Interim dividend is 29p.

Kerry Group, the dairy and agricultural products maker based in County Kerry, Ireland, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 13.6m ( pounds 10.6m) on sales of pounds 394.4m ( pounds 392.2m). A 25 per cent cut in interest costs to pounds 5.9m ( pounds 7.9m) helped to achieve higher revenues. Earnings per share rose to 7.03p (6.08p). Dividend is 0.91p (0.79p).

Navan Resources, the mining and mineral exploration company based in Dublin, achieved pounds 297,000 pre-tax profit. Turnover was pounds 3.1m, 94 per cent higher than for the previous nine-month period to 31 December. Earnings per share are 0.07p. There is no dividend.

Riva Group, electronic point of sale systems maker for retail and wholesale markets in Europe, recorded pounds 425,000 taxable loss (profit pounds 314,000). Turnover slipped to pounds 26.4m ( pounds 28.6m). Loss per share is 1.9p (earnings 1p).

Sunleigh, the leisure products firm, boosted pre-tax profits to pounds 208,000 ( pounds 11,000), helped by a 26 per cent rise in sales to pounds 8.8m ( pounds 7m). Earnings per share 0.05p (loss 0.1p). No dividend.

TR High Income Trust's net asset value per share rose 9.9 per cent, outperformining the FT-Actuaries all- share index, which rose 5 per cent.