Company News in Brief

Raglan Property Trust has bought a portfolio of 10 properties comprising 16 freehold high street shops from a UK insurance institution for about pounds 12m in total. It will finance the acquisition via an pounds 8m rights issue and the remainder from its own cash resources.

Explaura Holdings, the limestone aggregate producer, managed to reduce taxable losses from pounds 1.7m to pounds 1.1m in the half year to 30 June. The group said it was tackling the problem of sales, which fell to pounds 585,000 ( pounds 1.1m). Loss per share 0.72p (1.15p).

Fogarty, the home furnishing products maker, achieved pounds 54,000 pre-tax profit (loss pounds 2.7m) in the year to 30 September.

Umeco, which makes products for the aerospace industry, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 154,000 ( pounds 53,000) in the six months to 30 September. Earnings per share 1.1p (0.6p). Dividend is held at 0.75p.