Company News in Brief

Holmes Protection, the US electronic security and monitoring business, made pre-tax profits of dollars 4.2m ( pounds 2.9m) in the year to the end of December compared with a loss of dollars 35.5m in 1991. There was no dividend, but the company intends to resume payment of nominal dividends this year subject to working capital requirements.

Wessex Water's subsidiary company, Wessex Waste Management (WWM), has won a pounds 9.8m-a-year contract along with Avon Waste Management, a new joint venture company 80 per cent-owned by WWM, to dispose of the county of Avon's domestic waste.

Pegasus Group, the accounting software and stationery supplier, announced pre-tax profits of pounds 620,000 for the 17 months ended 31 December on sales of pounds 10.3m. This compares with taxable profits of pounds 1.5m for the previous 12 months to 31 July. Final dividend of 2p, making 9p (12p).

BCE Holdings, the snooker and pool equipment maker, deepened pre-tax losses from pounds 20,000 to pounds 168,000 in the six months to 30 September. No dividend.