Company News in Brief

Year to 31 January

Gieves Group, the book and magazine maker and publisher, incurred a pounds 1.4m ( pounds 1.5m) pre-tax loss. Loss per share eased from 11.1p to 9.4p. No dividend.

Upton & Southern, the department stores operator, sharply reduced pre-tax losses from pounds 2.9m to pounds 635,000. Loss per share was cut from 31.07p to 7.03p.

Year to 31 March

James Latham, the timber merchant, experienced a further worsening of pre-tax losses, from pounds 612,000 to pounds 2.2m. Loss per share deepened to 43.9p (8.7p). No dividend (2.25p).

Pelican Group, the restaurants operator, boosted pre-tax profits from pounds 453,000 to pounds 908,00. Earnings per share rose to 4p (3p). Final dividend is 1.1p (1p).

Others

Equity Consort Investment Trust is to pay a 13.5p final dividend, lifting the total payout from 24.19p to 24.56p for the year to 30 April. Net asset value per share 652.7p (618.3p).

Jersey Electricity Company fell to pounds 3.2m ( pounds 4.4m) pre-tax profit in the 27 weeks to 4 April. Dividend is 13p (12p).