Company News in Brief

Stonehill Holdings, the furniture maker and property investment group, has reduced pre-tax losses from pounds 1.1m to pounds 387,000 for the year to 31 March. The result was helped by an increase in income from the Stonehill Business Park, its industrial estate. Turnover improved from pounds 1.6m to pounds 2.4m to produce more than doubled operating profits of pounds 1.2m ( pounds 577,000). Loss per share is cut to 2.24p (5.7p). There is no dividend.

CRT Group, the acquisitive recruitment and training group which has a training centre in North Yorkshire, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 6.2m (pro forma pounds 5.5m) in the year to 30 April. Turnover rose 12.7 per cent to pounds 43.5m. CRT chairman Sir Douglas Hague said the group would continue to operate on the assumption that markets will be difficult for the next two years. Final dividend is 1.825p, making 2.4p (2p).

Victoria Carpet Holdings, the carpet manufacturer, reported a slight fall in pre-tax profits from pounds 1.9m to pounds 1.7m in the year to 31 March. A better performance in the UK was offset by a reduction at its Australian offshoot. The company said no significant improvement in any market seemed likely in the near future. It recommended that the total dividend be left unchanged at 4.5p.

Electron House reported a 47 per cent increase in pre-tax profits to pounds 1.4m despite a slight fall in sales to pounds 125.4m (126.9m). Final dividend is 1.35p, making 2.35p.