Company News in Brief

Faupel Trading, the importer of inexpensive textile and clothing products from China, improved pre-tax profits from pounds 611,000 to pounds 639,000 for the six months to 30 September. Interest charges fell to pounds 368,000 ( pounds 402,000), aided by the steady reduction in general base rates. It kept the interim dividend unchanged at 1.85p.

Victoria Carpet, maker and supplier of carpets, rolled down from pre-tax profit of pounds 883,000 to report pounds 227,000 for the six months to 30 September on lower sales of pounds 16.4m ( pounds 17.2m). No dividend.

Fletcher King, the estate agency and surveyor, made pounds 71,000 ( pounds 108,000) pre-tax profit for the six months to 31 October, held back by the poor state of the commercial property market. Interim dividend is held at 0.5p.

EFM Japan Trust, launched on 8 June this year, reported its net asset value per share for the period to 30 November at 117.58p. It made pounds 73,000 pre-tax profit.