COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF

Year ended 31 December

Appleyard Group pre-tax profits were £8.1m (£5.1m). EPS 8.4p. Total dividend 5.8p (5.5p).

Applied Distribution pre-tax profits rose to £4m (£2.2m). EPS 9.7p. Total dividend is 4p.

Avonmore Foods fell to Ir£21.7m (Ir£29.2m) pre-tax profit. Total dividend 3.75p (3.55p).

Avonside Group held pre-tax profits at £5.5m. EPS 8.63p. Total dividend is 4.4p (4.2p).

Blagden halved taxable losses to £5.6m (£10.6m). LPS 11.5p (25.1p). No dividend.

BSG's pre-tax profits rose to £15.1m (£10.5m). EPS 3.49p. Total dividend is held at 3.2p.

Claremont Garments rose to £15m (£11.5m) pre-tax profits. Total dividend 9p (8.1p).

Clyde Petroleum made £13.6m pre-tax profit (loss £28.8m). Total dividend is 1p.

Daniels (S) incurred £338,000 taxable loss (profit £63,000). Total dividend is 0.1p (0.3p).

Derwent Valley surged to £6.4m (£2.5m) pre-tax profit. Total dividend is 5p (4.36p).

EW Fact lifted pre-tax profits to £2m (£1.35m). Total dividend is 4.92p (4.74p).

Fife Indmar edged pre-tax profits up to £1m (£903,000). Total dividend is 3p (2.75p).

James Fisher made £2.3m pre-tax profit (loss £5.6m). EPS 6.14p. Total dividend is 1p.

Halkin achieved £2.7m pre-tax profit (loss £1m). EPS 5.24p (LPS 16.4p). Total dividend is 1p.

Hartons cut taxable losses to £99,000 (£4.1m). No dividend.

Hydro Group pre-tax profits rose to £480,000 (£156,000). EPS 3.873p (0.953p).

Nottingham Group eased to £7m (£7.3m) pre-tax profit. EPS 8.9p. Total dividend is 5.5p.

Peek's pre-tax profits grew to £10.2m (£7.7m). EPS 5.6p (4.6p). Total dividend at 3.4p.

Secure Trust made £8.4m (£7.6m) pre-tax profit. EPS 40.9p. Total dividend 16.5p (15p).

Singapore Para Rubber Estates lifted pre-tax profits to £623,000 (£312,000). Total dividend is 3.05p (1.9p).

World of Leather recovered to £537,000 pre-tax profit (loss £121,000). Total dividend is 1.5p.