COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF

Scottish Metropolitan Property doubled pre-tax profits to £4.2m in 26 weeks to 15 February. Dividend 1p (0.5p).

Year ended 31 December

Astec (BSR) advanced to £21m (£14.9m) pre-tax profit. EPS 5.86p. Total dividend 1.2p (0.75p).

Bowthorpe pre-tax profits £65.9m (£51.1m). EPS 19.87p.

Brixton Estate made £32.6m (£30.5m) pre-tax profit. Total dividend 8.4p (8p).

EBC Group changed £5.8m taxable loss to £764,000 pre-tax profit. Total dividend 2.25p (4p).

Goal Petroleum pre-tax profit £7.5m (£7.9m). EPS 3.05p.

Hemingway Properties made £2.8m pre-tax profit (loss £837,000). Total dividend is 0.4p.

Hobson deepened taxable losses to £11.2m (£1.1m). LPS 3.02p (1.18p). Total dividend is 0.4p.

Intl Business Comunication dropped sharply to £10.1m (£43.1m) pre-tax profit. EPS 20.4p. Total dividend 6.5p (2p).

Jeyes Group incurred £4.2m taxable loss (profit £1.7m). Total dividend is 3.3p (8.1p).

Lamont Holdings slipped to £9.1m (£11.4m) pre-tax profit.

Lopex pre-tax profit £1.1m (£829,000). EPS 1.04p (0.88p). Total dividend held at 0.25p.

MacFarlane Group's pre-tax profits jumped to £16.3m (£12.7m). Total dividend is 4.7p (3.84p).

Rotork increased pre-tax profits to £14m (£12.9m). EPS 10p. Total dividend is 4.8p (4.25p).

Servomex improved pre-tax profits to £2.3m (£1.5m). Total dividend is 7p (6.4p).

Six months to 31 December

Burn Stewart Distillers' pre-tax profit fell to £1.5m (£1.8m). EPS 1.73p (2.08p).

Lloyd Thompson Group made £9.2m (£9.6m) pre-tax profit. EPS 7.62p (8.04p). Dividend is 2.75p (2.4p).

Wace Group made £23.1m (£15.9m) pre-tax. EPS 21p (11.6p). Total div 5.25p (3.5p).

UDO Holdings made £2.8m (£1.9m) pre-tax in six months to 31 January. EPS 6.46p (4.25p). Dividend 2.52p (2.22p).