Company News in Brief

Six months to 31 December

Benchmark, the financial services group, reduced pre-tax losses from pounds 1.75m to pounds 1.4m. Loss per share is 0.87p (1.08p). No dividend.

Blackwood Hodge fell sharply from pounds 4.4m to pounds 147,000 pre-tax profit. Loss per share is 0.7p (earnings 2p). No dividend.

Estates and Agency fell to pounds 416,000 ( pounds 437,000) pre-tax profit. Earnings per share rose to 6.89p (4.26p). Dividend is 0.5p.

Ptarmigan Holdings, the food products supplier, reduced pre- tax losses to pounds 104,000 ( pounds 127,000). Loss per share is 0.71p (0.87p). Sheafbank Property Trust incurred a pounds 191,000 pre-tax loss (profit pounds 19,000). Loss per share 1.29p (0.04p). No dividend (0.1p).

Year ended 31 December

Downibrae Holdings fell to pounds 202,000 ( pounds 423,000) pre-tax profit. Earnings per share 0.85p (1.93p). Dividend held at 0.5p.

EFG, the garden products maker, deepened pre-tax losses to pounds 4m ( pounds 3m). Loss per share is 25p (16.2p). No dividend.

Richards Group, the engineering company, slumped to pounds 53,000 ( pounds 1m) pre-tax profit. Earnings per share 1.03p (9.18p). Total dividend held at 4.4p.

Kingston Oil & Gas dived from pounds 1.2m pre-tax profit into pounds 4.1m pre-tax loss. Loss per share is 32.4p (earnings 1p (2.5p).