Company News in Brief

McLaughlin & Harvey reported a pre-tax loss of pounds 6.79m after an exceptional debit of pounds 3.34m in 1992. The result compares with a loss of pounds 5.4m in 1991 after an exceptional debit of pounds 4.13m. The loss per share is 112.2p against 80.3p last time. There is no dividend.

Holmes & Marchant, the marketing consultancy, made an interim profit of pounds 299,000 against a loss of pounds 715,000 for the six months to 31 March 1993. Earnings per share were 1.0 pence compared with a 2p loss per share last time. There is still no dividend.

Court Cavendish, a care home operator, announced yesterday that it intends to seek a Stock Exchange listing by way of a public offer and placing in the summer. The sponsors and brokers to the issue will be UBS. The group operates 24 care homes with 1,202 beds.

Fyffes is entering into a joint venture with Coplaca, the largest banana-producing co-operative in the Canary Islands. The jointly-owned Spanish company will market, distribute and ripen bananas from the Canary Islands in Continental Europe.