COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF

Berry Birch& Noble, provider of financial planning services, more than halved pre-tax profits to £228,000 (£494,000) for the year to 31 January. Turnover edged ahead to £7.2m (£7.1m). Earnings per share 3.5p (7.6p). Final dividend is 0.8p, making 2.6p (5.4p).

James Finlay, the food grower and trader and merchant banker, dropped to £7.25m (£13.8m) pre-tax profit for the year ended 31 December. Turnover eased to £176.4m (£184.7m). EPS 3.5p (5p). Final dividend is 2.15p, making a total unchanged at 4.15p.

Gieves Group, the publisher and retailer, lifted pre-tax profits to £1.7m (£1.4m) in the year to 31 January. EPS 5.7p (6.2p). Final dividend is 1.25p, making 1.75p (1p).

Haemocell deeped its taxable loss to £1.4m (£1.1m) in the six months to 28 February. LPS 6.6p (5.1p). No dividend.

MMT Computing increased pre-tax profits to £1.4m (£1.2m) in the six months to 28 February on turnover up from £4.8m to £6.4m. EPS 7.4p (6.4p). Dividend is 1.8p (1.5p).

Panther Securities, the property dealer and investment firm, more than doubled pre-tax profits to £1.7m (£707,000) for the year ended 31 December. Turnover jumped to £6.3m (£3.3m). EPS 7.2p (3.7p). The final dividend is 1.6p, making 2.7p.

Parkland Group, the yarn spinner and dyer and cloth maker, maintained pre-tax profits at £2.2m for the year to 28 February despite a drop in turnover to £49.7m (£54.8m). EPS 23.1p (16.7p). Final dividend is 3.5p, making 5.5p (5p).

Perpetual, managers of investment trusts, achieved £17m (£16.5m) pre- tax profit in the six months to 31 March. EPS 44.31p (43.6p). Dividend is 11p (10p).

Warner Howard, which hires and sells commercial laundry and hand drying systems, reported pre-tax profits of £7.1m (£6.8m) for the year to 28 February. EPS 20.97p (20.67p). Final dividend is 5.2p, making 8p (7.31p).