Company News in Brief

Headway, the garden furniture, sofa beds and leisure goods manufacturer reduced taxable losses from pounds 1.2m to pounds 883,000 in the six months to 31 December. Headway said it benefited from lower interest rates on borrowings, helping to ease the interest charge from pounds 319,000 to pounds 156,000. Sterling's devaluation also increased its competitiveness on exports. Turnover was lower at pounds 10m ( pounds 11.1m). Loss per share is halved to 3.7p (7.4p). There is no dividend.

Thomas Walker, which makes clips, buckles and other smallwares for the clothing industry, slipped into pounds 71,000 pre-tax loss (profit pounds 3,000) in the six months to 31 December on a marginal fall in sales to pounds 1.69m ( pounds 1.73m). It held the interim dividend at 0.18p.

Cussins Property Group, the commercial, industrial and residential property developer, climbed out of a pounds 365,000 pre-tax loss to make a pounds 740,000 pre-tax profit for the year ended 31 December, helped by a sharp reduction in interest payments from pounds 2.2m to pounds 657,000. In spite of an 11 per cent decline in turnover to pounds 16.3m ( pounds 18.4m), comprising 218 house completions compared with 232 previously, margins remained unchanged. No dividend.

Forward Technology Industries, the electronics group, reversed taxable losses of pounds 872,000 to make a pounds 186,000 pre-tax profit for the year ended 31 December. Turnover edged up to pounds 40.2m ( pounds 39.8m). No dividend.

ISA International, distributors of branded computer accessories and equipment that recently acquired CTS Svenska, a Swedish computer concern, for pounds 2.5m, has achieved a 43 per cent increase in pre-tax profits to pounds 3m ( pounds 2.1m) for the year ended 31 December. The result was helped by a sharp rise in turnover to pounds 119.2m ( pounds 76.4m). Final dividend is 1.10p, making 1.5p (1.37p).

A Jones & Sons reported higher pre-tax profits of pounds 569,000 ( pounds 290,000) in the year to 31 December. Turnover increased to pounds 30.1m ( pounds 28.7m). Total dividend is maintained at 34.1p.