Company News in Brief

Ryan Hotels, the Irish leisure group, has announced a Ir pounds 1.1m ( pounds 1.1m) loss for the 15 months to January compared with a Ir pounds 975,000 profit for the year to October 1991. Turnover was Ir pounds 25.2m (Ir pounds 19.4m).

British Investment Trust is to pay a final dividend of 2.6p, leaving the total payout for the year to 31 March unchanged at 4.5p. Net asset value per share is 198p (164p).

Year ended 31 December

Hartons Group, the international plastic products distributor, deepened pre-tax losses from pounds 5.7m to pounds 6.5m. Turnover eased to pounds 87.3m ( pounds 92.9m). Exceptional charges of pounds 2m ( pounds 1.2m) related to rationalisation remained high. The loss per share worsened to 8.5p (8.1p). No dividend.

Jermyn Investment Co, which invests in property and shares, deepened pre-tax losses to pounds 830,500 ( pounds 773,000). Loss per share is 45.1p (loss 49.7p). No dividend.

Six months to 31 March

SEP Industrial Holdings, the engineering products manufacturer, increased pre-tax profits from pounds 378,000 to pounds 883,000 on turnover of pounds 16.3m ( pounds 11.6m). Earnings per share 120p (109p). Interim dividend 35p (30p).

Lynx Holdings, the computer hardware and software group, climbed from pounds 258,000 taxable loss to pounds 105,000 pre-tax profit. Earnings per share were 0.83p (loss 1.68p). Interim dividend improves to 0.3p (0.25p).