Company News in Brief

Guinness Peat Group has made an offer to acquire all the shares in Dunbar Sloane & European Art, the New Zealand art investment and trading business. GPG, which owns 31.17 per cent of Dunbar, is offering one of its shares for every Dunbar share, valuing Dunbar at pounds 3.25m.

Interim results to June 30

Persona Group, distributor of PC networking products, made pre-tax profits of pounds 1.01m ( pounds 830,000). There was a maiden interim dividend of 0.68p per share.

Moorfield Estates, the property investment and trading group, made pre-tax profits of pounds 459,000 against a loss of pounds 244,000. A dividend of 0.5p was declared, the first for four years.

Richardsons Westgarth, the steel group, made pre-tax profits of pounds 1.55m ( pounds 1.42m). The dividend rose to 1.3p a share (1.26p).

T Clarke, the electrical contractor, made a pre-tax profit of pounds 423,679 ( pounds 274,464). An interim dividend of 1.26p is proposed.

City Centre Restaurants, the owner of Deep Pan Pizza and Garfunkles eateries, made pre-tax profits of pounds 5.8m up from pounds 4.8m. Earnings were 2.1p (1.7p). The dividend is 0.45p (same).