News

Georgica said talks with parties interested in acquiring the bowling operator continue as sales for the year fell.

Sales for the 39 weeks and the 13 weeks ended 28th September 2008 amounted to £48.1m, (2007: £49.5m) and £14.7m (2007: £15.4m) respectively. Same outlet sales for the 39 weeks and the 13 weeks ended 28th September 2008 declined by 2.0% and 2.3% respectively.

Customer monitoring software firm GBG Group said it has traded well and profitably throughout the first half of the financial year.

Like-for-like revenue is expected to be approximately £11.2m from £7.9m last year. Like-for-like pre-tax profit and share-based payments is expected to be approximately £0.3m from the £0.93m loss last year.

TV production group DCD Media has been commissioned to make three more 'shock docs'.

Its human documentaries will cover the marriage of the world's heaviest man, the story of a girl born with no face, and a programme about deaf and blind triplets.

Network traffic monitoring firm Endace expects revenue to rise 61% in six months to 30 September to about $13.5m and pre-tax profit to jump 73% to $1.8m.

"We remain confident of meeting expectations for the full year," says boss Mike Riley ahead of interim figures due 4 November.

Pre-tax profit rose 21% at derivatives software supplier First Derivatives during the half year ended 31 August to £2.24m on turnover also up 21% to £6.83m.

Chairman David Anderson said trading remains "robust" and the company "expects to be able to report further progress at the end of the year."

Kazakhstan-focused Hambledon Mining had a "disappointing" August due to delays to a new tailings dam and shut downs of its mills for two weeks.

Recovered gold at its Sekisovskoye mine dropped to 1,332 ounces during the month, down from 1,786 in July, but rose to 2,190 in September. Recovered silver fell to 2,313 ounces from 3,422 in July before rising to 2,961 in September.

Catalyst technology company Catalyst Solutions has won a $1.7m contract to supply five selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems to Foster Wheeler, the global engineering and construction contractor.

Intellectual property company Coolabi saw full year pre-tax losses widen to £0.99m from £0.81m a year earlier, on revenue that grew from £0.97m to £1.59m, after amortisation charges rose from £0.09m to £0.53m.

The company has sealed a £2m financing package with Coutts to provide funding for the deferred consideration arising from 2007's acquisition of Purple Enterprises, as well as "investment in the digital development of our core properties and further potential smaller acquisitions."