News

Mobile Doctors Group, a provider of medico-legal reports for personal injury claims in the UK, today reported first half underlying operating profit up 143% to £526,000.

The firm, which reversed into cash shell Petsome on 18 July, said pre-tax profit for the six months ended 31 May was down to £49,000 from £79,000 a year ago on revenue up 22% to £7.69m.

It attributed the higher turnover to contractual increases from existing customers and new contract wins, the full impact of which will be reflected in the figures to the year end.

Gasol edged ahead as the natural gas company focused on West and Central Africa said its post-tax loss for the year ended 28 February narrowed to £1.04m from £1.4m a year earlier.

"We are in discussions with a number of major European utilities in terms of long term sales agreements, which will form the basis of the project financing of our first LNG production project," said boss Haresh Kanabar.

AIM-listed Maghreb Minerals was also in the blue Friday after it said the group now has a strong and secure exploration permit portfolio in Tunisia with the potential to move some of its permits from exploration to development and mining over the medium term.

The North Africa focused group, which reported positive results from the Bou Jabeur Gite de l'Est deposit in Tunisia earlier this week, posted a full year loss of £1.68m, out from £1.18m last time,

Shares in Accident Exchange jumped after it received a favourable court decision in one of two legal cases. "Judgment in one of those cases was handed down today in favour of the company's client confirming the enforceability of the second variant of terms and conditions referred to previously as the 'A' Agreement and allowing the recoverability of the hire charges from the defendant or their insurer," it said.

No judgment has been handed down in respect of the other case.

AIM minnow Corsie Group, a provider of products and services to the leisure market, said interim profit after tax from continuing operations jumped 28% to £154,000 on sales up 12% to £2.22m.

Meanwhile, software group Pilat Technologies reported a 20% increase in second quarter operating profit, but said revenue fell 2.7% during the period on last year, while it slipped into an operating loss for the half year.

Elsewhere, quality assurance and software testing service provider Tescom Software Systems Testing said its decision to re-focus its efforts on large-scale, long-term projects is expected to result in a modest increase in the top line and a fall in operating profitability for the rest of 2007.