Small caps round-up: Flying Brands, Sanderson, First Derivatives...

11th Mar 2010 12:17

Flowers and gifts retailer Flying Brands posted a profit before tax of £2.67m in 2009 compared to a loss of £11.91m.Like-for-like revenue in the Garden division rose 6% to £15.9m, with underlying operating profit up to £1.81m (2008: £1.31m). In the Gifts division, there was a little changed loss of £0.2m on sales of £9.39m, down 19%.Trading in 2010 has got off to a satisfactory start, it added, though sales in the garden centres business have been behind expectations.Enterprise software group Sanderson has made a good start to the current year. "By the end of February, five months into the current financial year, the group has won more business from new customers than in the whole of the previous financial year," it said. Derivatives consultant First Derivatives' pre-tax profits for the year ended 28 February 2010 were in line with market expectations. It will also pay a second interim dividend of 4p on 31 March.Emerging markets equity investment manager Charlemagne Capital suffered a big drop in profits last year, although it enjoyed a dramatic recovery in the second half.Pre-tax profit fell to $6.88m from $16.61m in 2008 on revenue down to $23.82m from $43.66m. The firm made just $1.3m in the first half. Assets under management jumped 40% to $3.05bn.Dolphin Capital, the investment company focused on the residential resort sector in south-east Europe, says total net asset value fell 4.7% to €1.3bn between September and the end of 2009.Net asset value per shares was 6.5% lower at 193p and 174p after deferred income tax liabilities, following a 2% drop in the overall portfolio valuation, 2.7% from operating losses and provisions, and sterling strength against the euro.Europa Oil & Gas says its Hykeham-1Z well near the Whisby Field in Lincolnshire remains untested after it encountered problems with its equipment.But managing director Paul Barrett looked on the positive side. "Despite the highly unusual situation, this is quite a satisfying result that confirms what the mounting evidence has been suggesting: that the original perforations failed and that this well remains to be tested," he said."We continue to be confident that this well will provide us with a gratifying result in due course."Losses grew to A$1.09m at Spitfire Oil during the six months to 31 December, up from $767,000 a year earlier, on revenue down to A$176,000 from A$669,000.It blamed the deficit on lower interest income and has taken action to reduce costs.