Hansard Share News (HSD)

Irish recruitment group CPL Resources grew profit before tax by 64% in the half-year to 31 December thanks to "tight cost control coupled with strong top line growth".Pre-tax profit of €3.9m was up from €2.4m in 2009 and 33% higher than the first six months. Sales were up 22% to €111.9m and 14% better than the half-year to 30 June.Energy efficiency firm Eaga is at a three-month high despite turning in a £5m loss for the six months ended 30 November compared with a £15m profit in 2009. The results, which included a drop in profit before tax and amortisation to £12.8m from £23.9m and 21% slide in revenue to £308.1m, were pretty much as expected. "The recently announced Energy Bill provides a wide range of substantial opportunities for the group," chairman Charles Berry said. "The group is well funded, with significant available banking facilities, allowing us to pursue these growth opportunities."Uranium miner Forte Energy says a further nine holes drilled at the A238 uranium prospect in Mauritania reveal a "considerable" increase in both thickness and grade from previous results released for holes outside of the main shoot area.The company has carried out over 7000m of diamond drilling on A238 and will complete another 1500m soon. There'll be a pause after that to analyse the data before a second phase of drilling on the main shoot begins in the final weeks of the Mauritanian field season.Life group Hansard Global lifted sales on a present value of new business premiums (PVNBP) basis by 56% in the first half to £114.5m and 53% in the first quarter to £62.7m, both ahead of expectations at Panmure Gordon."Importantly, the growth has been driven by sales of better margined regular premium sales, leading to an increase in the new business margin to 7.4%," the broker says.Marketing software firm smartFOCUS expects numbers for the full-year, out around the last week of March, to match forecasts."Our recurring revenues remain strong enabling us to move forward with a predictable and dependable business model behind which we are able to invest in new opportunities and at the same time deliver our customers and investors the results that they expect," said boss Curt Bloom.