CA Sperati passes dividend

Button and trimming merchant CA Sperati fell into loss last year and it is passing its dividend. Turnover slumped from £622,000 to £360,000 in the year to October 2010. A profit of £18,000 was turned into a loss of nearly £108,000. Most of that loss was in the first half. There is no final dividend. A dividend of 25p a share was paid last year and it has been at the same level for seven years. The figures were released after the market closed so the share price was unchanged at 500p. The yield had been 5%. CA Sperati still has shareholders' funds of £693,000, including £341,000 in cash. The company has a market value of £500,000. The four largest shareholders own a total of 85.4% of the share capital. Barnard Nominees owns 15.6% of the company. CA Sperati does not have a broker so that will reduce the costs of being quoted but they could still be large relative to total operating expenses. Springfield Pr.