Creightons shares jump on back of profit rise

Shares in Creightons leapt sharply higher after it delivered a big increase in half year profits and sales.The toiletries manufacturer reported pre-tax profits rose to £153,000 in the six months to the end of September from £38,000 last time on the back of improved sales which increased by 16% to £9.7mThe company said the sales rise was largely driven by new private label range launches with key retailers and promotional activity. It said it remained cautious about the underlying level of retail sales and it believed the UK consumer would remain focused on value. Borrowings net of cash have fallen by £118,000 to £635,000.Shares in Creightons were up 13% at 5.38p at 15:23 on Friday. TB