ACT Group Plc has produced a very satisfying set of interims with pre-tax profit up by 42.6% to UKP7.6m on turnover of UKP52.6m, an increase of 13.9%. ACT, formerly the software and services parent of Mitsubishi Electric-owned Apricot Computers, says that all operations performed well, resulting in record trading profits for the period – and the company has gained a bustling, go-go new lease on life now that the millstone of computer manufacturing has been off-loaded and ACT’s latest proposed takeover – that of Kindle Group Ltd (see front) follows the takeover of Quotient Systems in May. Quotient has now been integrated with ACT Financial Systems which enjoyed strong growth in profitability, with the largest contribution coming from existing products and services. ACT Logsys achieved a significant increase in revenues, while ACT Medisys is claimed to be growing at a substantial rate, and ACT says that Medisys’ product range was broadened significantly by the recent acquisition of Stemm Computing Ltd for UKP2m. ACT Cablestream and ACT Computer Support are said to be performing well in competitive markets, and the last is establishing a new division, ACT Network Si, which will provide value-added services to local authority and corporate customers. ACT says that cash balances at the half-year stood at UKP17.1m, the company having spent UKP15.5m on acquisitions during the period. ACT Group realised its investment in SD Scicon Plc bringing it an exceptional profit of just over UKP1m.
