VT Group Benefits from Acquisitions

Support services and shipbuilding firm VT Group said its interim results benefited from the positive impact of recent acquisitions, which traded in line with expectations. The company's earning per share jumped 22.3% to 12.89p. Due to the strong results, the company increased the interim dividend payable to 3.25p a share, an 8.3% increase from 2005. Within the next six months, the group will find out whether its bids for three large military PFI support programmes have been successful.