STOCK WATCH

METROLOGIE

Metrologie has revealed a net loss of FFr239.6 million for the first six months of 1998, compared with a loss of FFr25.3 million for the same period last year. Turnover increased by 6.7 per cent to FFr2.63 billion.

NINTENDO

Nintendo's half-year results for the period ended 30 September showed a slight dip, as the weak yen helped to boost profits by 28.5 per cent to Y63 billion. Turnover fell from Y202.97 billion, to Y200.22. Despite the imminent launch of its flagship game Zelda, which is set to become the best-selling game of all time, the Japanese giant still forecasts modest results for the full year ending 31 March 1999. It predicts a 2.9 per cent rise in profit to Y129 billion on a 6.5 per cent climb in turnover to Y460 billion.

SEGA

Sega was less fortunate than rival Nintendo, experiencing a 76 per cent dive in profits in the interim to Y1.21 billion from Y5 billion last time.

Sales slid by 20 per cent to Y101 billion. The results add to the vendor's need for its next generation console, Dreamcast, to be a success.

LYCOS

Internet search engine vendor Lycos reported a leap in first-quarter sales of 166 per cent to $24.8 million, but failed to drag profits from the red, reporting a loss of $2.4 million. The company's shares hit a year peak of $68 following the announcement.

REBUS

Rebus, the computer services and applications company has seen a 32 per cent rise in pre-tax profit in the six months ended 30 September as it climbed to #3.9 million from #29 million last time. Turnover was up 19 per cent to #48 million.

MEMORY CORPORATION

Memory Corp's attempts to raise $20 million from investors were met with disappointment last week, as efforts could only fetch in a mere 10 per cent, or $2.3 million of the target. The money was raised on the back of the UK company's move from the AIM to Easdaq.

DIALOG CORPORATION

Dialog's shares plummeted 46 per cent from 165.5p to 89p on 19 November, following its warning that fourth-quarter figures would not meet analysts' expectations (see graph).

It posted its third-quarter results, revealing pre-tax profits of #2.6 million on sales of #42.4 million. In the nine months, pre-tax profits were at #9.4 million on sales of #131.2 million. The results coincided with the #6.3 million purchase of e-commerce firm Write Works.