Legal battle of the Net virgins.

VIRGIN group sent out a flurry of lawyers' letters to people who have registered Internet domain names similar to its virginwines.com. Virgin is taking action after a number of similar names including virginwine.net and virginwine.org were registered by outside individuals or companies.

Kewill profits fall

KEWILL Systems, the software provider that can help retailers track apples from the orchard to the counter, fell 68p to 410p as pre-tax profits for the half to September dropped from [pounds sterling]2.3m to [pounds sterling]2.1m. Sales fell 7pc to [pounds sterling]33m.

Analysts are disappointed with online sales and still wary, though the shares topped [pounds sterling]31 in March.

Kewill plans a Nasdaq listing.

Fisher pays up

LONGSUFFERING food group Albert Fisher paid ex-chief executive Neil England [pounds sterling]548,000 compensation last year on top of the [pounds sterling]471,000 he received in 1999.

He left in October 1998 - the third chief executive in four years - when the board agreed to pay compensation in monthly instalments until he found a new job. The shares have fallen from 52p in 1996 to 51/4p.

HSBC's quest HSBC plans to expand its services to Islamic clients, who are forbidden by the Koran from receiving interest. The bank, which already has a London office providing advice to Moslem customers, is keen to grow in the Middle East, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The heat is off

IN a dull summer, barbecuing Northern Foods' Dalepak burgers and steaks was less appealing. Their sales fell 5pc, slowing pre-tax profit growth to 2pc at [pounds sterling]42m for the to September. But chief executive Jo Stewart says Ski yogurt, sushi meals, Fox's biscuits and Goodfellas pizzas all sold well. Dividends rose 5.5pc to 2.9p, but the shares dipped 33/4p to 133p.

Alli steps down

LABOUR peer Waheed Alli is quitting as head of Carlton's production business just 18 months after Carlton brought him in following the purchase of Alli's Planet 24 business. Carlton says it is reorganising the group into two units - channels and content.

MPs get tough

AT a Treasury committee hearing, MPs from both big parties accused London Stock Exchange chairman Don Cruickshank of lacking strategy. The committee said the LSE's failed merger with Deutsche Borse and the hostile bid by Sweden's OM may have damaged London as a financial centre.

Wall Street

IN New York the Dow Jones index closed 163.81 points up at 10681.06.