Losses fall as AGA cooker sales heat up

Cast-iron cooker maker AGA Rangemaster said the appetite of householders for buying kitchen appliances was growing despite uncertainties around interest rates and the mortgage market.

The England-based group said first-half sales rose 3.3% to £123.5m, while pre-tax losses narrowed to £300,000 from £2.4m in the same period last year. In the UK, which accounts for two-thirds of revenues, sales lifted 9.7%.