In a mixed market with few stellar...

In a mixed market with few stellar attractions, two related San Diego-based companies made new highs, according to Irving Katz, director of research for San Diego Securities.

Fisher Scientific Group, a spinoff of Henley Group, added to its string of new weekly highs by making a new high of 21. It closed the week up 3 at 21.

Just a few months ago, when the stock was trading in the 12-to-14 range, Fisher Chief Executive Richard Cramer made significant open-market purchases of 400,000 shares. That turned out to be a prescient decision for Cramer, who earlier had convinced Henley to purchase IMED, his former company, from Warner-Lambert.

Henley Group made a new high of 30 and closed the week up five-eighths at 28 3/8. The company announced a buyback of 25 million shares at $28 and settlement of a shareholder suit. Henley also is seeking regulatory approval to raise its stake in Santa Fe-Southern Pacific to 24.9%, up from its current 5% holding.

Some of the county’s small bank stocks were in the news, largely because of interstate banking that became effective July 1 in the nation’s Western states, Katz observed.

La Jolla Bancorp said it would acquire Hidden Valley Bank of Escondido, causing Hidden Valley’s stock to gain three-eighths to 9.

First National Bank Corp. announced that it had made an unsuccessful pass at BSD Bancorp’s Bank of San Diego subsidiary. First National Bank stock, however, was up one-quarter to 11 3/4 after announcing a 10% stock dividend and a cash dividend payable Aug. 17. BSD Bancorp stock remained unchanged at 2.

Cohu was up 1 1/8 to 8 5/8 after reporting excellent second-quarter earnings of 23 cents, compared with 18 cents during the same quarter a year ago.

The savings and loans, with one exception, trended lower despite reporting excellent second-quarter results, according to Katz.

Great American First Savings Bank was down 1 to 16 1/2; Home Federal Savings & Loan dropped five-eighths to 29 3/4, but Imperial Corp. of America bucked the trend and gained three-eighths to 14.

Intermark was down one to 13 after reporting a loss of six cents per share. Intermark reported operating earnings of 29 cents per share, but the company also absorbed a $7-million charge for early retirement of debt.

Foodmaker, the owner and operator of Jack in the Box restaurants, was up one-quarter to 13 3/4 after reporting a 57% increase in third-quarter earnings, to a record 41 cents per share. The company reported 32 cents a share in the comparable quarter of 1986.

Foodmaker’s management will present their story to the Financial Analysts Society of San Diego at noon Wednesday. For information, call Michael Whitehurst, 239-3034.