Adjusted earnings per share have more than doubled in three years In the year to September they rose 46 per cent.. ENTERPRISE INNS, the UK’s only listed independent pubs company which owns about 4 per cent of the country’s pubs, yesterday reported a 60 per cent rise in its underlying pre-tax profits driven by a series of successful acquisitions. “The UK economy remains buoyant,” said chief executive Sean FitzPatrick.Anglo Irish is looking to buy similar business-lending banks in Europe, and William McAteer, finance director, said the recent purchase of part of the Hypo Vereinsbank loan portfolio in the UK had contributed strongly to earnings. ANGLO IRISH Bank, one of the star performers of the Irish business banking sector, expects growth in the UK to spur profits over the next year. Yesterday it posted profits ahead of expectations, up 56 per cent to a record 89.1m euros (pounds 139.9m) Analysts had expected up to 82m euros. The rest of the stake went to a mystery buyer, which could either be another fund manager or a predator..

Their fund managers are thought to have sold some 18 per cent of their 38 per cent holding in Sterling publishing at a cut-price 59.5p for a cool pounds 8.26m. The company, which wants to buy small car leasing groups, starts on AIM at 10p.Weather tiddler Weather Action soared rose nearly fourfold to 90p after saying that an Internet company will reverse into it. Ofex-listed accident recovery group Ellen rose 12.5p to 57.5p while pet products distributor Zoa debuted on AIM with a 4.75p rise to 24.75p.Today is the turn of cash shell Goodwood. Financial group Perpetual shed 230p to 3,070p after bad results, but rival Versailles rose 14p to 250.5p on takeover talk. Caledonia Investments rose 24p to 720p thanks to its stakes in fund manager Rathbone, 2.5p up a record 880p, a rumoured bid target, and bank Close Brothers, up 11p at 958.5p, one of the industry’s consolidators.Newcoming tiddlers did well.

Electronic group Racal buzzed 23p higher to 451p in big volume after a winning a pounds 1.2bn contract to replace London Underground’s communication systems Bid rumours were also there. Manchester United was flat at 200p after BSkyB sold more than 1 per cent of its 11 per cent stake at a cut-price 183p.Game-maker Eidos, 470p better to a 4,970p, starred in the midcap amid whispers that today’s results will bring news on the new Lara Croft adventure.Nestor Healthcare nursed a 51.5p rise to a best-ever 681.5p on vague bid talk and a shortage of stock. Yesterday, computer group Sema fell 38p to 1004.5p after MAM said it had sold its 10 per cent stake. Old bid chestnut Pilkington climbed 6p to 92p after aggressive fund Active Value increased its holding to 4 per cent A bid is now even more likely. Bid rumours returned to push insurers Legal & General 7.75p higher to 178p and Norwich Union 17.75p better at 458.75p.