Electronic trading technology provider Patsystems is bullish after lifting annual pre-tax profits 37 per cent to £2.2 million.

The AIM-quoted company increased turnover 11 per cent to £17 million in 2007, despite the weakness of the US dollar and Japanese yen. During the year, London-based Patsystems won several new customers, notably RJ O’Brien & Associates, a leading US independent futures broking house and the international Australian finance and investment concern Macquarie Group.

Earnings rose 50 per cent to 1.2p a share and the board is to recommend a final dividend of 0.21p a share. That takes the payout for the year to 0.33p, a ten per cent increase on 2006.

Chairman Stewart Millman says last year saw the company move its trading systems range to ‘demonstrable market leadership’ with its Pro-Mark professional product and new core platform, Global Trading. He claims this will be ‘state of the art for many years to come’.

Millman maintains that the company views present prospects with ‘continued optimism’, despite ‘the uncertainty of the economic climate’. Recommended by Growth Company Investor at 13.25p in 2006, shares in Patsystems, which traded above 65p seven years ago, reached 32.75p last May and now trade at 26.75p, up 1p this morning, valuing the company at £47.5 million.

The appeal is speculative in today’s conditions.

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Patsystems	AIM	£26.93m	15.00p	0.00p
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Deal delays dampen Patsystems			07/08/2008
Banks weigh on Patsystems			06/06/2008
Customer wins help Patsystems			03/03/2008
Customer wins help Patsystems			11/02/2008
Futures deal for Patsystems			14/11/2007