Basingstoke-based De La Rue Plc, the world’s biggest printer of paper money, posted a 25 percent jump in second-half profit as demand for passports and counterfeit-proof banknotes boosted production to near maximum capacity.

Net income was 40.5 million pounds compared with 32.3 million pounds a year earlier. Sales rose 12 percent to 359.1 million pounds. The company said,

The strong order book in currency is expected to result in the business running throughout 2007/2008 at the high levels of capacity experienced in the second half.

Shares of De La Rue have risen 16 percent in the past six months as full-year net income advanced 38 percent to 70.2 million pounds, De La Rue said in a stock exchange statement.

Ref. Bloomberg