Reuters, the news and information group, today said acquisitions boosted revenues 12% to £1.28bn (€1.9bn) in the six months to June 30. The company, which was unprofitable for two years from 2002, immediately raised full-year growth forecasts and hiked its dividend.

The listed data firm said the sales growth was an endorsement of its Core Plus programme, a revenue-maximisation initiative started last year after three years of cost cutting. It hiked full-year growth targets from 5% to 6% and increased the interim dividend 6.5% to 4.1p.