Companies: JPR   

Building on last year's strong results, Johnston Press has forged ahead in the half year to June and recorded further excellent profit growth. Pre-tax profits were up 36% to £35.2m and like-for-like advertising revenues increased 9%, boosted by the buoyant national economy. The surge in profits is partly due to a stronger than anticipated performance of its recently acquired businesses and an increase in operating margins from 29.1% to 30.6%. Despite an anticipated increase in the cost of newsprint from 2001, the board says that 'the outlook remains positive' for the business.