Experian to buy back £200m of shares

Experian allows individuals to check their credit rating

Credit checking company Experian has announced plans for a £200m share buy-back programme.

The news came as the Dublin-based firm reported an 8% rise in annual profits to £637m for the year to 31 March.

Cost-cutting work helped to offset a more modest rise in revenues, which grew by only 0.2% to £2.7bn.

Experian said it saw the biggest growth in business in Latin America, where revenues increased by 16%. Revenues in Asia and the Pacific rose 6%.

However, in North America, Experian's biggest market, revenues were flat, while those in the UK and Republic of Ireland were down 1%.

Experian chief executive Don Robert said the firm had seen signs of gradual recovery in its key markets in the current year.