Carlisle Group shares rose to near their highest in a year after the company reported its results for the three months to December. Turnover rose to £96.3m from £87.8m for the same period a year earlier. Operating profit rose to £1.6m, from £1.1m. Net profit for the quarter, the third in the company's financial year, rose to £1.3m, from £1m.

Chairman David Hammond said: "Organic growth in both divisions [staffing services and support services] has contributed to a solid third quarter, with earnings per share ahead of last year. The recent acquisition of Chadwick Nott has added further scale and a broad UK presence in the legal staffing marketplace."

Chief executive Richard Bradford declined to give further details about which parts of the company were performing best. The group floated on the stock exchange in 2005. He said: "We've been keeping a low profile so far, but we will giving more details with our final results [in May]."

The company's best-known brands include office recruitment firm Tate, financial recruiter Hewitson Walker and public sector specialists Celsian.