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Empresas y finanzas

Impax AUM rises as investors bet on green projects


    (Reuters) - Environmental investment manager Impax Asset Management Group Plc said full-year assets under management (AUM) rose 44 percent as investors directed their funds toward the environmental sector, encouraged by greater emphasis on pollution control by governments world over.

    The company said it expected environmental markets to have sustained growth, and was upbeat about its 2011 outlook.

    "Governments around the world have declared ambitious policies to reduce pollution, improve energy security and stimulate the growth of domestic clean technology sectors," Chairman Keith Falconer said in a statement.

    Impax said AUM at September-end was 1.82 billion pounds ($2.84 billion) compared with 1.26 billion pounds in 2009.

    AUM at December-end stood at 2.25 billion pounds.

    Pretax profit for the year ended September was 5.2 million pounds, compared with 2.5 million pounds a year ago.

    The company also said it would pay a final dividend of 0.6 pence, up 50 percent from the previous year.

    Impax shares, which have gained 23 percent since the company forecast full-year profit above market estimates, were up 3.7 percent at 70 pence at 0839 GMT on Monday on the London Stock Exchange.

    (Reporting by Juhi Arora in Bangalore)