Pearson, owner of the Financial Times, today revealed a 20 per cent rise in profits for the first nine months of the year, after strong growth in its education and publishing divisions.

The company reported a 6 per cent increase in sales for the nine months to September 30, with operating profits up a fifth. Shares in Pearson rose 1.31 per cent to 775p in early trading, making it the only FTSE 100 company to report an increase in its stocks after investors took fright at market turmoil in America and the Far East.

Pearson said underlying sales in its education division rose 7 per cent over the first three quarters and it expects the operation's full-year sales to grow at the top end of expectations of between 4 per cent and 6 per cent.

Sales in higher education rose 5 per cent, and Pearson forecasts growth at the top of end a 3 per cent to 5 per cent range.

Pearson’s chief executive, Marjorie Scardino, said: "We still have a lot of trading ahead of us, but every part of the company is doing well.

“We're benefiting from rapid take-up of our learning technologies; sustained increases in our audience and advertising at the FT; and bestselling combined with operating efficiency at Penguin. This increases our confidence that 2007 will be another year of record profits for Pearson."

Sales at its FT publishing division, including both paper-based and online advertising, rose 8 per cent and advertising revenues had remained resilient during the recent volatility in global financial markets, the company said.

Pearson is understood to be examining whether to sell its 50 per cent stake in Financial Times Deutschland.

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