INTERNATIONAL news and information organisation Reuters Holdings yesterday reported a 17 per cent rise in 1995 year pre tax profits and said it believed it could maintain double digit earnings growth this year.

The company also said it was looking at ways of returning cash to shareholders and expected to have concluded representations to British authorities on the tax and legal implications of share repurchases by the end of the year.

Pre tax profit for the year to December 31st rose 17 per cent to £599 million sterling on revenues up 17 per cent at £2.7 billion. Reuters said it was proposing a total dividend of 9.8p per share.

"Reuters maintained its record of good revenue and profit growth in 1995 without receiving any benefit from price increases the fourth year in which prices have been held stable overall," the chief executive, Mr Peter Job, said. "In 1996 we believe we can maintain our unbroken record of double digit earnings growth as a public company, he said.