Lombard sees 20% revenue rise Lombard Risk Management, the Aim-quoted provider of software to help banks with risk management and regulatory compliance, is starting to have a good financial crisis. Last year a competitor tried to buy Lombard just as it emerged it had signed up a second Tier 1 bank as a customer and its pre-tax profits jumped from £200,000 to £1.8m for the first six months of 2011, on a 10 per cent rise in revenues to £6.3m. The approach came to nothing, but the shares still quadrupled to more than £12 by the end of 2011. This week the group said it counted 30 of the top banks as customers and revealed a 20 per cent rise in revenues to £7.7m in first half to September, including an acquisition. Pre-tax profits dipped to £1.3m after interest on the £2m debt taken to finance the acquisition. However, John Wisbey, chief executive, said the business was scaleable now and incremental revenues will go straight to the bottom line. Analysts forecast £17m in revenues for the full year in 2013 and pre-tax profits of £4.6m. The shares fell back in January but began to recover after a share placing to raise £1.5m in June and were lifted sharply this month by news of a big contract win.