American purchases pay off for credit checker Experian Pre-tax profits rose 11.3pc to $534m for the six months to the end of September, while underlying earnings rose 3pc to $627m. Revenues in North America, which make up about half of all turnover, rose 5pc. Mr Cassin said this growth was boosted by US banks lending more to consumers and businesses, while in the UK the attitudes of lenders remain "closer to the recession. It's more about the stage of development that we are at. The firm said today it has done a deal with FICO, the American mortgage credit group, to distribute credit scores directly to customers and revive its consumer services in the US, which reported a 12pc drop in revenues in the past six months. Experian's Brazilian business has returned to "modest growth" after a quiet period during the World Cup. In the UK and Ireland, revenues jumped 15pc to $498m, or 6pc excluding the effects of a weaker dollar against the pound. "For the second half, we see near term organic revenue growth as subdued, improving as we exit the year," said Mr Cassin. The firm will pay an interim dividend of $0.1225 per share in January, representing a 7pc increase on a year ago.