Spirent Share News (SPT)

Communications technology firm Spirent posted a rise in full year profit as conditions improved.For the year ended 31 December 2009 pre-tax profit rose to £54.1m from £51.4m the year before. Revenue grew by 6% to £272.1m.The group saw increased order activity in the second half of the year and fourth quarter bookings exceed sales by 29%. Chief executive officer Bill Burns commented, "Despite the challenging macro economic environment in 2009, as the year progressed operating conditions improved noticeably, and customers began to move from cost saving to investing for the future.""We have seen a solid start to 2010 and we aim to continue this positive momentum as the year progresses," he added.Final dividend up 10% to 0.66p per share