Business briefs: BBC games mean more ads for papers | Standard Life’s Canadian boon

Newspaper publisher Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT) yesterday said its revenues had been boosted by a burst of Olympics-related advertising.The group, which owns the Daily Mail and a string of regional titles, said third-quarter revenues rose to £509 million, an increase of 4 per cent over the same period last year.

Finance director Stephen Daintith said the fact that the games were being shown on the BBC meant advertisers were looking to national newspapers to reach their audiences.

DMGT’s business-to-business publishing unit posted revenue growth of 7 per cent, while its events division saw sales jump 22 per cent to £29m.

Standard’s Canadian property hits C$1bn

Standard Life Investments, the Edinburgh-based fund manager, yesterday said that Canadian assets under management in its real estate fund had broken through the C$1 billion (£634 million) barrier.

Mike Hannigan, head of international real estate, said property was an important source of income for Canadian pension fund investors seeking protection from inflation and the group was seeking more investment opportunities for its clients.

He added: “Canada is increasingly perceived as a safe haven for international real estate investors.”