Online publisher Ingenta says it is seeing strong sales growth in key areas of its business.

Directors at the company, based in Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, said sales of research publications and fees from publishers for distributing research via the Internet were performing well.

Ingenta has finalised the financing of its takeover of Abingdon-based Catchword by issuing new shares.

The company is also raising £750,000 by floating on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange to fund last month's purchase of Heron, the UK's leading web-based supplier of online course packs for students. University lecturers have been moving towards offering students a pack of recommended reading, including passages from various books, rather than naming a required textbook -- a move which has annoyed publishers of academic textbooks.

However, Ingenta believes it is well placed to take advantage of this trend with its products.

Chief executive Mark Rowse said he was con- fident that financial results were in line with expectations.

The company's half-year results will be announced on Monday, May 13. Ingenta develops and maintains specialist websites for publishers, professional societies and libraries.

It also receives a share of pay-per-view income from publishers.

Its articles are used by four million researchers a month via ingenta.com and other websites, making Ingenta one of the 10 largest web service providers in the UK.