D. Boerse profit beats consensus, sees record 2008

BERLIN (Reuters) - German stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (DB1Gn.DE) reported record quarterly profits on Tuesday and said it was on track to meet its target of continued earnings growth in full-year 2008.

Deutsche Boerse, which operates the Frankfurt stock exchange, derivatives platform Eurex and custody and settlement house Clearstream, posted a 42 percent rise in earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (EBITA) to 425.8 million euros ($659.4 million) in January-March.

The average of estimates in a Reuters poll of analysts had been for first-quarter EBITA of 407 million euros.

Group revenue increased 19 percent to 644.5 million euros, reflecting, said Boerse, record trading volumes and the full consolidation of the International Securities Exchange (ISE), which Eurex acquired last year for $2.8 billion.

"Strong trading activity on Deutsche Boerse's cash and derivatives markets as well as strong performance figures at Clearstream enabled us to achieve the best quarter ever," Chief Financial Officer Thomas Eichelmann said in a statement.

"Based on the strong performance in the first quarter, structural growth drivers across our business portfolio, increased volatility on the global markets and tight cost management we are on track for continued earnings growth in 2008," Eichelmann said.

Boerse's own shares, which hit a record high of 136.32 euros in December, two months after joining the DJ EuroStoxx 50 .STOXX50E index of euro zone blue chips, have fallen 26 percent this year, broadly in line with an index of the world's leading exchanges .FTMV.

($1=.6457 Euro)

(Reporting by Peter Starck, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)