Profits at Hawkpoint Partners, the corporate finance boutique acquired by UK broker Collins Stewart Tullett last October, more than doubled in its final year as an independent company, as the firm benefited from the boom in mergers and acquisitions activity.

The boutique made pre-tax profits of £16m (€23m) in the year to end of December 2006, up 125% from £7.3m in the previous year. Revenues rose 55% from £36.3m to £56.2m, according to a filing at Companies House.