Barclays Private Equity's string of high-profile exits in the first six months of this year helped contribute £175m (€264.8m) to the £599m pre-tax profits of Barclays Capital, the investment banking arm of the UK bank.

The private equity group booked profits on disposal of investment securities of £67m in the first half of the year, up from £55m in the same period last year and £18m in the six months to end December 2003.