CBT, the Dublin based software company, is seriously considering a Dublin Stock Exchange listing. The move would put it in the top 10 Irish stocks on the Dublin Exchange.

The news comes only a day after the chief executive of the Irish Stock Exchange, Mr Tom Healy, said he expected companies quoted on Nasdaq in the US to seek Dublin listings.

One of Ireland's fastest growing companies, CBT is also planning to recruit up to 50 to 60 new people this year, mostly software engineers and graphic designers. Around 150 people are now employed in the group's Clonskeagh headquarters.

Speaking at the group's annual meeting in Dublin yesterday, CBT chief executive, Mr Bill McCabe, said that CBT is seriously considering" a listing on the Dublin Stock Exchange. "We are certainly not ruling it out," he said. In Irish terms, the group has a market capitalisation of around $552 million, around the same level as Greencore and Waterford Wedgwood.

He added that the company is looking forward to a continuance of strong growth.

Turnover for the first three months of the year was £7.7 million. First quarter profits were £1.2 million, an increase of 217 per cent.

Market forecasts are currently for $60 million in revenue and $11 million in net earnings. "Those figures are certainly attainable," Mr McCabe said.

The company is quoted on the Nasdaq exchange in the US where it has seen its share price rise from $16 when it was listed in April, 1995, to $45 yesterday, even after a share split in April. The company also reached a market capitalisation of over $1 billion in recent weeks, although "hat has now fallen back to $960 million.

If CBT were to opt to list its shares in Dublin it would be a major fillip for the Irish exchange, which has recently drawn criticism for its liquidity problems.

An Irish listing would boost our profile here," Mr McCabe said. "And would help to attract the very best Irish graduates".

CBT produces inter active training software for business, used by large multi nationals to train staff in the latest technology. Almost 75 per cent of the company's business comes from the US, although several large Irish corporates, including Bank of Ireland, AIB and Ulster Bank, use the company's packages.

Mr McCabe stressed that the company had "absolutely no plans" to switch software development to the US. "Ireland is recognised as a centre of excellence in software design," he said.

However, he added that the company was looking at the possibility of opening another office somewhere else in Ireland.

The group is planning to grow "mostly organically" - although Mr McCabe did not rule out further acquisitions.

It is also planning to expand further into Germany and is likely to start making multi lingual packages, including French and German.

Earlier this week, CBT announced two acquisitions in Canada and Germany. It has also entered into agreements with Netscape, Intel and Microsoft this year to provide training packages.