Babcock says 2007 EPS to rise at least 45 pct

SYDNEY, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Babcock & Brown Ltd (BNB.AX), an investment and advisory firm, said on Monday it expects fiscal 2007 earnings per share (EPS) growth to be at least 45 percent higher than previous year.

Babcock, which announced the sale of some Portuguese hydro assets, said its 2008 growth will be underpinned by a strong pipeline of transactions despite current conditions in the debt markets. ($1=A$1.15) (Reporting by Denny Thomas;)