SHARES in Advanced Smartcard Technologies, the latest Scottish company to list on the London Stock Exchange, soared 16-per cent yesterday after the East Kilbride software developer said trading in its first quarter has been "encouraging". The company, which makes software that enables smartcards to become multi-purpose, also said it had made a record first-quarter operating profit after healthy trading in its subsidiary Ecebs. The company, which employs 18 workers, believes that its future lies in the new areas of transport ticketing, personal identification, security, and health and leisure club cards.