Can JBA Holdings, the UK-based ERP vendor, survive as an independent company after it went adrift in the second half of its last financial year and now expects a substantial shortfall in profit? However, shares in the company rose 11.5% to 135 pence yesterday on hopes that an acquisitive competitor will rescue the company. JBA came unstuck in the US market and has taken on some loss-making contracts and the company expects to report non-recurring costs of 8m pounds. It is expected to report a pre-tax loss of around 6.5m pounds. In a bid to appease critics in the city, the company’s management team has been shaken up with COO Ken Bridden taking over as CEO replacing Alan Vickery, who remains chairman. New executives have been brought in to head up operations in the important German and US markets. With revenues from services expected to show a 45% increase over last year, JBA expects continuing operations to show a 27% rise to 219m pounds.