Trading conditions are mixed for specialist lender Flexigroup, which reported an earnings upgrade yesterday.The firm said lease volumes increased by six per cent in Australia over the December 2009 quarter, with lease volumes lower in New Zealand and Ireland. In Australia, tax incentives for business investment in equipment, including new computers, will have stimulated sales in merchants where Flexigroup is a favoured financier. Buyers will have had to buy the equipment outright to qualify for the accelerated depreciation, so the rise in lease volumes in light of this factor suggests underlying demand was high.A lift in point of sale finance from its Certegy subsidiary, and an acceleration in sales of its mobile broadband product (marketed as Blink) led to 44 per cent and 70 per cent higher returns respectively.Flexigroup said it now expected a "core net profit" in the range of $39 million to $41 million for the first half, around $2 million more than prior guidance.The company said it also received a tax ruling that will release $15 million in cash (that will lift the final bottom line) and said it will use this cash to retire debt.