Market Report: Taking Stock

MULTI Equipment Rental stretched to 13p from the 10p placing. The shares arrived on the market via Ellis & Partners, the stockbroker. The group hires out what is regarded as small industrial plant; profits last year were pounds 312,000. Cost of achieving a full listing was around pounds 250,000 - not far removed from the likely charge of getting an AIM presence.

COMINO, a computer group, has enjoyed a roller-coaster run in the past week. The shares rose 28p to 257.5p yesterday. Profits are due soon. They will comfortably exceed the pounds 1.4m achieved last time. Around pounds 1.9m is a conservative guess. In recent times the shares have touched 270p; they were 105p in November.

AZLAN, one of the few computer dunces, is at last perking up, helped by indications of more encouraging trading. The shares rose 7.5p to 62.5p, still along way from the 287p peak.