Market Report: Taking Stock

Woodstock, a pubs and restaurants group, looks destined to be the first Ofex casualty. The remaining directors, led by Marcus Leaver, say they are considering putting the company into liquidation following their failure to arrange a rescue merger with another restaurant chain. Woodstock has three pub/restaurants. It was floated on the fringe share market by Austin Friars Securities last summer at 20p a share when pounds 600,000 was raised. In November the shares were suspended because of irregularities at its pubs off-shoot, Kingston Inn Co, which subsequently went into receivership.

Hopes of developments at Betacom, Alan Sugar's third-string quoted company, lifted the shares 6p to 65.5p. The electronics group is cash rich and seems set for action.