Shares: Taking Stock

Knox D'Arcy, the hands-on investment group, has taken a 14.1 per cent stake in Villiers, the engineer which plunged into the red last year. The pounds 1.2m loss compared with profits of pounds 153,000 in the previous year and pounds 3m in 1995. Still Villiers is cash-rich and owns 20 per cent of Kern River, an oil group.

Lambert Howarth, the footwear group supplying Marks & Spencer, edged ahead 2.5p to 230p, highest since 1994. Year's profits are due next month and the company has forecast a "significant increase". There are suggestions that earnings per share will emerge at around 40p.

Market Link Publishing should produce profits of pounds 900,000 this year and pounds 1.25m next, believes stockbroker Teather & Greenwood. The shares are 54 54p.