Shares: Taking Stock

PEX, the sock maker being revamped by Italian aristocrat Andrea Cattaneo Della Volta, could be near to a significant deal. It is thought to be hoping to buy a clothing group for cash and shares. Even before the deal, which could be in the pounds 2.5m range, PEX has been pulled back to profits, with research group Hardman & Co forecasting pounds 480,000 this year. The shares are 5p, pricing PEX, which had sales of pounds 11.6m last year, at only pounds 3.9m.

Standard Platform, the struggling document imaging group, is the vehicle bringing Henry Lewis' Action Computer to market. Its shares were suspended at 15.5p.

Treats, the ice lolly maker, should enjoy a warm reception when it arrives today. The shares should top 180p against a 174p placing.