Taking Stock

There appears to be no shortage of suitors for Chieftain, an industrial insulation engineer which put itself up for sale.

Six bids, it is believed, are under discussion; they are in the 150p- plus area. The company, traded at 123.5p, says it is maintaining a healthy order book. Profits last year rose from pounds 678,000 to pounds 1.7m.

AB Airlines is likely to arrive on the stock market on 23 April - St George's Day. The company hopes to raise pounds 8m, giving it a pounds 25m capitalisation.

AB is launching two new routes, Shannon to Birmingham and Stansted on a code share with Aer Lingus.

Metal Bulletin, where Emap sits on 20.4 per cent, lifted profits by 15 per cent to pounds 5.9m and should hit pounds 6.7m this year.

It is looking for acquisitions. With an pounds 8.5m cash pile it is prepared to pay up to pounds 35m.