The average rise of 3.2 per cent in Tempus Ten stocks in June compares with an increase of 1.2 per cent in the FTSE All-Share index

Workspace up 13.7 per cent in June

Shares in the London-based property company enjoyed a mid-month boost when it delivered its 11th consecutive set of record results and said that it was on track to double the size of the business to £1 billion by 2008.

Pre-tax profits for the year to the end of March rose almost 13 per cent to £15.1 million. The value of Workspace's assets surged by 22 per cent, significantly beating City forecasts.

The company, which rents out low-cost office space to small and medium-sized businesses in the South East, has benefited from a renewed confidence in business start-ups which has come with the improving economic outlook.

Even the disposal of £904,000 of Workspace shares by the company's chief executive, Harry Platt, after the exercising of options failed to dim investor optimism for the company.

Communisis up 12.1 per cent

Shares in the specialist printing company made significant headway despite it on Tuesday publishing a trading statement which highlighted a poor second quarter performance.

Communisis said that profits in the first half of 2004 would be no better than those reported for the last six months of 2003. The company also revealed the departure of its finance director, Aidan Hughes, who is believed to have ambitions to win a chief executive's post.

However, Communisis was able to offer some reward for investors' faith, noting "early evidence" of a robust summer performance and predicting that it would end 2004 with a "strong" quarter. Furthermore, the company announced headway in a key contract with Barclays. Hope over prospects limited to 3p the fall in Communisis stock on Tuesday.

Tate & Lyle up 9.3 per cent

Investors regained an appetite for shares in the sugar company despite fears that it would suffer from subsidy cuts being drawn up by the European Union.

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