Next year will offer big opportunities for investors with a boom in share prices, according to stockbrokers Redmayne-Bentley.

The Leeds firm, which supplies share and financial information to the T&A, said a "sparkling performance" by equities this year would see share prices maintaining their "strong upward impetus" in 2006.

The company said a "bumper package" of financial changes and initiatives promised by the Chancellor would deliver new opportunities. Redmayne-Bentley believes "positives outweigh negatives" for the 2006 stock market. It said mergers and acquisitions were the primary reason for continuing market buoyancy.

There were "dwindling" numbers of equities but a large amount of cash looking for a good home. The firm said there were also prospects of cheaper money in the UK, more good news about corporate results and "continuing demand" from huge emerging markets like China and India which would also drive equity markets forward.

"I am confident the FTSE 100 index will achieve a third successive year of growth in 2006, maybe even exceeding 6,000 at some point during the year," said Redmayne-Bentley senior partner, Keith Loudon.

"This steady upward trend will boost people's long-term faith in the market and strengthen their appetite for shares."

The firm's investment support advisor, Rob Kilner, said some Bradford companies such as Atlantic Global, Belgravium, Jarvis Porter, Leeds Group, Global Marine Energy, PM Group, and Stylo could be included in an Alternative Investment Market Inheritance Tax portfolio. But he urged caution.

"Companies on AIM generally have shorter trading histories and should be considered inherently risky due to illiquidity that can be caused by large family shareholdings," he said. The criteria that determine whether a company is eligible are strict so investors should consult their usual advisor.