Aberdeen shares are a good bet.PHSPHS's business splits neatly into four: "washroom services, dust mat services, live and replica plants and water dispensers". In other words, it loans out welcome mats, hand-driers and pot plants, and pops in occasionally to water them. It is possibly the most boring company on the stock market, but without it, its corporate customers' offices would be dirty, soulless, thirsty places.Set up in 1963 in Caerphilly, Wales, the group had its maiden results as a quoted company yesterday, showing turnover up 20 per cent to £58.3m in the six months to 30 September, and a return to profit, with £1.7m pre-tax. It made 17 aquisitions in the period, and organic growth was 9 per cent thanks to initiatives to boost customer loyalty. These all have snazzy names like Project 24/24 (a scheme to ensure customers requests are dealt with in 24 hours) and Leads United, to incentivise the sales team Management are particularly excited by water dispensers.

Market researchers have told them the number of offices using water fountains will double in the next four years.Boring, perhaps, but a good record of progress on several fronts. The June flotation raised £250m to bring gearing down below 30 per cent, so the group should also benefit from much lower interest payments.The shares, down 1.5p at 85p, are valued in line with Rentokil, its larger rival, but PHS offers faster growth. Hold.United DrugIreland's largest pharmaceuticals wholesaler, United Drug is doing all the right things. It is improving its warehouse facilities, switching hospital clients to online ordering, and wooing new suppliers with the ability to give them additional data on product sales.Results for the year to September showed revenues up 17 per cent, profit up 22 per cent and market shares increasing across the group.

With the Irish government increasing health spending, the growth looks set fair to continue.There was also a pleasing contribution from Ashtead, a recently acquired business hiring out sales forces to drug companies. It is drawing up plans to build a similar contract sales business in the US.United Drug has its main listing in Dublin, but is also traded in London, where the shares were up 5p to 885p. On a price-earnings multiple of about 17, the stock is good value.. It was another day of triumphalism for the actuaries of Edinburgh yesterday as Standard Life wheeled out what it billed as the strongest performance in its history. That's not the only superlative Europe's largest mutual life assurance company was able to boast.