Online stockbroker flags concerns over Woodford Equity Income's investment in 'earlier-stage businesses'. : Charles Stanley Direct has dropped Neil Woodford's flagship income fund from its best buy list, flagging concerns over the manager's investment in early-stage companies. Woodford Equity Income , a mainstay of the online stockbroker's Foundation Fundlist since January 2015 has been cut over concerns performance 'may become increasingly impacted by a relatively small number of existing high growth and earlier-stage businesses in the portfolio'.