SIMBAD references

We present high-precision UBV(RI)_c photometry for a sample of active stars detected serendipitously by the EXOSAT satellite. Fourteen objects, out of 47 likely optical counterparts, turned out to be clearly variable, with periods in the range 1-8 days, including a newly discovered eclipsing binary. For most of them the optical variability is consistent with the presence of photospheric cool spots. We have used our multicolour photometry to estimate spectral classifications and distances. The derived distances indicate that some of the observed stars are previously unidentified nearby (d≤25pc) M dwarfs. When combined with the results of high resolution spectroscopy, our photometric observations allow us to investigate the stellar content of the selected X-ray sample. Young stars and RS CVn-type binaries appear to constitute a large fraction of the selected sample.