A week on Monday sees ShareProphets AIM-China Filthy Forty play Origo Partners (OPP) put a series of proposals to its shareholders which it hopes will finally draw to an end the ongoing dispute with Brooks Macdonald in relation to the non-redemption of a tranche of its zeros dividend convertible preference shares. The last effort at this ended up with shareholders defeating proposals aimed at a resolution, but perhaps this time – with the threat of an orderly wind-up under the watchful eye of the Isle of Man Court in mind – perhaps it will be different this time. But the shares remain a bargepole in my view.

Reach4Entertainment (R4E) has announced results for the first half of 2016, noting “we are pleased to report a strong first six months”, though that “the second half is expected to be more challenging”.

I sensed that those close to the fraud African Potash (AFPO) were getting skittish and now I can reveal that the first adviser has indeed handed in its notice. And I am not surprised as to who it is that has shown that it puts morality ahead of money.

It was rather inevitable but I bring you below the Companies House Notification which confirms the good news, the worst company on AIM, Motive Television (MTV) is now officially a dead parrot. Naturally what actually happened is nothing like what Motive told its moronic shareholders. 

In this podcast I speculate on how the pace of change is accelerating and what world my son will grow up in. But more importantly I look back to 8 years ago yesterday and 87 years ago yesterday, to what happened then and the mistakes and lessons we all forget to think about as we blunder on. Yes I am talking asset bubbles and stockmarket crashes again. Malcolm Stacey take note!

Tungsten Corp (TUNG) has announced at its AGM “a positive start to its new financial year ending 30 April 2017”, though the shares have responded approaching 4% lower to 61.25p. Hmmm, let’s take a closer look...

Yesterday morning the Peter Earl trainwreck IPSA (IPSA) was booted off the AIM Casino having served its maximum time suspended pending financial clarification. In fact it had been suspended since September last year, once again making a mockery of AIM Rule 41. It has repeatedly warned shareholders that it could face a one-way trip to the corporate knackers’ yard and now, with no listing, one wonders whether administration now beckons – and whether this could be the beginning of the final chapter for fellow cash-strapped (and ex- of Peter Earl) Rurelec (RUR), itself recently restored to trading on AIM, for at the last count Rurelec owed IPSA £1.8 million.

Hello Share Punchers. I’m not sure that I did not cover my favourite builder Galliford Try (GFRD) rather too recently. But when a share commentator like myself is more convinced of one of his subjects' future success more than many of his others, he should press the point more than once.

Not a lot of people know this but the middle name of Simon Cawkwell, aka Evil Knievil, is "Modesty". He is thus one of many people who has come up with a helpful suggestion on what to name my son born today - thank you to all of you for your good wishes. In today's podcast I look at Avanti Communications (AVN), Rosslyn Data Technologies (RDT), Levrett (LVRT) and Progility (PGY). I should get some sleep after being up all night but it is a very exciting day for us here. I will be back with a longer bearcast over the weekend.

The title is something of an exaggeration but I note the general lack of interest in Brainjuicer (BJU), one of the more interesting businesses on AIM. The company’s H1 results announced today show profit increasing at a mere 38% pace, so perhaps they deserve a little more attention!

Previously writing on Sabien Technology (SNT) in July, I noted its seeking to reduce the nominal value of its shares “in order to allow the company to issue new ordinary shares should it decide to do so”, concluding that somehow, I’d guess it would decide to do so! - see HERE. Today we have an announcement of “£750,000 Placing To Continue Growth Strategy”...

Eight days ago I predicted that Solo Oil (SOLO) would need to do a placing and suggested that 0.18p was the likely price. Well knock me down with a feather duster but it has today announced a placing to raise £2 million ( lets call it £1.85 million net) at, cue drum roll.....0.18p. Genius or what? Of course Solo is still rubber ducked as I shall explain. The shares at 0.23p remain a sell.

The management of Highlands Natural Resources (HNR), notably Paul Mendell, still refuses to answer serious questions about their CVs or about RNS Statements made by Highlands that are simply not true and that silence should make any sane speculator run a mile. Meanwhile it continues with the pretence that it has found an institutional investor who should by now own 30% of the company but in fact owns no shares. Confused? Let me explain.

Intercede (IGP), a software and service company specialising in jargon to describe what it does (sorry, specialising in “identity, credential management and secure mobility”) has announced it “has had a slow start to the current financial year and is continuing to experience delays in the receipt of anticipated MyID license orders from both new and existing customers”. Uh-oh…

Ergomed (ERGO) receives a "buy" recommendation is the headline of the RNS Reach that has just gone out. It is very unusual to announce a broker report so I had a butchers at the RNS Reach - a Reach is an announcement the Nomad deems not to be price sensitive. Read on and you see why.

 He is sleeping like an er...baby right now. Both mother and child are doing well after a 6.03 AM birth with a lovely Brexit and grammar school supporting midwife from Ulster in charge. The name is, as yet, undecided.

After an announcement last week claiming an “exciting development” in the French market helped shares in the company higher to 5.25p, we’ve this week had another announcement from Vipera (VIP); “Broadened Customer Engagement Solutions Offering”. Hmmm…

Well this looks too good to be true and, as with the China Frauds, I fear that it probably is. AIM-listed Infrastructure India (IIP) announced a new asset manager agreement yesterday morning under which Franklin Park Management LLC will be paid a cash fee of £5.52 million a year, plus 605,716 free shares under a deal which appears to be for a minimum period of about four years. That seems quite steep for a company with a market capitalisation of just £82.5 million (source: ADVFN).

Supermarket shares are to be treated cautiously in my view. I say that even though I am a long-term holder of Tesco (TSCO), Sainsbury (SBRY) and Morrisons (MRW). All are currently showing red in my portfolio.

Action Hotels (AHCG) has announced results for the first half of 2016 and, noting “increasing demand for quality, internationally branded economy and mid-market hotels” in its Middle East and Australia areas of operation, “remains optimistic about the future as the group continues to deliver the pipeline”.