Ariana Resources (AAU) has announced “a tremendous enhancement for Tavsan, as construction continues on site” as this project is further progressed as a second 23.5% interest gold mining operation here.

Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB1) has issued a trading update noting adverse trading impact from the government’s recent manoeuvrings but also that its “re-financing opportunities from its client bank are at a record level for 2023… remains highly cash generative and retains a strong balance sheet”. So what of a now down towards 500p share price, £290 million market cap?

Describing itself as “a world leader in narrowband radio frequency mesh networks”, CyanConnode (CYAN) has issued a trading update and notice of results. So what do these tell us re. a last closing 13.25p share price, £31.9 million market cap?

Both Joshua and I are feeling dire so this is a very short bearcast covering Peel Hunt (PEEL) and the nomad/broker sector and Purplebricks (PURP), a zero after the latest housing data. Now back to bed.

Seed Innovations (SEED) was my exposure to cannabis and a jolly disastrous investment it has been. At 2.6p I am almost 80% out of the money. My feeling is that the cannabis bubble has burst and yesterday’s comment on CBD HERE has to be bad news. I cant bring myself to cut the loss although maybe I should.  But of the NAV is 8p as Ed Claims maybe I should hang on? A couple of weeks ago I exchanged emails with Seed boss Ed McDermott asking him if he was alright?

At Companies House, Iconic’s (ICON) status is now “Voluntary Arrangement” and the administrators filed their final report on 8 November 2022.  So Iconic its back under the control of its directors.

Previously writing on personal care, beauty and fragrance products company Creightons (CRL), in July with the shares around 40p on the back of full-year results I concluded that with it more than half way through the current half year I suggest it means those supply chain and inflationary pressures continuing to reduce earnings and, therefore, at this juncture still just on my watchlist. Now we have the half-year results... and the shares have currently responded more than 20% further lower to around 30p.

In its RNS yesterday Tern (TERN) provided various extracts from Wyld’s 3^rd quarter results for the period ended 30 September 2022.  The extracts focus heavily on positives such as the purchase orders now being received by Wyld.  If you look at the actuals published Wyld results it becomes apparent that it may take some time for these revenues to be reflected in the income statement as the following note to the accounts shows:

Previously writing on software for customer marketing company Pelatro (PTRO), in June with the shares at 27.75p I reviewed an AGM Statement, including asking what about the recent RNS Reach announcements & broker change?, concluding caveat emptor and continue to avoid. The shares last closed at just below 20p, but are currently much further lower towards a £6 million market cap on the back of a “trading update”.

Most of us like a bit of chocolate, and my personal top tip is the Taste The Difference J Sainsbury (SBRY) Ugandan 90% dark chocolate. Excellent taste, ESG friendly and does not cost you a fortune. But I have other financial and chocolate issues to discuss today as Hotel Chocolat Group (HOTC), a “premium British chocolate maker”, has announced its preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 26th June 2022.

I start with the reason for no bearcast yesterday and end with my virtue signalling siblings lining up to be mugged. In between I look at Strix (KETL), Argo Blockchain (ARB), Chill Brands (CHILL), Cellular Goods (CBX) and the CBD pain myth exposed and also at Tomco (TOM) and Shield Therapeutics (STX) where I sense PL will be apologising to the master soon.

Kettle safety controls and other water temperature components group Strix (KETL) commences an announcement today that it “is pleased to announce… completed the acquisition of Billi” and also includes that it “continues to maintain its strong market share position in Kettle Controls and is outperforming the market in the Appliance and Water categories. In addition, Strix has a strong balance sheet”. So what of a current share price response to 78p...more than 37% down!?

With a majority of just 834 Tory MP, almost, lifelong career politician, Andrew Bowie is probably already trying to find secure employment for after 2024 when he loses his seat. If so he was in the wrong place yesterday as, as a junior export minister, he pitched up to meet the blubbery lardball that is Neill Ricketts, the loathsome boss of Versarien (VRS) which is set to run out of money by Christmas.  It won't be in a position to make him a NED come 2024. From the winner of a reality TV show 21 years ago to a Tory MP who is not even a household name in his own household, Versarien sure pulls in the all the big stars.

My pal Fraser does not  think much of Home REIT's (HOME) formal response to his bear dossier and now adds to the savaging of "shy bear" with his own formal response, below in full. Mr.Market agrees with Fraser, the shares are off another 9% at just 51p.  His rebuttal below is pretty brutal.

Eight months of so ago I observed that in a choice between Mulberry (MUL) and Burberry (BRBY), from an investment perspective I much preferred the latter. And that has worked out year-to-date, as the former is down over 20%, whilst the latter is up over 15%. How do I feel after today’s Mulberry “results for the twenty-six weeks ended 1 October 2022”?

Previously writing on marketing decision making platform group System1 (SYS1), in August I concluded despite the shares currently down to 220p, it’s good luck to it with the current half-year results and the by the end of November-expected initial conclusions of the strategic review. I suggest it remains sensible to retain the cautious stance here and continue to avoid. Those announcements have now been made.

Home REIT (HOME) has today published a very detailed and wordy attempted rebuttal of the bear dossier served up by Fraser Perring at Viceroy Research, HERE. But has Home dealt with the bears? Au contraire. Both Fraser and another leading grizzly have hit back with a series of questions and comments which  I can reveal exclusively, below ahead of a conference call at 11.30 AM.

Given that Versarien (VRS) is now running on vapours, the pointless creation of loathsome Neill Ricketts is desperate to pump its shares as hard as it can to get a bailout placing away. Yesterday we saw lovable oaf Craig from Big Brother 2001 roped in. Today we see the use of the local rag.

Tomco (TOM) arrived on AIM via an RTO int a failed tech business just in time for Christmas 2006. Was that a White Christmas? I only ask because I am dreaming of one and the chap behind that RTO was Howard Crosby, nephew of Bing and cousin of Mary who shot JR.  More than £5 million was raised at 2.5p. Wind forward today and, accounting for a 2017 200-1 share consolidation, the shares at 0.335p, are 99.933% down. Can any AIM dog, still going, match that record of disaster?

Hello Share Wallowers. If you’ve never read Liar’s Poker and The Big Short may I seriously recommend you do so. We all have a tendency to think that every financial company employee knows their subject backwards and keeps on top of trends. But these two books don’t agree. However, one of the many financial outfits that does seem to keep on top of things is Just Group (JUST).