Hurricane Energy (HUR) updated the market today on operations and finance matters. All too much of the news was as Gary Newman and I predicted back in September. I did not see a debt for equity outcome as being the only or most likely potential outcome. The fact the update spelt out explicitly what would happen without such a deal, and new money being put in speaks volumes. It really is looking like a crash landing in tits up alley is the most likely outcome.

Ariana Resources (AAU) has announced further progress on the proposed partial disposal of interests in Turkey and of exploration plans. It is all good news and good news not yet fully discounted in the share price.

AIM-listed jam-tomorrow (or never) Internet of Things investment company Tern plc (TERN) has seen its shares continue to crater – the shares are now, at 6.7p, well below the last placing price of 7.5p. Meanwhile investee FVRVS Limited (Fundamental VR) has filed its 2019 accounts……and…..oh dear!

Hello, Share Shakers. Such is the sparkling reputation of my boss Uncle Tom that to suggest a share he’s been wary off can be a scary thing. But Tom has a different approach to me. I can sometimes favour rather weak fundamentals if the direction of travel is sound. Whereas Tom, as a value investor, regards the balance sheet with more respect. Which brings me to today’s choice for your further inspection…

In my detailed coverage of the POS AIM Company Verditek (VDTK) I have shown how in every year since its IPO it has announced contracts, ramped the shares and then having raised funds in a bailout placing or two, the contracts disappear. Sometimes it ‘fesses up, sometimes there is no ‘fess, other times I have to run articles and sheeplishly, Tory Toff Lord Willetts and his chums are forced into an RNS. Well here we go again.

I start with Joshua’s Advent calendar, Then it is onto tales of boardroom greed and naughtiness at Octagonal (OCT) which is to leave the AIM Cesspit. Based on what I reveal today, where do you think its cash will go?  Then it is onto Verditek (VDTK), Bidstack (BIDS) and a second company run by a former Tory MP, Powerhouse Energy (PHE) where the man in charge is sleazy Tim Yeo. 

Revolution Bars Group (RBG) has announced full-year results and, in line with the heroic Tim Martin of J D Wetherspoon, hit out at “nothing short of scandalous” government actions…

Dbay’s withdrawal from the battle to buy the overvalued junk floated by mortgage fraudster Uzi Katz, that is to say Telit Communications (TCM) has left stale bulls lookimng increasingly daft.  And at least one appears to be getting desperate as the shares slide – and will continue to slide as I explained HERE.

Sales are vanity. Profit is a matter of opinion. Cash is reality. But if you are trying to ramp your shares ahead of a bailout placing you do not want to talk about cash ( or rather lack of it) or even profits (or rather losses) so you just bang on about sales. That brings us to Bidstack (BIDS).

Another “Director Share Purchases” announcement from CyanConnode (CYAN) – this time re. Executive Chairman John Cronin adding 1,467,391 shares to his shareholding. However…

You cannot say that I have not warned you all so many times that Octagonal (OCT) would end in tears. Corporate Governance and related party deals involving boss John Gunn were shocking and Nilesh Jagatia is, without doubt, the worst FD on the AIM casino. Today came news of a delisting and the shares have collapsed by almost 70% to just 0.7p. I do hope that the Bulletin Board Morons who knew so much better than useless old Tom Winnifrith, were well lubed up.

Writer Lyn Alden looks at the economic downturn and notes  that we’ve seen a rebound in some asset classes, but, she argues, that it will take most of 2021 to see all the effects play out. We’ve seen a weaker dollar and slowing GDP growth globally. By late 2021 the global economy should improve gradually.

Here in Wales, thanks to First Minister, Mad Mark Drakeford, all 50 JD Wetherspoon (JDW) pubs are shuttered and will stay so for the foreseeable future. As I noted in a photo article just published, life just over the border in “free” England is not much better for the boozers. Tim Martin is, yet again, my hero of the day, using Wetherspoon’s AGM as a platform to expose the Government and a supine 4^th estate which laps up lockdown lies without question. The great man opines:

Hello, Share Cats. Probably like yourself, I prefer to pick my own shares. But once in a while, an asset management group appeals to me. I’ve already recently brought a progress report on one of my two funds, BlackRock Greater Europe (BRGE). That has busted through another all-time high. My other such investment is the City of London Investment Group (CLIG). So how’s this one doing?…

First I start with Joshua’s Advent calendar and the appearance of the star. Then who is to be my Christmas carol villain of the year then it has to be Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford who today has just gone complelely bonkers as I describe HERE. Then I look at Vin Murria’s Summerway Capital (SWC) and explain why you are not too late even at 1.65p. then a look  at AFC Energy (AFC) and my new policy on dealing with abusive trolls. I discuss Fox Marble (FOX) and averaging down and then the scandal that is Remote Monitoring Systems (RMS) gets even worse. Surely the Oxymorons must investigate.

Less than a month ago a “Trading Update” from castings and engineering company Chamberlin (CMH) included that ongoing orders from its machine shop’s largest contract are likely to be a fraction of the original contract, though paid-for researcher Hardman still considered “the shares offer the opportunity to invest in a highly cyclical stock”! Today a further “Trading Update”, so alarm bells ringing… and intra-day (11:55am). Uh Oh…

It’s not that often that the opportunity arises where a retail investor can buy into a revolution. Call my language hyperbolic if you wish but hear me out first.

Following Monday’s bombshell expose on this site about a $20 million funding which clearly breaches Isle of Man Companies Law, Bahamas Petroleum (BPC) has today been forced into a partial ‘fess but still plans to go ahead with the illegal funding

Two “pleased” to announce and one “delighted to announce” update(s) from Mobile Streams (MOS) today… and the shares currently at 0.24p, 11% lower! So, what’s going on?…

I have been flagging up for ages that AIM-listed Yu Group (YU.) needs to raise money. After all, by its own admission it will run out of cash by the end of the year. Now, all of a sudden and with no news, the shares are off by 10%.