UK 16:29 Friday, 6 November 2026
Breaking news and expert analysis on fast-moving AIM and LSE listed shares
I feel rather tired after recording a podcast with Barry Downes but commend it to you. I consider it, inflation and being a mega bear.
In July on building, plumbing, heating and DIY products distributor Lords Group Trading (LORD), I wrote ‘“Trading Update” = a trading warning which dares not explicitly speak its name’ concluding even with the shares falling to around 13p with “recovery in our end markets is taking longer than expected” still avoid/sell. The shares most recently closed at 11.5p and what about now a “Trading Update & Banking Facility Amendments” announcement?
Barry, of Sure Valley Ventures is an AI believer and says he will have a small dabble in the Anthropic IPO. But he also says the shares may go down. we discuss that, the mid terms fall out, round tripping of sales, the likely demise of Oracle and whether the bubble is bursting big time. I think you will find this of interest.
John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management says that the mining sector has moved from being ignored by institutional investors to becoming a strategic necessity, driven by commodity price breakouts, strong balance sheets, and geopolitical factors like China’s weaponization of critical minerals.
Most recently on structural steel and construction safety company Billington (BILN), in April with the shares up to 370p I questioned how confident to really be in its stated “orderbook underpins our confidence in delivering… in line with market expectations”. The shares most recently closed at 410p but what about now a “Trading Update” including it “now expects that the group’s underlying profit before tax for FY26 will be… below current market expectations”.
Crypto in treasury now AI dog Sundae Bar (SBAR) is another howler from the Bixby Edwards stable and with spiv broker Clear Capital and London’s worst Nomad, Roland “fatty” Cornish on board it has always been a stock I have warned about. Now do some maths….
The anoraks among you will have already downloaded the October minutes of the Shire of Wiluna Council to note that there is still no drilling approval for Georgina Energy’s (GEX) Hussar well or a comeback on demands that the company fund an A$ 10 million road improvement before it drills. So, the company that pledged to drill in Q3 on August 12 (despite Wiluna blocking it on July 29) to pump its shares ahead of 2 placings is still blocked. Meanwhile Georgina has its own RNS.
Yesterday Cirata (CRTA) issued an RNS about its contract renewal with NatWest. That it is retaining a customer is welcome but that is not the issue
The London Stock Exchange has now published its October 2026 statistics which show no movement in the number of AIM companies. This is because despite 5 companies leaving the market, 5 companies joined market. For the year to date there have 25 new admissions but 50 cancellations. In terms of new monies raised at £150 million it remains well down on the last two years. Further monies raised were £3.6 billion, the best since 2021 but this does include Rosebank which raised £1.9 billion in March and then subsequently moved to the Main Market just over a month later.
Last Friday Guild resigned as the advisor to Valereum (VLRM) after being unable to establish any evidence that the untradeable crypto it holds really was backed by rights over the largest gold find in the history of California and the third largest mine in the YSA as the company claimed. With zero internet footprint and no evidence of any exploration at all on a tiny patch of desert one can understand why this was a bridge too far for Guild. Some folks think Valereum will be kicked off AQSE on 29 November. They are wrong.
I start with base rates, oil and gold. I mention Amaroq (AMRQ) then the £1 billion Atlas Metals (AMG) scandal and who should go to jail and then turn to a DOS attack and reveal the winner o the Greek Hovel short contest, thanking all who made a wise choice.
September-announced half year results from housebuilding group Vistry (VTY) were headlined “Strengthening the platform: Repositioning Vistry for Sustainable Success”. How’s that looking with now a further “Trading Update”?
I know he is talking his own book and he is always bullish but humour me, as a man already hugely overweight in gold and staying there, and explain exactly why Schiff is wrong this time. The great libertarian opines...
Its owner seems like a good chap who shares my views on Emma Reynolds MP. He deserves your support if you are in the area. He has posted on Facebook:
Amaroq (AMRQ) has issued an announcement on its Maarmorilik area including the past-producing Black Angel mine and results from its 2026 exploration programme. What’s the significance from the 98p share price, £457 million market cap at time of writing? The shares are now 106p!
