A “GatedTalent signs 100th client contract”-entitled announcement from recruitment industry software group Dillistone (DSG). Sounds ramptastic, let’s take a look…

AIM-listed Conroy Gold and Natural Resources (CGNR) published its interim accounts to 30 November 2017 this morning. Ignoring the jam tomorrow (we’ve seen that all before) it is clear that the company was up to its eyes in debt, not that chairman Prof Richard Conroy was bothered by that as he introduced his chairman’s statement with “I have great pleasure in presenting your Company’s Half-Yearly results”. He’s pleased – but I doubt any shareholder with half a brain cell will be.

Crimson Tide (TIDE) “is pleased to provide this trading update for the year ended 31 December 2017, and to bring the market up to date on its plans for continued expansion”. Hmmm, almost two months after the year-end – and with the previous such update not having been since September-announced half-year results…

Uber ramp meet the City's No 1 oil analyst, Zac "The Knife" Phillips of SP Angel. Today's protestations from Frontera (FRR) do not impress the knife who opines:

Whilst Sky plc (SKY) was happily disclosing in a regulatory news story that 'Sky Q takes another big leap forward...Next major wave of product innovation, and Spotify set to launch in spring' (which I am sure will mean something to all the millennials out there), the big news for the company was happening elsewhere with the announcement that US media giant Comcast has made a 1250p cash bid. Now this is interesting at many levels.

To be clear, I don’t believe Malcolm has ripped off shareholders in an investment trust he manages by stuffing it full of unquoted stocks to save his bacon elsewhere; however, he does seem to have picked up a few of the “star fund manager’s” bad habits when it comes to a stock, namely Feedback (FDBK).

Nu-Oil and Gas (NUOG) seems to be one of those AIM shares which periodically finds favour with private investors, despite never actually having achieved anything of note other than burning through investors cash over the years.

Acting on conversations with three sources (two ex Ariadne employees and the hotel itself) I last week suggested that Ariadne had an unpaid bill at the Westin Draganara Hotel in Malta. Peter Bradley, the in house lawyer at Ariadne , has been in contact and insists that this is not the case and therefore, since he is an honourable man, I take him at his word and have withdrawn the article and make it clear taht there can be no question of there being an unpaid bill.  Naturally I apologise for any confusion caused.

Hello, Share Trudgers. An insurance venture you may not be familiar with is Lancashire Holdings (LRE). I'm a fan of investing in insurers, but this one has so far escaped my attention. However, it has potential as an interesting punt.

Industrial LED lighting technology company, Dialight (DIA) has announced results including “we remain excited by the group's prospects over the medium to long term and are confident of delivering future growth”. Hmmm, what about now then?...

Shares in Provident Financial (PFG) are falling again today thanks to weekend press reports that it is sounding out investors about a £500 million rights issue. The big question is where does this leave Britain's most conceited fund manager Neil "nomates" Woodford whose funds own 23% of the equity.

Is @HemoGenyx the corporate account of HemoGenyx (HEMO)? Sadly PR poltroon Paul "Queenie" McManus of Walbrook and pouting brokerette Lucy Williams of Peterhouse have yet to return my calls as I pose this question. But since the lamentable Walbrook has tweeted directed to @HemoGenyx in the past they are either complete idiots (well they are) or that is all the confirmation one needs. Which makes the last two tweets on this account all the more outrageous. You can see them below. Bear in mind there has been no supporting RNS.

Eckoh (ECK) has announced it “has secured a four-year contract to provide its Secure Payments solution, CallGuard, to a US Fortune 250 retailer, and a partnership with a global payments solutions company in the US”. Sounds good, what’s the detail?...

Global central bankers are focusing on tightening monetary policy rather than pacifying nervous financial markets. That was the message for investors this week from the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of England. Officials in the Philippines and India also sent hawkish signals.

In today's bearcast I discuss the corporate history of Sir Henry Bellingham MP notably the fraud he was deeply involved with for six years - 3DM. That leaves me backing today's calls for him to resign from Pathfinder Minerals (PFP). He is a massive red flag just like ex Tory MP Tony Baldry now of Westminster (WSG) but who was also involved in the nest of vipers that was 3DM. I discuss my settlement with Roger Lawson of ShareSoc. And then I look at the bizarre share transactions at BCA Marketplace (BCA) and what they mean, i.e SELL!

The People’s Operator (TPOP) is one of those AIM companies where it is hard to see how it will survive in the longer term, and unless things somehow alter dramatically, the recent changes will only delay the inevitable.

I first encountered Sir Henry Bellingham MP when he rented out his good name to the wholesale AIM fraud that was 3DM (now in administration). Did he care that there was massive evidence of fraud? Well not enough to resign for many years while taking his fees. He is the sort of A Grade troughing shite that gives Tory MPs such a bad name. He is now a director of Pathfinder Minerals (PFP), but for how long. Richard Jennings of Align Research owns 4% of the stock and is now calling for Sir Hal and CEO Nick Trew to go at once. I support that call. Jennings has published a very strong letter indeed today making damning accusations.  Over to Richard:

Roger Lawson and Tom Winnifrith have agreed that Mr Lawson's legal action against Tom Winnifrith for libel will not be pursued further. Life is too short. Both men are agreed that nearly all of the work done by each other on seeking reform of AIM and in campaigning against poor corporate governance is worthwhile. There are too many ways in which the stock market needs reform and too many individuals who break the rules that do exist, for energies and money to be wasted on a fight that will enrich only lawyers.

Hello Share Tricksters. I'm stuck in the grim north at the mo, threatened with the Beast from the East. Luckily, I have my Vest from the West. As the certainty of snow keeps me away from my usual research bank, I thought I might bring to your notice my three most-likely-to-succeed shares at the moment, without reliance on balance sheets, fundamentals and all the other harder signals favoured by my more learned colleagues on this heart-warming website.

More than 300 tickets for the UK Investor show have been reserved this week alone. That is more than 10% of the available stock. More than half the seats at the UK Investor Show have already been booked even though the event is still two months away - we have never seen demand like this in 17 years. Get your seat while stocks last...