Hello, Share Twizzlers. Normally, I avoid companies which design and flog software. It is, after all, fairly easy, if you’re talented, to start up a company with very little capital and design computer pages from the bedroom.

Shares in AIM-listed Ariana Resources (AAU) have been a pain since I recommended them back in February. They duly motored north, only for the steam to be well and taken out by a placing. I still reckon there is excellent value here and continue to look for the 2p mark to be achieved (again).

AIM-listed Rurelec (RUR) has updated the market with regard to its dealings wth Energia del Sur in Argentina. In short, the cash ain’t flowing into Rurelec’s coffers.

Half-year results saw Brave Bison (BBSN) emphasise “an encouraging start to 2017, bringing us significantly closer to profitability”. Optimism then for a Trading Update today…

With a litany of Red Flags behind it, you might wonder that AIM-listed Advanced Oncotherapy (AVO) has managed to raise any money at all, but this morning’s news is – it seems – good news. Cash coming in (and large quantities of it) should pay down the payables nicely and give the company some breathing space – although we are told that the cash is still in China awaiting approval to be shipped out by the authorities. Followers of the ShareProphets AIM-China Filthy Forty might consider that as an indication that the completion of the deal is rather open to question.

In June Dillistone (DSG) delivered a “significantly below market expectations” warning, though sought to mitigate by emphasising a confidential new product it reckoned “has the potential to transform the nature of our business and to deliver significant shareholder value”. The shares would still fall from 84.5p towards 50p, but are currently soaring back above 70p today on the back of a 'GatedTalent demand surpasses expectations' announcement…

Today Joshua and I have coffee with the fit young mums then we are off to go to his first business lunch. I have a work lunch and my boy is coming too. That is the deal for folks wanting to meet up on a Wednesday to Friday. I start today's podcast with ADVFN (AFN) and On-Line (ONL) talking pure 100% unadulterated crypto bollocks. Then it is onto Advanced Oncotherapy (AVO) - good news yes but given its track record of allowing insider dealing, misleading customers and investors and, arguably, wholesale securities fraud I would not buy. I look at The People's Operator (TPOP) and question the wording of today's RNS - the shares are 71% down but this could well be toast by Christmas - look at the wording again! Finally a few words on the latest news from the boiler room and the dog Sabien (SNT) 

Gold has been very difficult to read lately, with a lot of the swings making very little sense in the context of the events that have been driving them.

Having declined towards 120p following a profit warning last month, shares in luxury interior furnishings company Walker Greenbank (WGB) had recovered above 130p before an intra-day (12:28pm) Update re Anstey Wallpaper Company announcement…

Adam Reynolds is a man to do an RTO, a man to chair a small company. There comes a time - you hope - when the company grows to a bigger level and you need a bigger company man as Chairman. That time has come at Optibiotix (OPTI).

First writing on Torotrak (TRK) here in April 2016 I concluded “significant challenges ahead” and “sell or if you are not in: bargepole”. There have been plentiful further warnings – and now…

Bizarre news of the day among the larger cap stocks on Wednesday was undoubtedly the announcement that property behemoth Hammerson (HMSO) was buying shopping centre peer Intu (INTU) with a £3 billion+ all share (naturally) offer which creates a 'top three pan-European REIT' (real estate investment trust) with £21 billion of property baggage on its book. And, yes, you have guessed it, the transaction will be earnings accretive despite synergy levels (£25 million) that are more like a rounding error.

Hello, Share Sweetners. I rarely bring a developing miner to your further scrutiny. I prefer to leave all that to my mining expert colleague Gary. Also, I’ve been burned quite a lot by disappointing mineral and metal finds in the past. But any road up, let’s have a look at this one.

An 8:11am (why?) announcement of results for its year ended 30th September 2017 from X-ray screening systems company Image Scan Holdings (IGE) - and the shares currently a further more than 10% lower towards 8p…

Today's internet delivery for my neighbours which I have taken in is an industrial scale amount of loo paper. That tells you something about the Hammerson (HMSO ) deal which I comment on and also relay the thoughts of Nick Leslau. I ask questions about what has happened to Jim Mellon's Life Science Developments (LDC), look at Saga (SAGA)rare honesty in the resources sector from waste of space Spitfire Oil (SRO) and predictable behaviour at jam tomorrow outfit Tertiary Minerals (TYM)

Half-year results from systems integrator and managed services provider, Maintel (MAI) included “gross margin is expected to recover in the second half of the year following recent contract wins at an improved gross margin percentage”. There’s now a Trading Update from the company commencing that its “ICON cloud services have continued to grow strongly in the second half of 2017”. Sounds encouraging, but what about that margin?

UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) has announced that another £500,000 of death spiral loan has been converted into shares, 14,159,092 of them. But hang on, this does not add up. UK Oil & Gas and its patsy Nomad WH Ireland (WHI) are not telling you something.

My old friend Jim Mellon claims to be worth £800 million although I rather doubt that (by a long chalk). But he is certainly worth a bob or two and that brings us to news today that he has bought 50,000 shares in Condor Gold (CNR) at 39.5p. I say Spoooooooooooooooooooooooooooof - placing ahoy!

Having noted on a potential Reach4Entertainment (R4E) placing last week that we understand that there has been strong demand at 1.5p per share and that we’re looking at £5 million at least being raised, the company has now announced a, conditional on General Meeting approval, £5.5 million placing at 1.5p…

Big news today from the shysters at Green Dragon Gas (GDG) but does it change anything? Over to the City's No 1 oil analyst Zak "the Knife" Phillips at SP Angel who does not hold back: