Hello, Share Poppers. It’s always a pleasure to listen to comment from readers of this terrific website. So a few months back, I bought some shares in Aeorema Communications (AEO), as one of my readers said they couldn’t understand why the stock of such an award-winning company was not doing much better.

The debt timebomb has not gone away. In fact it is bigger than ever and that has massie implications for all of us, the central theme of this month's newsletter from the world's biggest investor in resource stocks, Sprott Asset Management. It writes:

With its shares having slumped from 35p following recent real bad news and disclosure, yesterday saw an attempted no-one watching o’clock (5:01pm) “Company Update” from Real Good Food (RGD). Uh oh…

I am a shareholder in Amryt (AMYT) which has had a placing today. I am furious and feel shafted. The shares are almost certainly cheap but I feel livid so am off, with Joshua, for coffees with the fit young mums. I also comment on i3 Energy (TOAST), 88 Energy (88E), Frontera (FRR) and ADVFN (AFN).

Back in early 2016 I said you wanted to wait for a 3 quid level to get excited about Kingfisher (KGF). If you did have a go at the owner of B&Q, Screwfix and in France Castorama then you are probably pretty chilled about the latest numbers because after plunging below that round number level during the summer, the shares are now heading pleasantly north of it.

Updating previously on Character Group (CCT), we noted Finance Director departs, but reassurance provided – and the company has now updated on trading…

How the Bulletin Board Morons laughed at me as I warned in the strongest possible terms that 88 Energy (88E) shares were a slam dunk sell and that drilling of the Icewine well was not going well. Please form an orderly queue morons I guess you did know better than a trained oil analyst after all. The shares have slumped by 0.75p to 1.25p but a market cap of £56.9 million is still way too high. There is worse to come.

Falanx (FLX) has announced a partnership with Stone Group, a major supplier of IT services to the Education sector and Government. Stone provides the hardware to all these money tree-funded bodies and will, in future, promote Falanx Cyber Defence as its sole cyber security partner.

Symphony Environmental Technologies (SYM) was a 6.75p offer price share tip – and the shares rose to 11.5p on the back of a first half of 2017 results announcement, though have currently slipped back to 10.5p…

When it comes to precious metals, all the attention has seemingly been on gold and silver recently, but I think that people are making a mistake if they ignore platinum and the possible upside there.

Hello Share Samplers. When a share approaches company results day, whether for six months or the full year, we can expect the share price to rise. Once that special day arrives, the value often falls - even when profits are in line with expectations or even better. Naturally, the most trading often goes on in the run-up to the announcement concerned and in the week afterwards. But there’s an advantage in buying your shares when nothing imminent is on the company’s diary and when no other news is expected.

Last night it was announced at 4.43pm that AIM-listed investment company Concha (CHA) had raised gross proceeds of £420,000 in a keep the lights on placing at 0.35p. The company trumpets that it was at a discount of 8% to the close the previous day, which makes it seem good value, although the shares cratered from 0.57p at around 1pm on the day of the announcement. No insider dealing there, then. 

Those seeking to oust the board at Stratex (STI) have not been playing with a straight bat as an RNS late yesterday made clear. They are vermin who should be sent packing. Ditto Professor Conroy of Conroy Gold & Natural Resources (CGNR). I have news on his latest courtroom scrape in Dublin and also on the Afren (AFR) whistleblower to whom I make a generous offer. I am warming to Blur (BLUR) after today's placing and am almost tempted to nibble now that ghastly Phil Letts and his even more ghastly Mrs have gone. There is a detailed analysis of interims from Watchstone (WTG) - Quindell as was. Do not get suckered by that headline cash number. It is not real and the shares are a sell. Finally there is an update on the African Potash (AFPO) and Paragon Diamonds (PRG) litigation. 

An eagle eyed reader flags up another matter relating to Neil "nomates" Woodford's next disaster, that is to say Purplebricks (PURP) which, in light of the latest shocking revelations today, is a zero in waiting as I explained HERE.

Kibo Mining (KIBO) is a frustrating company as, at its heart, there’s quite an interesting project, namely the Mbeya Coal to Power Project (“MCPP”), unfortunately it’s in Tanzania and the delays are seemingly never-ending which means that it’s probably time to raise some more funds from somewhere, presumably from Beaufort / Sanderson.

Veteran miner Cameron McCrae thinks the recent run-up in the copper price has been long overdue. He thinks the copper price will go higher and stay there for longer and that demand will continue to be robust. The demand-supply balance is finely tuned, and the sector has been spoiled for some years with no supply disruptions. He says there is unpredictability with mining in Indonesia right now.

Let us be clear: Purplebricks (PURP) is not a fraud but today's publication of customer reviews - that Purplebricks is desperate for you not to see - is damning and suggests a business model that is based on taking £1000 from large numbers of "customers" who get nothing in return. That is not sustainable and is why the shares are worth 0p. The Sam Antar reference is about how Purplebricks responds and that, in turn, will determine the speed of its collapse. That it will collapse is a given.

Ahead of a presentation in London, Optibiotix (OPTI) issued what you might term a "cleansing statement" allowing boss Steve O'Hara to talk freely. And the news is all good. Let's start with Slimbiome.

A couple of market rules spring to mind today. Firstly: If a company’s management tells you that the equity is worthless you had better believe them.

AIM-listed, Cayman Islands registered, Houston (USA)-based and with Georgia operations Frontera (FRR) has announced that YA II PN Ltd (aka Yorkville) has cashed in by converting convertible stock at just 0.09p. With the shares having raced up from sub-0.1 pence to 0.3625p earlier today, on the back of a series of soft PR interviews, website updates and corporate musical chairs, private investors are once again being screwed.