Hello, Share Scrapers. I suppose if I mention that today’s choice of company makes ventilators, you might be quite interested. Because that’s what Inspiration Healthcare (IHC) does. However, this go-ahead firm may not be affected by Covid too much as many of its ventilators are for babies, especially premature ones. Nevertheless, the number of babies born very early isn’t going away and Inspiration Healthcare designs and produces some other very useful hospital gear…

We recommended shares in Panther Metals (PALM) in July, taking a 55% bid to offer gain just a week later at a 13.2p bid price. That proved well-timed as the shares have since slipped back. However, overall, junior gold excitement has even strengthened since then and, in this environment, there look the potential catalysts to spark the shares to 15p+…

Yesterday on Gulf Marine Services (GMS), I noted shares further slump as General Meeting resolutions fail – including noting there is another General Meeting requisitioned by Seafox for boardroom change. Today a further “Shareholder Circular and Notice of General Meeting”…

I start with a few words on my preparations for tomorrow’s funeral which will mean my absence from this site for a day.  Then onto the election in America where our boy is on a bit of a roll - a full analysis of recent developments is in a special podcast HERE.  Then it is on to Verditek (VDTK), Versarien (VRS), Covid shorts and longs including, sorry Three Brains, Carnival (CCL). Finally a look at grossly overvalued Mirriad (MIRI).

Previously writing on X-ray screening systems to the security and industrial inspection markets company Image Scan Holdings (IGE), in July with the shares at 2.65p I noted “delighted to announce” partnership programme… but a 55%+ share price rise?. The shares have since fallen back but, on the back of a trading update, are today up despite stock markets being down…

It is not just in mining juniors where some valuations are bonkers or among those stocks that have jumped onto the Covid bandwagon, madness seems writ large across the market. But perhaps there is a madness in valuations which cannot be justified on fundamentals and that is that the market is telling you that are living through another asset bubble?…

Shanta Gold (SHG) “is pleased to announce… the company has raised gross proceeds of £32.2 million (approximately US$42.1 million)… at a price of 16.5 pence per ordinary share. The fundraising was significantly oversubscribed”…

Previously writing on value footwear retailer Shoe Zone (SHOE), in July with the shares having fallen below 80p I noted previous clear uncertainties and that latest certainly didn’t enhance confidence. Today a “Full Year Trading Update” – and the shares further down, currently to below 40p…

Suspicions that the shareholder register of AIM-listed Inspirit Energy (INSP) were not correct were confirmed yesterday lunchtime (the new no-one-is-watching o’clock) when the company admitted that CEO and Chairman John Gunn’s total interest was not 28% as previously claimed on November 25 last year, but 25.4%. Needless to say, the original announcement was signed off by Inspirit’s hapless Nomad, Roland “fatty” Cornish – the worst Nomad in town.

I’ve mentioned brick company Ibstock (IBST) a few times on these pages, noting here that ‘I love basic, but worthy, products’ especially if they have pricing power due to a supply oligopoly, as you should note with this space. I see on a shabby day for the broader market that Ibstock shares are once again close to the 150s pence level I have used a couple of times to add to my holding, which is kind of interesting especially as the company’s trading update released today read well in my view. So what did it say?…

Hello Share Takers. There are a few companies that are already growing because of the Covid outbreak. I’m not talking about all those hopefuls who are chasing tests and making sanitisers. But a few that are already making a solid contribution to fighting the pandemic. One such outfit is EKF Diagnostics (EKF)…

Gulf Marine Services (GMS) has updated that “at its general meeting held today, the resolutions put to shareholders both failed to pass… Of the 176,388,633 votes cast against the resolutions, 96.7 per cent. (170,575,984 votes) were voted in respect of shares beneficially owned by Seafox, Mazrui Investments LLC or Horizon Energy LLC”. The shares have currently responded further lower towards 7p…

I start with a few notes on  preparations for Thursday’s funeral following my piece on mad Covid rules and Dad’s ceremony HERE. Then I look at Verditek (VDTK) and Versarien (VRS) where the wheels realy are coming off. Then it is onto a defence of my friend Tim Blackstone and my analysis of Metals Exploration (MTL). Finally I look, in real detail (hence the length of this podcast), at Guild Esports (GILD) which was much hy;ped by the deadwood press at its IPO a few weeks ago partly because David Beckham was investing in it. I expose why that is so utterly misleading, Becks will make a killing from this IPO but I suggest mug punters will not. This whole thing stinks.

Randeep Gewal of G3 Exploration (G3E), formerly Green Dragon Gas, being shown as a liar comes as about as much of a surprise to me as the sun coming up in the morning.  An insolvent company run by a liar, what is not to like? You cannot say I have not been warning folks for years ( seven!)

Fashion retailer QUIZ plc (QUIZ) has announced results and “looking ahead, we remain confident in the strength of our brand”. At a little changed 7.2p share price, the market cap is though currently below £9 million…

I vaguely recall the demerger of Keras Resources (KRS) and ASX listed Calidus Resources around a year ago, which resulted in shares being distributed to eligible shareholders, but until very recently I wasn’t aware of quite how much fuss had resulted from this, following what appears to have been mistakes made by the company and its incompetent Nomad.

It was announced this morning that Kerim Sener, CEO of AIM-listed Turkish gold-producer Ariana Resources (AAU) has exercised 7 million options at 1.55p and sold five million shares at 5.9p, a further 1.5 million at 5.75p and his wife has sold a further 2.4 million at 5.75p. He subsequently bought 92,000 into his SIPP but that is a fair amount of selling. Should we follow the lead?

Revolution Bars (RBG) has announced that a subsidiary which operates 50 ‘Revolution’-branded bars (“the group’s Revolucion de Cuba branded bars and four Revolution branded bars operated by other entities in the group are unaffected”) has launched a CVA. Has blundering Boris struck again?…

There is that old saying that when good management (although the jury is out on that) meets a bad company it is the reputation of the latter which survives. And that brings me to AIM-listed uber-dog St James’ House (SJH) – formerly Lib Dem grandee Lord Razzall disaster Boxhill Technology (BOX). We’ve had funding not arrive, vacuous trading statements and now this morning the company tells us it cannot get its accounts out on time. So why has AIM Regulation not suspended the shares forthwith?

In the wider scheme of things, no huge surprises in today’s first half numbers from Premier Inn owner Whitbread (WTB). You will recall my history with this one – I took big profits thanks to the largesse of Coca-Cola in buying Costa at a material premium (how’s that one working out I wonder?), but then backed the rights issue and even  last time  observed I would increase my stake even further at twenty quid a share. I did not get that opportunity but market moves and shifts might still give me that opportunity as pandemic angst continues. Today’s update builds on the bare bones of the trading update I wrote up a month or so ago at the link above…