Long suffering Teathers Financial shareholders could actually be on the verge of seeing the company actually worth something again after a deal with Power Metal Resources was announced, but for me it raises a lot of questions.

A routine-sounding “Notice of Results and Trading Update” announcement from ECO Animal Health Group (EAH), which includes it stating it “is pleased to provide an update to its expected results for the year ended 31 March 2022”... so why are the shares currently approaching 100p in response, circa 20% down?!

It is over a thousand days ago when I observed that “Marie Kondo and I are both wrong about self-storage...and Lok'nStore (LOK)”. Since then, shares in the provider of self-storage space in the UK are up another 50%...whilst the lady who created the KonMari method of keeping only those things that "spark joy" has moved to California (where the ability to waffle on about anything and get paid for it is unparalleled). Today’s trading update by the company is described as exhibiting “excellent revenue and pricing growth driven by continued strong demand (and) more new stores on the way".

Previously writing on arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery retailer TheWorks (WRKS), in May with the shares up to 57p I noted reckons can deliver further sales growth… but consumer pressures starting to bite?. The shares last closed at 46.5p and today a further “trading update”.

The new CEO at Purplebricks (PURP) can drone on about cost cutting, diversity and inclusion all she wants but when you are sailing into a macro-economic hurricane, all small ships will sink. My thanks to reader “ouzo man” for pointing out the latest data from the HMRC.

I start with the wildlife diversity and will leave you in supense ahead of the drive back to Wrexham which starts in one hour. Then it is onto Zak Mir's sordid Lift Global Ventures (LFT), more Clem Chambers gimps getting the boot at ADVFN (AFN) and Bidstack (BIDS) where after today's piss poor interims, even Stevie Wonder can see that the writing is on the wall about the next bailout placing.

Hello Share Takers. From time to time, I urge you to take a look at Pets at Home (PETS). Why? Because the fascination with pets is growing hot and fast. It could be something to do with Covid making folks feel more lonely. Or is it that people are getting fed up with the inadequacies of their human companions? Or it might be that working at home makes it easier to keep a cat or dog.

“Can I do my chat with you via video link?” said the least well-known person attending Sharestock on September 10 as a CEO speaker? “No! You are uninvited” said I. He missed the point about this event, it is personal. You can listen to all the speakers on stage but then collar them in the drinks tent before or afterwards for a one to one chat

It is my last full day in Greece. I reflect on the holiday and on the olive harvest to come in December at the Greek Hovel and then my full and final thoughts on Big Sofa (BST).

Just under eight months ago HERE  I gave Capita (CPI) - which describes itself as “supporting the justice system through smart technology solutions” - a slightly alternative name.  I remember first using such an alternative name many years ago - and it is certainly neither unique or particularly smart.  But it kind of captures well the company’s struggles over the last seven or eight years where its share price contraction stands at well over 90%. How striking for a company which many will remember its epic 1990s (and initially beyond) performance.  

Albeit a week late, it is time for another update on my five slam-dunk sells for 2022. Last time four out of the five had slipped into the red – is there any further improvement this time?

Gold ended the week at $1777, up from $1767 last week, and held up well in the face of a surprisingly strong jobs report in the US last week. That jobs report was good news, supposedly, but following the previous week’s bad news on US GDP which was taken as good news, this week’s positive jobs report was taken as bad news and market fell, with the exception of the Dow Jones index. Hmph!

Grab a cup of tea, sit back, and test your knowledge against the other ShareProphets members. Write your score in the comments, there are no prizes, and most important of all – no Googling!

Here are five long reads that have nothing to do with shares. Put the kettle on, find a comfy chair. You have the time, don’t you? 
 

These are the most-read articles and most listened-to Bearcasts of the week. The most read non-Tom article is Ariana Resources – Half-Year Production Report: Tavsan On The Way: BUY by Nigel Somerville at number eight or number 13 if you include Bearcasts.

Centamin (CEY) has announced its Sukari mine in Egypt delivered a half-year financial and operating performance in-line with plans with gold production of 203,898 ounces at an all-in sustaining cost of $1,446/oz sold and that “despite cost pressures, the company remains on track to achieve its annual cost and production guidance for 2022”.

Throughout the year Big Sofa (BST) has been telling us that everything was going well with new hires and client wins. Well that was a fecking lie as the circular issued the other day but not received by this shareholder shows. Do I want to put up more cash or be 90% diluted? You know what? I will take the hit and I now write this off mentally as a zero. I apologise to all who have lost money on this one. If its any consolation my personal hit is in excess of £40,000.  I now value this as a zero and indeed rather look forward to Big Sofa spunking this placing and going bust. 

I should declare that I am a shareholder in this company. I bought 1 share a few years ago so that I could attend its AGM to quiz the management on the catalogue of lies they had told to investors.  Then covid struck. On a properly regulated market Advanced Oncotherapy (AVO) would have been given the order of the boot years ago, but this is AIM.

As the Bulletin Board Morons await news on their first inventory monetisation for a derisory $1.5 million promised to deliver in July by Alessandro Zamboni in his RNS of 28 June, then promised last week in his RNS of 29 July and so far, consistent with the majority of Zamboni promises nothing actually materialised.

Hello Share Scrapers. This old punter is in a difficult bind at the mo. I have always, even when the clouds were dark, opined that shares were generally a safe investment and that the sun would come shining through. But I've had a road to Damascus moment. And I now think a recession with an accompanying share crash is most likely.