If the bird on the right, and I assume she is a bird but who knows these days, is a fashion expert than I reckon I am qualified to translate Peer Gynt from the original Norwegian into  Somali. I digress, in the comments section below feel free to supply either a caption or ,perhaps, more usefully to explain what this bollocks is all about and how any investor can make money from it. I defy even Jimbo to master that one.

Today’s GM at Ironveld (IRON) was a farce with Chairman Giles Clarke (Rugby and Oxford so obviously a  scholar and a gentleman so beyond reproach) refusing to take any questions and showing an utter contempt for democracy.  There were 4 attendees.

I start with a defence of the privatised water companies on leakage but then discuss their debts and the debts of others, consumers and corporates and how they will cope over the coming year as base rates go from 1.25% to 3.25%. Then I look at La Willingham's Nightcap (NGHT) and what it is NOT saying as it opens another bar for posh a'hole Oxbridge rejects at Bristol University. Then onto Procook (PROC) and Wildcat Petroleum (WCAT).

The Mrs and I have worked hard this summer on upgrading our luxury Greek mountain retreat with pool but a late cancellation means that it is still free to rent for three weeks between now and the end of the swimming pool season. Full pictures and booking via AirBnB can be found HERE but as a reader of this website if you want to book contact me direct and we can cut out the middleman.

Another busy global corporate earnings season week awaits. I am looking forward to the thoughts of Greggs (GRG), Taylor Wimpey (TW.), Rolls-Royce (RR.) and Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) among many others later this week, but today a few thoughts on Cranswick (CWK) and James Halstead (JHD).

Hello Share Carriers. Oil jumbo Shell (SHEL) remains one of the few shares still left in my bag after a dash to cash a month or so ago. That’s because the bubbly oil price can only translate into bigger profits for the black stuff boys. Net profit for the third quarter was 26% higher than last time at $11.5 billion, thanks to those chirpy oil prices and post Covid demand.

A little under three years ago, I first wrote about Smith & Nephew (SN.), which “designs and makes technology that takes the limits off living, and we help healthcare professionals to achieve the same goal”. All good stuff, but - as shown by the 70% fall in share price since October 2019 - life for this sort of business has got more tricky.  And the then-CEO did not listen to my advice: that he needed “to focus on performance and not pay”. Unsurprisingly, he has left, chasing more money… So, what about the new(ish) CEO and prospects for Smith & Nephew shares, now at a five-year low?

I haven’t written about Tintra (TNT) for some time.  Since I last did, it has continued to sort out its legacy business, seeking to build its new model from the disaster that was St James House (previously Boxhill Technology).  It has raised monies at high premiums to its share price, and appointed several impresing-sounding individuals to the Board.  The self-styled “rapidly innovating Deep Tech & Banking business” continues in a similar vein, with the following AGM statement:

What day is it when the City is about to depart on its summer holidays, the first day of the Commonwealth Games and England’s Lionesses are about to contest a final against Germany? It is, of course, a good day to bury bad news. And so, just as the Stock Market was opening and traders not on holiday had their eyes on the market, it was announced that fully-listed Finablr (FIN) was being consigned to the dustbin from the London Stock Exchange, with immediate effect. Blink, and you missed it.

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? 
 

The half-year results to April 2022 for AIM-listed holiday resort in Crete outfit Minoan (MIN) were released on Friday, at 1.55pm – just as the City, having tucked into a nice Friday lunch, was settling down to enjoy the Commonwealth Games. In other words it was no-one-is-watching o’clock – the offence compounded by it being deadline day too. Not a great start!

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!

These are the most-read articles and most listened-to Bearcasts of the week. The most read non-Tom article is Fun (or not) at easyJet, Unilever and Rolls-Royce by Chris Bailey at number three or number eight if you include Bearcasts.

Red Rock Resources (RRR) has announced the issue of £0.623 million of convertible notes, and that “near-term positive financial developments may be anticipated” – can they be, though?

GSK plc (GSK) has announced a “slightly better than expected” first-half performance, and the shares have responded up to 1755.8p.

Somebody had the cheek to ask if I will record videos of ShareStock. Er, no!

I am today alone at the Greek Hovel, for reasons I explain. Walking up and down snake hill, I must have sweated off 15 lbs! In the podcast, I start with a look at Boohoo (BOO), ASOS (ASC) and the issue of earnings visibility, as business models are forced to change. On my return, I spoke to a whistleblower from a 2021 IPO roll-call-of-shame company; I relay some of the specific accusations made. I'm not sure when to name the company, and how I should play it. But I will do so when back in the UK. The said accusations compound a dire financial position, about which I have warned you numerous times.

I am reminded of the words attributed to Prime Minister Jim Callaghan during the Winter of Discontent by The Sun. Callaghan denied having said “Crisis? What Crisis?” and today it seems that President Biden is having the same difficulty understanding the word “recession”. He tells us that this doesn’t look like a recession to him – but the standard definition being of two quarters of negative growth says otherwise: US GDP fell by 0.9% in Q2, following on from a 1.6% drop in Q1. That should be ringing alarm bells, rather than being the cue to try to challenge our intelligence.

Quite a lot has happened since I covered Jadestone Energy (JSE) as a buy just over a month ago, and recent news has further strengthened my positive outlook on the company.

Hello Share Mixers. There are decisions challenging those of us who’ve sold a bevy of shares in favour of cash. When will the tide turn, making it wise to buy back in the stock market? There are slight signals that the Footsie is stabilising and is even edging up on most days. But I’m not buying back yet. For these reasons.