Oh dear, it seems as if the self-styled “ world’s most successful growth market” is having something of an annus horribilis. Pay rises all round at AIM Regulation!

Fully-listed Egyptian Gold miner Centamin (CEY) offered up its half year report to June 2022 this morning, along with an interim dividend declaration. The report seems to have gone down well in the market, with the shares marked up by 2.4% in early trading, and the dividend – 2.5 US cents (just over 2p), to be paid on 7^th October – was at the upper end of my expectations, leaving room for a higher full year payout than currently expected, if all goes according to plan.

Financial services group STM (STM) has issued a “Board Changes and Trading Update” including “we will be making a number of appointments in the coming months to refresh the board around the future strategy of the group” and, with “the pipeline remains encouraging”, that it believes full-year profit expectations will be met. So what of a current more than 8% lower share price to 22p, a circa £13 million market cap?

Kefi Gold & Copper (KEFI) states that, via its 30%-owned joint venture in Saudi Arabia, it “is pleased to announce positive licencing progress on the Jibal Qutman project, plus the award of two further exploration licences”. So what of a current 0.60p to buy share price?

I am delighted to say that Malcolm has now moved the contents of his 26 room South Wales seaside mansion to his new home in North Wales in a carbon net zero worker friendly manner. Unfortunately…

I start with Kanabo (KNB), Oxford Cannibanoid (OTCP) and Cellular Goods (CBX). Who on earth would write them up as the three pot stocks to buy. They are all utter dogs facing looming cash crises. Meet Bethany Garner. I then discuss Victoria (VCP) after this bombshell. Then  Gary's death wish, not as a Euroloon, but in considering buying Revolution Beauty (REVB). Then Ariana (AAU) and why its shares continue to drift.  I start with news of a last minute cancellation here in Greece. If you fancy a last minute luxury break drop me an email. Anyhow it means a more leisurely drive back for me starting, I think, on Monday.

Lucian Miers has been banging on about Victoria (VCP) for years, but today short selling outfit Iceberg has released a damning report suggesting that the £380 million capitalised company has misled investors with fraudulent acquisitions, cannot generate cash and is drowning in a sea of unsustainable debt. It queeries the business dealings and track record of main man Geoff Wilding but publishes a picture of his $65 million superyacht. Anyone reading the report ( below) who is not short is missing out big time. 

Previously writing on Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean restaurants group Comptoir (COM), in June I noted founder, Creative Director and 47.6% shareholder Tony Kitous voting against AGM resolutions including the re-election of Richard Kleiner as Chairman and that, if the Chairman and CEO Chaker Hanna don’t resign, a director change General Meeting would be requisitioned. There has now been a “Board changes and appointment of Nomad & Broker” announcement.

We have covered plenty of dogs which have been howling away in recent days, such as Chill Brands (CHLL) and Love Hemp (LIFE) but one AIM-listed Dog has been conspicuously silent. Catenae Innovation (CTEA) is the dog that didn’t bark!

AIM-listed junior Gold producer Ariana Resources (AAU) released its half-year production results this morning, which made for a good read. But the bigger news for me was that construction at Ariana’s second Gold mine at Tavsan has formally started and is expected to be in operation in around 12 months. Hooray!

It never ceases to amaze me how easily some of the micro cap shares get pumped, and how willing some people are to buy even after a huge increase in the share price on no actual news.

Describing itself as “a leading vendor of cloud-based cybersecurity and IT automation software”, Osirium Technologies (OSI) emphasises a “Significant contract extension”. So what of the shares currently responding more than 13% higher to 6.5p?

Does Advanced Oncotherapy (AVO) think that its shareholders are stupid as today’s RNS announcing yet another issuance of confetti ( 2.2 million shares to raise £550,691 gross) is quite obviously a load of cobblers.

I am trying to remember if I ever owned Taylor Wimpey (TW.) shares as an institutional fund manager a decade plus ago. I don’t think I ever did as - aside from owning my own house - the property market intellectually has never really been a big thing for me. As for Taylor Wimpey shares this year, I observed just over six months ago that “if you are a total return investor for FY22 – it is not that terrible” but I was not going to buy the share myself. And even if you generously factor in the current c. 7% annual dividend yield, the stock is still down c. 14% over the last six months. Apparently though - as per today’s first half numbers - “full year Group operating profit (is) now expected to be around the top end of the current market consensus range". How exciting…or not?

Oh dear. Another day and more bad news from the fraud Chill Brands (CHLL) emerges and another lie. Last September Chill announced that it had launched a new line of synthetic nicotine products, that is to say tobacco free product which contained nicotine. Today it claims that the launch was actually in December - which makes the September RNS another lie whicxh adviser Allenby seems happy to be associated with -  but says that this venture has been wound up with immediate effect.

There is no column from the old boy today as he is moving house. This presents a dilemma for our own in house eco and social justice warrior. How does one ship the contents from his 26 room palace on the sea shore in the poshest village in South Wales to his new abode in the land of the Gogs, that is to say North Wales, in a net carbon zero manner?

CBD outfit Love Hemp (LIFE), backed by boxer Anthony Joshua , is the company that lied to investors about having raised cash when it had not. That led to its Aquis adviser (Peterhouse) quitting and the shares being suspended on May 3. It says it is still talking to a new adviser but which adviser is bent enough to want to act for a company that lies about such matters?  And then there is a trading statement today.

I shall post photos in the next day or so showing me climbing a rocky and overgrown hill to a castle in the burning midday sun with my daughter Jaya on my back. I did the same three years ago with Joshua but managed better today. There is still life in this old dog. Then onto GSK (GSK) and Haleon (HLN). I ditched my Haleon shares today and explain why. Then I look at Revolution Beauty (REVB), ProCook (PROC), the fraud Supply@ME Capital (SYME), Cellular Goods (CBX) and in detail at Purplebricks (PURP). 

In part one I looked at the legacy issues and the FRC rule breaches. But what of the sunlit uplands mug punters owning Tintra (TNT) shares are promised?

On 19 July last year Revolution Beauty (REVB) joined the AIM Sewer raising £110.7 million by issuing new shares and with founders dumping £189.3 million of shares at 160p.  After a warning today about dismal trading which is so bad that it begs the question of whether Revolution will go bust, the shares are 26p. This is a new posterboy for the AIM 2021 IPO class of shame and advisers Zeus Capital should be asked some real questions.