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.

Ferrexpo (FXPO) emphasises that it produces high grade iron ore pellets, which are a premium product for the global steel industry and enable reduced carbon emissions and increased productivity for steelmakers. That sounds good, but it does so from Ukraine. That is why it has seen a share price fall from approaching 500p last summer, but we can now see reasons why the shares could bounce sharply.

Eneraqua Technologies (ETP) is “pleased to update that… trading in the first half of the year to 31 January 2023 has been encouraging” and that current global challenges are creating further demand for the work it does. So what of a share price currently slightly lower today to 260p?

The whisteblower tells truly salacious stories - I shall speak to them at length, later. I discuss FinnCap (FCAP), the fraud Supply@ME Capital (SYME), IQE (IQE), the chocolate teapots at the FCA, and MGC Pharmaceuticals (MXC). Gotcha!

Previously writing on engineering and technical recruitment group RTC (RTC), in March with the shares down to below 30p I concluded the financials including cash burn and near term difficulties meant I certainly continued to avoid. So what now with “pleased to announce” results for the first half of 2022 and the shares at 21.5p?

Sub-Standard listed AIQ (AIQ) – the dog listed by champagne quoffing Andrew Monk and VSA Capital which spent most of its first six months on the market suspended and then blew most of its cash on a disastrous RTO in a fit of reverse alchemy – announced interim results to April 2022. Could the story get any worse? Er…..

In early May I observed that “The Rightmove (RMV) CEO is wise to exit stage left after over 16 years”. The rise and rise of online property porn has been such a huge focus for the average adult over the last twenty of so years. We are - after all - genius new home selectors, ranked only just below the “Location, Location, Location” presentation Gods. So why are Rightmove shares down year-to-date?

MyHealthChecked (MHC) has announced that four of its cheek-swab DNA at-home wellness tests are now available to purchase through the Amazon UK site (with Glucose Management expected to follow), emphasising that “following the success of our partnership with the UK's top high street pharmacy retailers for our COVID testing service, we have seen the real value that additional retail partners can bring to the business by broadening our customer base and significantly increasing our market share”.

Drew Nelson is the scumbag who as CEO of IQE (IQE) persuaded thirsty share bloggers and other gullible souls that his low grade commodity business, based in the  rain sodden, post industrial, covid ridden, second world wastelands of South Wales which never generated a cent of cash was somehow a great growth stock. That justified paying Drew a vast salary but that was not enough to sate his greed.

After Fevertree’s (FEVR) recent profits warning, Lucian Miers says that he has closed his short. Not that he expects the shares to surge higher just that he sees greater opportunities out there for the teddies. I am not so sure.

Hello Share Pickers. A company at the centre of the move towards green energy has posted a trading update which seems worth a look. Horsham-based Ceres Power Holdings (CWR) which pioneers fuel cell and electro-chemical technology is confident enough about its interim results for the first half, due on September 22nd, to provide a taster now.

I have no skin in this game, though I wouldn't wish to own shares in Flip Flop's Kavango Resources (KAV). However, as the two men go to war, it is time to grab some beer and popcorn and enjoy from the sidelines. Then, I look at Asimilar's (ASLR) cash crisis, and Red Rock Resources (RRR) where, despite Andrew Bell pulling his usual trick, I hang on. Finally, I take a detailed look at Ince Group (INCE), where I am now 90% vindicated, with the shares crashing to c. 5p. I await an apology from its PR man, who suggested that, at 52p just before Christmas, I was wrong to be such a bear. To watch my next hat eating, go HERE.

Previously writing on floor coverings company Airea (AIEA), in March 2020 with the shares at 39p I concluded that there looked value potential but I’d want to see turnaround of the profit direction before considering from the watchlist. With the shares having last closed at 27.5p, what about the first half of this year?

Describing itself as “a leading provider of specialist products using printed circuit technology”, Trackwise Designs (TWD) states it “is pleased to announce its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2021 and to provide an update on trading for the six months ended 30 June 2022”. So why have the shares currently responded to 36p, more than 19% lower?!

Nightcap (NGHT), the bars chain floated in a deal to save face for Dragon’s Den star, the ghastly Sarah Willingham, has a curious period end 27^th June and December. I have previously noted how this allows the company to mislead investors, as its period-end balance sheet will always include a full month’s cash inflow, but not the final month's wages.

Just under a week ago I wrote about how boring BT Group (BT.A) shares are. However, whilst I was right to buy a bunch of the shares a couple of years ago, when the share price has moved very close to my two quid share price target I have failed to book my profit and run. But what has gone, has gone and what am I going to do with the shares that today are down about 5% to just shy of 168p?

Seed Innovations (SEED) has announced results for its year ended 31^st March 2022, noting a testing stock market environment but much operational progress within its portfolio companies.

Online wine retailer Virgin Wines UK (VINO) has issued a trading update for its year ended 30th June 2022 emphasising “a strong, stable and resilient business model, coupled with disciplined customer acquisition, that delivers market leading profitability”. So why are the shares currently down a further more than 7.5% to 67p on the announcement?

There are many reasons to be bearish of Argo Blockchain (ARB), not least a CEO, Peter Wall, who dumps millions of pounds of shares AFTER sounding folks out about a placing, which took place less than two weeks after that dump.  But that is not the only corporate governance issue.

I am struggling to remember a Wednesday that was as busy for those of us interested in the world of analysis, fund management and macroeconomics matters over the twenty-six years since I started work, as was yesterday. It was all good fun, even if I ended my day listening to the Federal Reserve believing it was very good at looking after American inflation. More about stocks. Like the analytical weirdo I am, I love listening to at least one live conference call every business day. However yesterday, I lost count of the number of calls I listened to and there were a bunch I passed on because I knew I simply did not have time.  First up for me was Reckitt Benckiser (RKT), a company that I mentioned on Tuesday was far more interesting than Unilever (ULVR), which remains very clear after the former’s first half numbers.