Previously writing on gaming industry online marketing company Veltyco (VLTY), last month I questioned directors provide bailout loans… but what about after more than a few more months?. Now a “Trading Update”…

I start with a comment on the amazing generosity of one person donating more than £11,000 to Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks yesterday. It was not Neil Woodford though I did ask. Anyhow: to the 75% of you yet to donate think of me this weekend on a) my last training walk ahead of 33 miles next weekend and b) entertaining a visiting mother in law. As you think of my weekend, please donate HERE. In the podcast I discuss Woodford's latest bad news, Maistro (MAIS), Blur as was, UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) and Staffline (STAF). I also offer advice to Andrew Monk on which 1 AIM stock he should buy today for his mother's IHT Portfolio.

Let it never be said that Neil Woodford is a forced seller of anything, for yesterday we learnt that once again he has topped up with yet more shares in Kier Group (KIE) and a few more Redde (REDD). Except that as at yesterday’s close, his Equity Income Fund had dropped through the £4 billion mark, according to Morning Star. Only at the end of March the fund was worth £4.4 billion. I wonder what he has been selling…..completely voluntarily, natch.

Previously writing on recruitment and training group Staffline (STAF), in March I concluded announced contract wins likely useful further business – though not sufficient to alter a view that some clean delivery with strong net cash generation is now required here (and that before even considering any Brexit-related future uncertainties). Today a “Trading Update” commencing, “The ongoing Brexit uncertainty is impacting the UK labour market”. Uh oh…

Retained losses are £27 million and counting, the shares have collapsed from 82p at IPO to just 0.4p, Blur (BLUR), now rebranded as Maistro (MAIS), has been a disaster for investors but at least its founder Phil Letts and his ghastly wife who was also on a fat salary have been able to buy and upgrade a Country mansion, as we noted HERE.  Today as it issued another lack of profits warning and warned of another cash crisis, Maistro says it is going to delist from the AIM Cesspit.

easyJet (EZJ) shares have been under the cosh in recent weeks due to the rum mixture of consumer spending being under pressure and the inevitable Brexit uncertainty. I know the latter is a bit of a 'go to' for many corporate names, but for a company such as easyJet it actually matters if any new impediments occur to travel or restrictions on ownership. The latter has been a real hassle for the company because of a need to show majority control by European Union-centric investors in order to keep maximum corporate flexibility...

We have a double edition today of further articles released by Norwegian E24 as it continues to dissect the activities of Chris Rynning, the former boss of ShareProphets AIM-China Flithy Forty play Origo Partners (OPP). First up we have part 4, which looks further into his role as an adviser to Investinor (Norwegian state-owned) which seems to unearth a massive conflict of interests. Then we move on to Rynning’s lawyer who offered a reply...

Majority shareholder and offeror for women's clothing and accessories retailer Bonmarche (BON), Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group owner Philip Day’s Spectre Holdings, has updated that it “will now take a step back and see if the Bonmarché board can deliver on the plans and strategy it has set out”. Hmmm…

Hello Share Takers. As a self-styled green investor, though hypocritically not all the time, I tend to favour public transport providers. FirstGroup (FGP) buses are a familiar sight on our roads and it also operates in the USA and Canada. Those famous Greyhound buses are in its stable...

“MySale Group plc (AIM: MYSL), the leading international online retailer, today announces that the transaction to sell the trade and assets of the website cocosa.co.uk… has now been completed… With this disposal complete we can accelerate our 'ANZ First' strategy, which leverages our market position in the region”. What about “leading international online retailer” though? And why, with a deal agreement announced earlier this month and the shares already down from a 226p per share June 2014 AIM IPO and approaching 40p as recently as December, now a further 10% decline to just 11p?...

Today's bearcast is a full report on the AGM of Neil Woodford's Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) which I'd score as a win for me against the great fund manager and his chairman Susan Searle. I did manage to get Cheryl Cole into the debate and I did ask Neil woodford to donate to rogue bloggers for Woodlarks, as you can do here,, but I also took the board to task on a number of other matters and managed to get Neil pretty riled. Happy days.

As long as you are prepared to accept a degree of geo-political risk, then I find it very hard not to like Genel Energy (GENL) at the current share price.

Never mind that a £10 million (or thereabouts) black hole was found in the accounts of AIM-listed Yu Group (YU.) and it raised £11.6 million in a placing last year on the back of dodgy accounts, the chocolate teapots at the FCA have discontinued their investigation, according to the company this morning...

“UK focused retailer and manufacturer of PVCu replacement windows and doors for the homeowner market”, Safestyle UK (SFE) has updated commencing; “Following the progress made during H2 2018 in stabilising the business, phase two of our turnaround plan is now well underway. Our focus for phase two continues to be on recovering volumes and market share, restoring our operational effectiveness, reducing our costs and enhancing our margins. We remain on track to conclude this phase at the end of 2019 and then plan to move into phase three in 2020 which has a primary focus on accelerating our growth”. Sounds decent enough – and the shares have currently responded… er, to below 80p; circa 15% down!…

The Woodford Patient Capital Trust AGM has opened by denying entrance to the press. Peter Smith, the venerable asset manager editor of the Financial Times has been sent off on his bicycle. The company has decreed that only registered shareholders may enter. Of course, Tom Winnifrith is a registered shareholder.

Like the complete investment sad-o that I am, I will be listening into today's GVC Holdings (GVC) capital markets day. You will recall I made the stock one of my two tips of the year and then the Chair and CEO stupidly dumped a bunch of stock which nobbled the share price. As discussed HERE, I decided to remain a believer and channelled my inner Peter Lynch in deciding that they were foolish but not rotten as the only real guide to director views is buying more stock with cold hard cash. Well the shares have recovered a little since and judging by the tone of today's pre-capital markets day blurb, life remains opportunistic…

The £2 billion valuation of Benevolent AI flatters the NAV of Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT), whose AGM I shall be attending this morning,  and has - on its own - earned Neil Woodford c£2 million pa in management fees as a result of the EIF Holding. We have covered this Theranos in waiting many times HERE. But what is the scientific view?

Previously writing on digital marketing services group Be Heard (BHRD), last year with the shares at 1.3p, I concluded that the shares are firmly on the bargepole list. Now an AGM update including “the group has had a good start to the year. For the first quarter, the group has experienced good revenue and Adjusted EBITDA growth, with the overall trading performance being ahead of both budget and last year. Moreover, we are becoming more confident regarding performance for the remainder of the year”. The update has helped the shares bounce to a current 1.05p…

Hello Share Chargers. There’s one stable contributor to my portfolio which I will probably stick with through thick and thin. However its interim results incline me to think that ‘thick’ will reign for some time yet. Compass Group (CPG) is one of the biggest caterers in the world...

I explain the nature of the fraud and why I am so livid. My anger is compounded by Wrexham Council and its inability to sign roadworks which wasted half an hour of my life. Then I find I agree with David Lenigas on something: can life get any worse? I discuss Argo BlockChain (ARB), PureCircle (PURE), Cabot Energy (VAB), Watchstone (WTG) and Toople (TOOP). Maybe I have a second question for Neil Woodford, will anyone pay £250 for me to ask it? If you are yet to donate to Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks we are now at £27,000 raised so please chip in HERE.