The markets are starting to show signs of weakness and although we are yet to see any major downwards correction, it is starting to look more likely that we will get one.

You may remember that PR man Henry Gewanter has taken Julie “Lingerie on Expenses” Meyer to court over unpaid bills. On 2^nd August Gewanter won his case because Ms Meyer simply failed to file a defence. But now using the firm of Shakespeare Martineau, her 19^th lawyers, most of the other 18 having failed to receive payment, Ms Sex Toys on expenses has struck back in her own, typically mendacious, way….

Slightly belated update on the end-September portfolio listings this month but the ‘good’ news is that I am no longer fighting this battle alone and a small, parochial rag called The Financial Times has started to pick up on the issues, although they don’t get all the story, natch!

A half-year trading statement from identity technology group GB (GBG) emphasises “trading performance is in line with expectations, with underlying organic revenue growth of 11%” and “our pipeline is looking strong… we remain confident in meeting full-year consensus revenue and profit expectations”. The shares have though responded currently more than 5% lower towards 480p. Hmmm…

Hello, Share Skimmers. Maybe the word Osirium means something to you, but I own up to ignorance of the subject. And I do wish directors would not choose obscure names which are hard to remember. That said Osirium Technologies (OSI) looks a firm worth keeping tabs on.

In today's podcast I look at Purplebricks (PURP) and whether Neil Woodford is going nutso, Tesla (TSLA), RPS Group (RPS), Debenhams (DEB) and Feedback (FDBK)

The Daily Telegraph has been on this story for eight months but Britain’s most loathed businessmen has used his vast wealth to take out legal injunctions stopping the press from publishing details. However that has been blown apart by Lord Peter Hain of sleaze using Parliamentary Privilege  to name Green and Hain’s comments can now be reported. The scumbag former Labour minister has for once in his life done the decent thing and told the House of Lords today:

There is a tendency to look at the gold price in US dollar terms simply because that is the currency it nominally trades in within the bullion wholesale market. The bias is reinforced by the headline writers who do likewise… yet meanwhile in other currencies gold has been in a stealth bull market these last 4 years. 

The Deloro affair should have seen more heads roll at Mayan Energy (MYN). That it has not just shows what a regulatory joke the AIM Casino has become. Over to the City’s No 1 oil analyst Zac “the knife” Phillips of shamed Nomad SP Angel of MySquar (FRAUD) infamy. Zac, who may be shite at Latin but knows his oil, opines:

Fund manager Jaime Carrasco feels that recent market activity is a good signal of what is coming. He says, “There aren’t many safe havens left, and one of the few is precious metals.” In this latest podcast from Palisade Capital, Jaime mentions that the Comex chairman commented that gold should be above $5000. The paper market has been suppressing the price of gold through derivatives. People need to understand they are living in a complete facade and when this game is over, there will be a re-balancing.

An AGM statement from designer and manufacturer of products for the wireless telecoms and critical communications markets, Filtronic (FTC) is one the company “is pleased to provide” and includes “trading so far in the first half of FY2019 has been in line with our expectations” and “we are confident that our position overall continues to strengthen and our outlook remains positive”… so why are the shares currently circa 18% lower on the day, at around 17.5p?

Half-year results on 2nd August from RPS Group (RPS) saw CEO John Douglas emphasising “we have made good progress in respect of our strategic priorities including the re-organisation of the business that will provide a solid platform for growth”. Today the company reports third quarter adjusted profit below expectations and a warning that profit will be further impacted by “necessary investment in the business”. Uh oh…

A couple of months ago I talked about advertising behemoth WPP (WPP) again noting that "in short, do not be tempted by WPP yet. The 'Sorrell lows' of c. 1100p are one place to have a think about it all but I would wait for the realities of the strategic update first". Too right...after today's update smacked the shares down over 15% at the time of writing - and even earlier today it fell the most on an individual day since 1999. Put that on your advertising billboards!

A trading update from X-ray screening systems company Image Scan (IGE) includes “record number of industrial systems were delivered” and “our order pipeline is strong”. So why are the shares still well down from more than 12p reached last year and even on the more than 3p of my prior update?...

Hello Share Pasters. At the risk of trampling a little bit on my brilliant colleague Nigel Somerville’s territory, it might be useful to highlight the best Footsie shares for dividends. This information becomes even more pertinent in times of a falling stock market. As we can still make good money from our divis, even after the direst of shocks.

Today brings news that FinnCap, Finncrap to its friends, the biggest AIM Nomad and broker is to buy Cavendish Corporate Finance, the corporate advisory firm run by pompous Tory Lord Leigh, who claims to speak for ordinary shareholders but is actually a City fat cat like the rest of them, and that the combined business will itself list on the casino in December. Is this a sign that AIM is headed into irreversible decline?

Today's bearcast is recorded outside the Greek hovel as Joshua does not seem to understand why hard working folks here in Greece have an afternoon sleep. In the podcast I look at Yu Group (YU) in detail, Challenger Acquistions (CHAL) and MX Oil (MXO) en passant and, in real detail, Totally (TLY) where either CEO Wendy Lawrence or scumbag, low life, morally bankrupt PR Yellow Jersey, or both, must think investors are truly stupid to swallow the horse in today's trading statement.

A marginally less bad day today for AIM-listed Patisserie Holdings (CAKE), owners of Patisserie Valerie in that there was good news in with the bad as announced just before 9am this morning. The good news is that a winding up petition against its main trading subsidiary, Stonebeach Ltd, has been thrown out. Good news: no trip to the insolvency shop, then. As for the bad news, it is a relatively small matter but perhaps tells us what may have been going on.

In June despite shares in Autins Group (AUTG) slumping to 50p, I concluded the current lower demand and “significant competitive pressures”, with further investment having been made and lack of visibility means I think I’ve seen enough here. Sell – and as the shares currently slump, this is yet another example of why to be extremely cautious of company’s expecting second half weighting. The shares had since declined to the mid 30p’s – and are further lower today on the back of a “Post Year End Update”…

AIM-listed Yu Group (YU.) only joined the Casino back in March 2016, via a placing at 185p. Since then it has been a one-way street for shareholders, with the stock rising to a peak of over £14 in March of this year. And then the Finance Director resigned…..