Shares in Mondi plc (MNDI) are down from reaching above 1950p in February to currently below 1500p. However, there looks good reasons why the shares in this FTSE 100 company should, at least, recover to those previous levels again. If not go higher still.

Previously writing on marketing decision-making platform group System1 (SYS1), in February with the shares down to around 250p I concluded that they could offer some value but at this valuation I’d still want to see some clear overall delivery towards future expectations. Having last closed at 310p, what of a current 268p share price on the back of latest updates from the group?

Straws blowing in the wind are often said to presage great tempests and I believe that this chart shows just such a straw.

Hello Share Scratchers. The Footsie’s not upwardly mobile these days. Let’s see why. Well, there’s a strong presence of that great enemy of share price progress: uncertainty. And most of that wobble is caused by the super powers. Russia’s behaviour is unacceptable and world will never forgive her. Yet Putin continues to want back the whole of the Soviet Block.

Hello Shares Fans. Let’s take the opportunity, with markets closed, to review the situation surrounding the oil price and our opportunities to make money with the big, and not so big, oilers. In the last few days of trading, shares in Shell (SHEL), BP (BP.) and the like dropped. But the reason is lightweight and temporary. 

Legendary mining investor, Rick Rule, pulls no punches. He critiques governments for being so corrupt, and why they prefer fiat systems. Then, he explains the difference between backing a currency, and pegging it to a commodity.

Hello Share Seekers. Tom and Steve from the N50 team recommend we buy BP (BP.) shares on the back of its recent results. As usual, they rightly look at value before offering this tip. And their case here, with among other factors its dividend and reduction of debt, is strong enough. And when also taking future prospects into account, the case for collecting more BP shares looks stronger than ever.

It isn’t really surprising that any companies operating in the region where the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine is going on have taken a big hit to their share price since it all kicked off, but that can also present opportunities as long as you are prepared to take on the risks associated with that.

Hello Share Splurgers. It’s my humble view that anyone holding shares in companies which actually produce oil, rather than just look for it, should not sell. Not while the oil price holds up. Oil has not been valued quite so highly recently. But I think it’s probably only taking a breather before it jets off to new highs.

There was not too much to be excited about for Rio Tinto (RIO) shareholders today on the publication of its first quarter production results. I remain a big fan of the mining name as I noted a couple of months ago, and whilst its core iron ore business had negative growth this was largely expected and should improve as the year progresses. Apart from very firm metals prices versus historically, the other opportunity for the company over the 2020s remains everything else it is doing – or, as it put it in the update, “we made notable progress during the quarter with the commencement of underground mining at Oyu Tolgoi following a comprehensive agreement reached with the Government of Mongolia, completed the acquisition of the Rincon lithium project in Argentina, and signed a framework agreement at the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea”.

Products for parents and young children franchising company Mothercare (MTC) has announced an update for its year ended 26th March 2022 including “adjusted EBITDA of £11.5 to £12 million for FY22, ahead of analysts’ expectations” and “encouraging initial feedback from recent focus on product quality and design”. So why have the shares currently responded approaching 8% lower to 10p?...

Bullion analyst, Nick Barisheff, gives a call that will cause even our in-house gold loon, Nigel Somerville, to spit out his cornflakes. He is, of course, talking his book.

As Q1 limps to a close, it is difficult to see clearly through the fog of war. Mindful, doubtless, of the Covid aftermath – which bottomed almost exactly two years ago and led to a spectacular rally in stocks – investors have returned, and the sell-off seems to have petered out.

Investor, Lawrence Lepard, states that Russia’s actions will likely drive the price of gold, as we’ve reached a tipping point not unlike in the 1970s. Putin is hitting back economically: the theft of reserves was a clear warning to many countries. Thus, the Ukraine/Russia conflict is not only military but economic.

Only kidding, Elric – the bit about Optibiotix (OPTI) is at the end. Before that, I discuss bear market-funding economics (it is more interesting than it sounds); c/o Luke Johnson; Russia & Ukraine; ADM Energy (ADME) and its pre-bailout-placing spoof; Vast Resources (VAST); Versarien (VRS); and then, matters to keep Mr Lemming happy.  

Central Asia Metals (CAML) is one of those companies which I think is consistently undervalued by the market, and although it carries some degree of geo-political risk, I believe that too large a discount is applied for that.

At last we Austrian economists  can see that our dire warnings about the thief in the night will be vindicated. But if you think I am gloomy…

Shares in “technology-enabled language, content and intellectual property services” company RWS Holdings (RWS) are currently, at around 340p, down 27% on the back of acquisition and “Capital Markets Event” announcements. So what’s going on?…

Imperial Brands (IMB) has announced an update on its actions and impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, concluding on Russia “an orderly transfer of our business as a going concern would be in the best interests… have begun negotiations with a local third party about a transfer”.

Previously writing on “video optimisation platform company” SEEEN plc (SEEN), in August with the shares down to 44p I concluded cautiously with that there looked much potential already discounted by the valuation. What now after it “pleased to announce a repositioning of roles for executive members of SEEEN’s board and other proposed appointments to build on the company’s momentum with respect to customer wins and its recent strategic partnership with Kinetiq, Inc.”, but the shares further down… to 16.5p!?…

I was a little bit worried this morning, not because it was the Ides of March or anything like that but about how the Imperial Brands (IMB) share price might react to its announced observation of a “financial impact of an exit from Russia and the previously announced suspension of operations in Ukraine on our full-year guidance for FY22”.

There was no Bearcast yesterday as I was a) knackered after a tough Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks training walk and then b) a bit pissed after Ireland’s triumph over the infidels. You can now donate to the 2022 Rogue Bloggers walk on June 11 HERE. In today’s podcast I discuss Optibiotix (OPTI), a long chat with Steve O’Hara and an, in my view, mistaken, but for him massive, call by Lemming Investor. I also cover SkinBiotherapeutics (SBTX). The Russia/Ukraine podcast I refer to is HERE

Hello Share Hunters. I don’t know about you, but I feel totally on edge and sad at the mo. I’ m not sure whether its the madness in Ukraine or that my share portfolio is well down in value. I hope, for the sake of my humanity, that it’s the former. And I think it is. Because as I’ve argued before the Footsie often soars when the initial shocks of war are out of the way. Ordinary share owners can’t do anything to make Putin stop. But we can minimise any damage to our portfolios. 

Again I present this as a counter view to a one way traffic in the MSM. I can’t say that I agree with all of what follows. Libertarian commentator Tom Luongo does not hold back. For starters he believes social media should be reserved exclusively for puppy and unicorn videos. As a hardcore libertarian he believes in human rights and is therefore against war as a matter of principle. Wars support the state and they are the worst possible outcome of human interaction.  He says that the Ukraine war is full of disinformation and bias from the media and as always the first casualty in war is the truth and that Russia appears to generally be less biased in its reporting. The Russians feel this is the least bad action they can take regarding Ukraine at this time.

After the excitement of Wednesday’s market moves comes Thursday…which unsurprisingly after the down and up volatility of the last few days is a bit more boring. We could all probably do with it, although a regular bout of volatility is the markets for you (and I would have it no other way). As for today’s corporate updates, two strike me as being particularly noteworthy, Capita (CPI) and DS Smith (SMDS)…

Mothercare plc (MTC) has made a “Statement re Russia”. As a “global specialist brand for parents and young children”, what does it have to say?…

Currently the conflict in Ukraine is a huge risk for any companies operating there or in Russia, and even more so with further sanctions being put in place and proposed.

All credit to Palisade Radio for this podcast with Peter, a chap on the ground in Russia in St Petersburg. You will not hear or see this sort of thing in the mainstream media as we now hear only side of the conflict and anyone suggesting there may be another point of view faces a firestorm of hate.  Peter has a background in economics and finance while also being a private investor in both stocks and cryptocurrency and was just old enough to remember the collapse of the Soviet Union and recollects the emotions of family during that time.

The world of investment is never simple, if it was we all would be on the beach all the time.  Life – in any case -  is always about how you respond to challenges and that brings us to the markets year-to-date. It is little surprise that the Russian ETF market is down over 80% year-to-date (assuming you can trade it) and little surprise that markets in Poland and Germany are both down more than 20%.  But despite all the pan-European angst, ETF markets in the United States, Japan, India and China are all down either side of 10%, far worse than the 5% fall seen by the UK ETF market and far, far worse than the year-to-date gains still seen by a third of global markets including Brazil, Chile, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Nigeria and Canada.  Of course you all know why: high commodity market exposure – rather than the technology stocks that have dominated many investors over the last decade – has been rather helpful.

This has certainly been an interesting first four days of March for global investment markets.  And – in a way – being a bit too busy with meetings and travel over Thursday and Friday to do anything much with investment market choices is no bad thing. 

Hello Share Stripers. As predicted, British shares tumbled on the outbreak of the sad war in Ukraine. But as the war progresses, history suggests initial falls will be followed by gains. However, the time frame for a turnaround is unknown. And there’ll always be individual shares that will fall and rise more than others. Putin’s war could still diminish some shares, even as the majority of stocks start to recover. So what sectors are most vulnerable?

With inflation and possibly stagflation now back with us for the first time in forty years what differently are you doing with your investments/pensions? Nothing is not the rifght answer.

This morning’s RNS  from Eurasia Mining (EUA) smacks of desperation.  It’s missing any update on the only topic that shareholders are interested in: the sale; or the “liquidity event” as Eurasia referred to it in its 14^th of February RNS.  We’ve repeatedly highlighted issues with the supposed sale here on ShareProphets, but it should now be crystal clear that the political risk in Russia is off the chart, meaning that no non-Russian company is ever going to buy a mining asset in Russia!  And any Russian company will simply do what Putin tells them to do.

Analyst Luke Gromen of Forest for the Trees makes this clear. The media may tell you that sanctions will hit Russia but they are also going to whack the West.

Tomorrow will be four months since Eurasia Mining (EUA) announced that its supposed “Buyer” had completed due diligence for its supposed asset sale.  It’s two years and four months since Eurasia first announced that its assets were up for sale and yet still, shareholders have no idea what assets are for sale, what the sale price is, who the supposed Buyer is or when a sale might complete.  Given that Eurasia is mining in Russia it should come as no surprise that its share price has collapsed since my last update – down another 36% since then, a total decline of 64% from the 40.5p share price peak in November 2020.

The big news this week was, of course, the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is horrendous, and once again my thoughts are with those in the firing line. The market’s initial response was to mark up Gold and oil/gas, and sell everything else. But then a recovery set in – although I am not convinced it will last.

Hello Share Jumpers. Most of the time the stock market is erratic and illogical. But there are periods when it behaves with precision predictability. Like the thankfully rare occasions when a war breaks out. The path is nearly always the same. 

Eurasia Mining (EUA) which was only recently being touted for sale by Russia’s VFB Bank, now facing Western sanctions, has insisted that the new Western sanctions will have no impact on its operations. Whatever you say comrade Schaffalitzky.

I know what many of you are thinking today: why don’t I hold 100% cash in my portfolio this morning? Or maybe 100% gold? Or have been super short the Russian markets. Hindsight Asset Management is always the best performer but – patently obviously – it does not exist and never will. And if you are smart you will realise – whether we are talking about markets or any other challenges – what matters is not what you might have (or probably have not) predicted, but how you react and see the future.

So Russian troops have ”invaded” the Ukraine. Well to be accurate they have entered the two districts which are overwhelmingly Russian and where the folks almost certainly want to be part of Russia. And to be totally accurate, Russian troops have actually already been there since 2014. But listening to the BBC earlier let’s not get inconvenient facts get in the way: Britain, the EU and the USA are already imposing sanctions. So where does this leave Eurasia Mining (EUA), shares in which are off another 12% to 16.25p – almost 60% down from peak ramp 14 months ago and heading rapidly for an 18 month low?

Given the hysteria surrounding the situation in Ukraine over the weekend, the falls in Western-listed Russian names were relatively muted with most being down low single digit percentages on Monday. The exception to this appeared to be FTSE 100 constituent Evraz plc (EVR), the steel producer and coal miner with major operations in Russia and Ukraine. The stock which had closed on Friday at 444p opened at 285p, showing a decline of 159p or 35%. The press was quick to latch on to this “carnage”:

Hello Share Chasers. We must never underestimate the power of oil prices to influence stock markets all over the world. If the Footsie drops, it’s almost guaranteed that oil will be on the back foot, too. This old punter monitors fluctuations of Brent Crude much more closely than he does the Footsie.

I start by considering events in the Ukraine where my sympathies are, naturally, with Mother Russia but what could it all lead to? Then I consider why shares in Zak Mir’s Lift Ventures might fly but why his plan is flawed.  Then onto THG (THG), Deepverge (DVRG) and Union Jack (UJO) and CEOs who say the shares are too cheap too often or who “fear” a takeover at this price. 

JKX Oil and Gas (JKX) is a company that I’ve followed for a number of years but it has never quite lived up to expectations, nor performed anywhere near as well as its assets on paper suggest that it should have.

Petrofac (PFC) shares have been good for trading over the past few years, assuming you managed to get your entries right, but the company has had too many potential issues to really have been considered an investment, unless you had a very high appetite for risk.

Hello, Share Shakers. Nobody ever said the stock markets follow logical paths. And nothing demonstrates this fact more than the current share prices of the oil majors, and even the oil minors. Yes, shares in the ebony nectar rose strongly on the mounting oil price.  But now, though the value of Brent crude continues to lift, many oil shares are stuck.

If you want to invest in London listed precious metals producers your choice of shares is fairly limited, and has become even more so in recent years following takeovers of a couple of the popular miners.

Nearly seven months ago I observed that you should ‘always believe in gold…but stick with Barrick (GOLD) and Polymetal (POLY) and not Yamana (AUY)’ HERE. Most gold stocks are down year-to-date – after an excitable previous couple of years – and these three stocks have been no different. So what do I make of Polymetal now after it published its first half numbers today?

Nobody seems to have noticed. Well, that’s not quite true but if you restrict your news diet to the BBC and other “mainstream” news outlets one would be forgiven for thinking so. There is a Greek tragedy playing out before our very eyes and the endgame approaches.

Unexpected negative events, especially geo-political ones, can present great buying opportunities at times, as the market tends to severely over-react, even when there is no immediate specific impact on a company itself. 

Currently you could easily argue that there is a longer term investment case for numerous oil and gas producers, based on the assumption that commodity prices will improve over the next few years, and could even spike in the same way that we’ve seen in the past after prolonged periods of low demand.

My pieces on Centamin (CEY) and gold over the past few days have picked up some interesting comment. Jimbo55 is worried and has been cleverly risk-managing his gold exposure. On the other hand, Putneywill seems to agree that the long term move for gold is up and TheBadger reckons that the increasing supply of US dollars in circulation suggests that gold is only heading in one direction. Meanwhile, Jordan Roy-Byrne of TheDailyGold.com  simply says “ignore the noise”…

Regular readers here will know that I’ve been a fan of Russian gold miner Highland Gold (HGM) for quite some time and it has been my share of choice for exposure to the yellow metal, and one which I hold myself. I covered it as a buy at 227p back in late February, and then again at 222p very recently as one of my tips for the MineProphets event, so I was clearly very bullish on it and especially so given the steeply rising gold price we have seen of late…

There is a lot of focus on oil companies of all sizes at the moment, with many investors speculating on their future recovery now that commodity prices have improved, but I would probably be more focussed on those which largely produce gas.

Shares in gold producer from Russia, Highland Gold Mining (HGM) are 5% higher at near 230p on the back of a quarterly operating update...

The oil price bounced hard in the last week in expectation of an OPEC+ and G20 deal to take many barrels off the market. As I write the deal is still not finalised and agreed to by the key players, as Mexico has been playing hardball, so I do not take as read the OPEC+ deal will be approved. In the circumstances I would suggest approval of this deal is the best that bulls can hope for. The G20 provided little tangible support to oil price. I see these outcomes very much meeting my criteria of “too little far too late” as I expected.

Hello, Share Fliers. Though I didn’t think I’d miss going to church in these dark days, I do. Our three-hour Good Friday service was cancelled. As well as every other service or church function for goodness knows how long. But all those denied an Easter church service - more than attend Saturday football matches - are still able to take part in online services.

Tom Winnifrith highlighted my current views on the oil price in a bearcast earlier this week. As most know I can see the good in just about any investment case, it’s just that most of the time the bad is just so much more compelling. Where is the oil price going? I do not know – who does?! But after years of supply side focus, I see the risk firmly on the demand side. Could oil price go negative? – yep for some grades, and perhaps all,  I can see why that is not an outrageous statement.

Gold stocks seem to be very much on the radar at the moment, with the price of the yellow metal looking very strong against a back-drop of worldwide concerns over coronavirus and investors looking for a safe haven.

Hello Share Peekers. I’ve always regretted my very long-term holding in JKX Oil & Gas (JKX), the middle range producer. That’s because the share value has eroded sharply over the years. However, things now seem to be picking up...

Often pump and dumps only last a matter of a few days or even hours, but occasionally when it is more than just small private investors involved they can go on for a long period of time, and that certainly appears to have been the case with Eurasia Mining (EUA)...

Eurasia Mining (EUA) is a company that I’ve been following for the past five years or so, but during that time, other than the occasional spike, the share price has done very little, and up until a few days ago you could have bought for around the same price as when I first covered it. The share price has more than tripled in the last few days though, to a current level of around 1.9p, following news that the company has engaged two large banks to help it assess the possibility of selling its assets and basically becoming a cash shell under AIM Rule 15...

On 17 April 2018 AIM wannabee miner Amur Minerals (AMC) announced to great fanfare a scheme whereby directors and other senior managers would collectively buy £5000 worth of shares a month for a year. At the time, wityh the shares at 4.5p to sell,  I wondered if it was a spoof. But as each monthly announcement of director share buying came out some folks were encouraged. Today, with the shares at 1.65p to sell, I demonstrate that this whole scheme was a spoof.

I always find it surprising that private investors are prepared to take big risks on the drilling of oil and gas wells, yet they won’t touch certain shares due to geo political risks.

Petropavlovsk (POG) has announced results for the first half of 2019 including that it “remains on track to meet its full-year target of c.450koz - 500koz of gold sales (including the processing of 2018 Malomir stockpiles but excluding upside from third-party concentrate purchases)”, with also “the confidence to decrease total cash cost guidance for the full year to US$750 - US$850/oz”…

Today Raven Property Group Ltd, (RAV) a Russian Property Investment Group, announced strong results with an increase in diluted net asset value per share of 40% to 67p (31 December 2018: 48p).  The company also announced a proposed distribution of “1.25p per ordinary share by way of a tender offer buy back of 1 in 44 shares at 55p.”

Hello, Share Peckers. A company which has caused me anxiety and loss in the past seems to be on the up. And as I’m not one to hold a grudge, I won't be selling my shares any time soon. In fact, I think the future could be quite rosy from herein - which is nice because I need to claw back a setback which once nudged 80%...

Hello Share Pilers. Do you fancy investing in a steel company? Ok, I sense some resistance here. In recent years the steel industry has suffered. But it’s making a comeback, mainly because many countries, including the USA and Blighty, are committed to building up their roads and other examples of infrastructure...

The latest deal from Optibiotix (OPTI) is a three year distribution agreement with a company called SilvEXPO Ltd to distribute and commercialise OptiBiotix's own label CholBiome products containing its cholesterol and blood pressure reducing LPLDL strain in Russia and Kazakhstan...

Gold has been showing signs of strength of late and moving forwards into 2019 I would definitely be looking to have some in your portfolio, with an equity position in a gold producer being the best option.

The EU has had a lot of trouble on its hands, as its members, such as Poland and Hungary, are openly challenging the established order. This time it’s a very serious situation, because Brussels is facing defiance from Italy, the 3rd largest national economy in the eurozone and the 8th largest global economy in terms of nominal GDP. It has a population of over 60 million. It is also a Europhile country and the bloc’s founding member...

Hello, Share Riders. My very recent 'northern offensive' to the Scandinavian countries and Russia has strengthened my happy suspicion that the world economy is forging ahead. And if the world’s GDP is growing, so will global share prices. And that surge will drag up British stocks, even if our own economic growth continues to be dire. TW Note: stop reading the fecking Guardian, the UK economy is still growing at a rate most European countries would envy. No more fake news please.

Hello, Share Comrades. Having only just arrived home from my Northern offensive of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Russia, I haven't time to research an individual share for you to consider. So allow me to explain instead that once again the quantum physics of Schrodinger's Cat has worked in my favour.

As you may have gathered last Tuesday, Malcolm’s long-suffering wife reckons that he has been spending too much time in The Punter’s Return and so has organised a holiday in Denmark, Sweden and Russia where Mr Stacey hopes to discover the magic money tree and an updated theme for his next novel. We left him  landing in Russia and having a spot of bother at passport control. In the last chapter of this series, our senior reporter has now updated us on his progress since…

As you may have gathered last Tuesday, Malcolm’s long-suffering wife reckons that he has been spending too much time in The Punter’s Return and so has organised a holiday in Denmark, Sweden and Russia where Mr Stacey hopes to discover the magic money tree and an updated theme for his next novel. We left him  about to catch a ferry from the egalitarian money free funded land of milk and honey that is Sweden and on his way to to Russia. Our senior reporter has now updated us on his progress since…

As you may have gathered on Tuesday, Malcolm’s long-suffering wife reckons that he has been spending too much time in The Punter’s Return and so has organised a holiday in Denmark, Sweden and Russia where Mr Stacey hopes to discover the magic money tree and an updated theme for his next novel. We left him speeding away from border towns in the money tree funded egalitarian paradise of Sweden ablaze. Our senior reporter has now updated us on his progress since…

As you may have gathered on Tuesday, Malcolm’s long-suffering wife reckons that he has been spending too much time in The Punter’s Return and so has organised a holiday in Denmark, Sweden and Russia where Mr Stacey hopes to discover the magic money tree and an updated theme for his next novel. We left him on his way to “The Bridge”, but our senior reporter has now updated us on his progress since…

As you may have gathered on Tuesday, Malcolm’s long-suffering wife reckons that he has been spending too much time in The Punter’s Return and so has organised a holiday in Denmark, Sweden and Russia where Mr Stacey hopes to discover the magic money tree and an updated theme for his next novel. We left him having just arrived at Copenhagen airport, but our senior reporter has now updated us on his progress since…

As you may have gathered yesterday, Malcolm’s long-suffering wife reckons that he has been spending too much time in The Punter’s Return and so has organised a holiday in Denmark, Sweden and Russia where Mr Stacey hopes to discover the magic money tree and a theme for his next novel. We left him at Heathrow, but our senior reporter has now updated us on his progress…

Mrs Stacey says that I have been spending too much time in the Punter’s Return reading dull articles about shares and that we need a break. She says that I need inspiration for my next novel and so has suggested that we head off on one of those holidays advertised during Midsomer Murders for a more mature and sophisticated audience.

Hello, Share Swappers. I’m marking the 10 year anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers by going on holiday to a current shaker of the world economy - and that’s Russia. I abandon my safe home to my 22-year-old daughter and her boyfriend to risk being interred in Siberia, if Blighty’s relationship with Russia gets worse.

Often at the lower end of the oil and gas sector private investors get fixated with taking gambles on drills with large prospective resources and dream of untold riches if the company gets lucky with the drill bit, but the reality is that in the majority of cases this will result in a duster and substantial losses.

Hello, Share Polishers. It was about 2 years ago that my brilliant friend Gary Newman suggested I might buy shares in Ovoca Gold (OVG). I was a bit worried that it was based in Russia, which doesn't always attract Western investors. But a Gary tip is a Gary tip and so I went ahead.

Regal Petroleum (RPT) has seen a huge increase in its share price during the past year, and I know that always makes some investors wary, but a lot has changed during that time, both for the company itself and the area in which it operates.

Tuesday's update from London-listed, but Russia-focused, gold and silver producer Polymetal (POLY) was unusual in a couple of respects.

Sudden large drops in share price as a result of a knee-jerk reactions to political world events can present great buying opportunities at times, and I certainly believe that to be the case with the falls we have just seen in the value of many companies with operations in Russia.

Given what is going on in the markets and world in general at the moment, it would seem silly not to have gold featuring somewhere in your portfolio.

British voters increasingly think Brexit is being mishandled. This doesn’t mean they’re turning their backs on the idea of abandoning the European Union just on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative government.

Some investors avoid companies which operate in Russia and the surrounding area, but I believe that they are missing out if they take this approach with Polymetal International (POLY). The FTSE-250 precious metals miner has operations in Russia, Kazakhstan and Armenia and ever since listing has been returning cash to investors via dividends, and from the current share price of around 849p, I can see plenty of scope for capital appreciation as well.

I have been contacted by a well known gold bug flagging up something that he regards as the biggest event since 1971 in his world. Over to Mr Bug.

I have to confess to being very depressed over the course of the last few months. I think the depression has actually been increasing and I put it all down to media and politics.

Hello Share Smashers. OPEC, the cartel of 12 big oil producers led by Saudi Arabia, has let us down.

One of the most fascinating scenes I’ve seen for some time is the sight of Big Donald jigging around with some sort of weird entertainment put on by the Saudi’s for the President's visit. It almost made me forget the big benefit of this amiable state visit on share shifters like us. And that of course is that the President’s friendly reception sent the oil price up.

London main-market listed, gold miner in Russia Petropavlovsk (POG) has announced results for the 2016 calendar year, emphasising a return to profitability and a refinancing of bank debt - enabling it not to have to divest part of the value in its core organic growth development project, the POX Hub…

Looking at the performance of many oil producers over the past few months you could easily be forgiven for thinking that their problems are over and all is rosy within the sector once more.

Hello Share Cybers. One does not like to preen. And to be honest I haven't had much justification lately, what with Advanced Oncotherapy's woes. But you will allow that I did see oil prices rising.

When a small mining company sees its market cap increase by over £66 million in the space of a month without any corresponding news to support such a rise, you have to wonder at the sanity of private investors who are still piling into the share.

Hello Share Twangers. I was beginning to worry that my predictions that the price of Brent crude would rise steadily were not going to happen. The ebony nectar value has been falling in the last month or so (by about 10%).

Many AIM companies look vastly overvalued and are largely reliant on sentiment revolving around the future development of assets in the ground to support their market cap.

It’s been three months since I covered Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Corporation (CCH), the Greek-International bottling company with a monopoly on selling Coke in Eastern Europe, the Eastern Med, Russia and Nigeria.

Eurasia Mining (EUA) has been a favourite of mine for a couple of years now and it looks as though the long wait is finally about to come to fruition as production gets underway and that will send the share price zooming ahead.

Manufacturer of glass wool and mineral fibre insulation products, Superglass (SPGH) has announced a 5.6p per share, £8.7 million, takeover offer from Inflection Management Corp which it is recommending to shareholders...

Investing in foreign stocks usually brings with it a greater exposure to risk. That risk can come in a variety of forms: fraud, legal and political problems, and even war. But I would wager that few investors in Ukrproduct (UKR), the Ukrainian dairy producer, ever thought it was possible that a war would light up on their doorstep and damage the prospects of their harmless butter and cheese manufacturer.

International practice of architects, interior designers and engineers, Aukett Swanke (AUK) has announced results for the six months ended 31st March 2016 and is “pleased to report another period of profitability”. The shares are currently down 18%, at 5.125p, in response though. Hmmm…

Highland Gold (HGM) is well worth a look at the moment with the recent rally in commodity prices expected to extend at least throughout the rest of the year.

Hello Share Changers. What gave me the arrogance to say that the oil price would rally quite nicely this year was experience. Though I am no longer an energetic young trader, I have been plying our golden game since I first dated Bodicea. So I know that when the price of a commodity falls, it always bounces back. Always. So the recovery of oil was never the world’s greatest prediction.

Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Corporation (CCH) is one of the least-watched FTSE-100 components going (despite the valiant efforts of Chris Bailey on this website). But if it is anything like its parent, it is the sort of stock which long-term retirement portfolios are made of. Yesterday’s trading update gives us no reason to doubt that this is one to keep on the watchlist.

Plexus Holdings (POS) has announced it is working on a licence agreement to enter the Russian and other CIS states’ surface land and platform production wellhead equipment markets and has raised $5 million of new equity “to support tailored research and product development and the company's sales and marketing efforts in Russia and other territories worldwide as well as for general working capital requirements”. Hmmm…

I don’t need to write another love-up article on Randgold Resources (RRS) because with the shares up 50% odd year-to-date you should be looking elsewhere for a bit of relative value. Extending this line of thinking today’s announcement from Polymetal (POLY) is another common sense corporate update from the Russia-focused gold play.  Yes I have used the words ‘Russia-focused’ and ‘common sense’ in the same sentence. 

Oh dear. Things look uber-bleak for serial money burner and AIM Casino disaster story Phorm (PHRM). Its shares are suspended pending discussions with potential investors because it is again out of cash. But has it told those mug punters the bad news from Russia? Methinks not.

Junior miners have had a hard time in recent years, and although many are best avoided, it doesn’t mean you should ignore them all.

Russian gold, silver and copper producer Polymetal International (POLY) says it expects gold equivalent production to fall from an a flat 1.4 million oz. of gold equivalent in 2015 to 1.23 million this year, with likely all-in costs of $700 (£500) to $750 an ounce, against today's depressed market price of $1,095.64c an ounce. The fully-listed company, which is domiciled in Jersey and also quoted in Moscow and New York, has reported a 9% fall in gold output last year to 861,000 oz., along with a 12% increase in silver production to 32 million oz. and a 49% drop in copper extracted to 827 tonnes.

My series rebutting the weedy rebuttal provided by InternetQ (INTQ) to my From Athens with Love article HERE, continues. You can read Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE and now we move on. Do you still believe what InternetQ tells you?

If you’re bullish on gold and silver over the coming months and years, then Polymetal International (POLY) is well worth a look. The FTSE250 listed gold and silver producer, operating in Russia and Kazakhstan, has seen its share price slump by around 27% since the start of the year when it hit a high of 634p.

Dublin-based Karelian Diamond Resources (KDR) is enthusing about a new kimberlite discovery in the Kuhmo area of eastern Finland. The AIM-quoted company, for long unloved by investors, has seen its shares bounce from a 12-month low of 0.85p to 1.48p before easing back to 1.27p, well below their year’s high of 3.45p and 2005’s 5p float price, following the discovery of indicator minerals, such as garnets, near its Riihivaara target in Kuhmo, part of the wider Karelian gem Craton, straddling the Russo-Finnish border.

AIM-Cesspit listed Mirland (MLD) issued a trading update after-hours at no-one-is-watching O’clock last Friday, 27 Feb (at 4.42pm). Why not just ‘fess up at the usual time of 7am? Ah, it was a big profit warning and it hoped that it would slip under the radar. That’ll be a Red Flag, then.

At 5.43pm (no-one-is-watching o’clock) AIM Cesspit listed Frontier Mining (FML) issued this RNS proposing the final shafting of its shareholders. Not only will Frontier delist from AIM, but also from the Kazakh Stock Exchange. Anyone unfortunate enough still to hold this turgid stock will be trapped and their investments essentially become worthless. But at least some fortunate City fellows got out in time! Yes, Frontier plummeted 28% during Tuesday’s session, prior to the announcement. Surely it could not be possible that word got out ahead of the RNS, could it….

Hello Share Comrades. Let's have another look at one of the nasty situations which is said by the gloomsters to threaten our chances of making really big money out of our shares this year. And once again I seem to be picking a fight with TW - see below.

Everyone is well aware that the oil price has plummeted, but many have yet to consider the wider implications of this drop. Unless you’ve been living in a cave you can’t help but have noticed the collapse in oil price, but many investors are still only considering it in terms of whether they hold shares in oil producing companies, or even just the fact that it is now cheaper to fill up their car! 

Hello Share Swizzlers. In the new year, shares took an alarming lurch into the red abyss. Did this bother me? Not a bit.

So as 2015 dawns we can gaze upon the familiar wreckage that is the new norm for the Euro. The blood coming through the Greek bandages, which we were assured were merely little bits of residual bleeding, are now exposed to be the full-on broken limbs some of us said were always there. How much has been spent on Greece? Does any body know? €45 bill to start in 2010, two months later €130bil, €130bil in 2011, the default of 2012 for €206bil and another €130bil needed at the end of 2012…is this the same money: does anybody care?

I read with interest my friend Ben Turney’s post OPEC bear view on the oil price and stocks HERE. I disagree with him and my initial economic reasoning is that lower oil prices will see heavily indented US fracking firms wiped out so restoring a supply demand balance. 

I regard the sanctions the West is imposing on Russia as wrong and our policy as both misguided and likely to backfire. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the world of oil and gas. My colleagues at Palisade Capital this week recorded an interview with Marin Katusa, the Head Energy Strategist for Casey Research, who explains this far better than can I.

Today could be an eventful day! UKIP has gained its first elected MP, and yesterday stockmarkets took a sharp fall around the world (the two are not connected)!

Hello Share Polishers. Dragon Oil (DGO) is a bit of a scary share to be honest. Though the price is holding up well, despite some slightly worrying aspects.

It is not often that one finds a new method of stock selection. I feel that I may lay claim to that distinction by drawing the world’s attention to the attractions of BAE (BA.) equity back in March and April when I combined conventional technical analysis to historical analysis, in the shape of Kremlinology. (I now rush to confess that this observation is offered in the spirit of good humour and fun, lest anyone actually supposes that I am serious.)

Sprott Global has just interviewed Alasdair Macleod. Alasdair writes the blog FinanceAndEconomics.Org. His research aims to explain the relationship between the dollar and gold, and to warn investors about the biggest threats to their wealth from macro-economic events. Besides what the Fed is doing by printing money, there is another big threat to the dollar, said Alasdair. Countries in Asia are banding together in order to rid themselves of using the dollar in international trade.

One western entrepreneur for whom there are compensations in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forward policy in Ukraine is Robin Young, chief executive officer of AIM-quoted nickel play Amur Minerals (AMC). His company is expected shortly to produce significantly increased reserve figures for its Kun Manie project in Far East Russia, near the Chinese border. Political uncertainties and investors’ impatience have contributed to the fall in Amur’s shares. At 2.98p these are well off their 12-month high of 8.5p and a mortifying 90 per cent down from their 2006 float price of 33p, but the fall in the Russian rouble prompted by the Ukraine crisis has at least cut the estimated cost of securing a long-awaited production licence from $818,000 (£481,000) to $655,000.

Hello Share Chums: At the end of last week, the Footsie ended a brilliant day by rising by more than 50 points. Then the day's hike evaporated like dew in a forest fire. Why? Because there were some last minute jitters about that Russian convoy of lorries to the east of Ukraine.

Working out how quickly Phorm (PHRM) will have pissed away the £10 million it raised in March is not hard and by my sums it is out of cash at the end of the coming week. Could it be a rather less than Good Friday for shareholders in this AIM listed POS?

The severity of this week’s global sell-off in equities seems to have taken a lot of people by surprise. Five weeks ago, I wrote about the multi-year lows of the Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index (the “Vix”) and the complacency it warned of. As I pointed out “the market loves nothing more than to punish complacency”. If you watched a screen of Thursday’s carnage in America, this is pretty much exactly what happened. The question now is, is this the beginning of the end of the bull market or just a healthy pullback, accentuated by low summer trading volumes?

Hello Share Pickers: As I continue to say, against growing opposition, the present decline in share values is a purely cyclical thing. It is based on a slackening off period as the big traders take their annual hols. There is also a lack of share boosting mergers and take-overs, as the Europe and the USA slumber in the summer sun. It takes a lot of hard work to embark on company couplings and such ventures are usually left till the hard-working Autumn.

Hello Share Snafflers: The latest trading update by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) has well exceeded what City analysts had predicted. Such reports often do these days, as the 'experts' continue to under-estimate the effect of increasing growth on world economies.

I noted in a previous article HERE that Phorm (PHRM) was only a few weeks away from running out of cash and going tits up. Notwithstanding its $10 million fund raise in March it will be on its way to PLC heaven in mid-August unless some more mug punters like Evil Knievil are found to keep this fare going. I know that the company is telling a jam tomorrow story to investors right now. But before they fall for that ask Phorm about Brazil.

So this is it, the last day of my World Cup Challenge. With Ecuador, down to 10 men for most of the second half, desperately clinging on to a draw against the French, my Ecuador +1 pick took my score for the tournament to +9.08, or a 90.8% return. Possibly I should quit at this point, but there are some hugely compelling odds on offer today, so my hope is to end with a flurry.

What an incredible day yesterday was. If only my Internet hadn’t conked out at a crucial moment, I would have banked even more profit, immediately before Ivory Coast conceded that ridiculous penalty to send them crashing out of this year’s tournament. England’s failure to beat Costa Rica meant my 6.5 price pre tournament pick of the Three Lions not winning a game came in (and don’t worry Alan, I won’t include that result in my World Cup Challenge) along with a host of other bets. We have now two rounds of betting left, with one fantastic double to bet on.

A reasonable day yesterday for my World Cup Challenge was tempered by the failure of my multiples. Chile versus Holland was always a gamble, but I was disappointed by the Mexican result. The projected quality ratings for Croatia and Mexico were extremely close. However, on reflection, I suppose the risk with this fixture was always that if Mexico went ahead in the game, the Croatians would just give up. They needed to win to qualify, so it wasn’t a huge surprise they capitulated when the Mexicans took the lead in the 72^nd minute. Today, I have one pick for my World Cup Challenge and what looks like a fantastic value multiple.

Poor old Bosnia. For some reason I was genuinely saddened to see the plucky little country exit the World Cup, more so even than at England's demise. The Bosnians had a superb qualification campaign and punched well above their weight. However, when you play against 13 men there isn’t much you can do. The officiating of last night’s match was an utter disgrace, as the referee and one linesman decided to throw their lot in with the diving Nigerians. It was still a very entertaining game to watch and it is a shame not to see Bosnia in the next round.

A cursory glance at Ruspetro (RPO) would probably be enough to put off a lot of people. The share price has performed badly since the middle of 2012, and although a lot of AIM oil shares have suffered similar fates, Ruspetro has shed over 90 per cent of it value in those two years.

What a fantastic pair of results yesterday! After an officially tough weekend (sigh, not including Sunday afternoon’s matches), yesterday my World Cup Challenged roared back into profit as Iran held Nigeria in an awful game and the USA edged it over Ghana with a solid performance. Combined odds on the two results were 11.34. I am now +3.86 points in my World Cup Challenge. Today things get tougher, as the prices on offer for my pre-tournament selections have come in a great deal, significantly reducing the value.

It emerged late yesterday that Damaille Investments, the vehicle of asset stripper Brett Miller has taken a 5% stake in failing gold explorer Ovoca (OVG) and it is not because he is impressed by its Russian exploration assets. No-one could be.