I run this to annoy both our in-house crypto loon Jimbo but also gold loon Nigel Somerville. But Andrew Gilbert who makes the call is a chartist so, almost certainly, wrong.
The monthly trading update from Argo Blockchain (ARB) is the usual mix of smoke and mirrors. If you are someone who has waded through the sea of red flags highlighted HERE and still believes there is comfort for you. But if you are a cynic you too will find comfort. Plenty of it.
In today’s Bearcast I look at Bitcoin and at Argo Blockchain (ARB), at Sosandar (SOS), at the increasingly uber toxic Union Jack Oil (UJO), at Vast Resources (VAST) and at Eurasia Mining (EUA)
I start with a couple of points of economics, covering disincentives to work for low paid folk, especially if divorced dads and also the epidemic sweeping the nation, the public sector variant. I flagged this up to Bath Spa students a few years ago, it is still true. Then, tying in to my 4th tip of the year out today, I move onto Bitcoin and also the smokescreen, being seen as ESG friendly provides but why it will unravel as the market gets nervous this year.
Yes Piers Linney is back. I fill in a few gaps for Mail readers including red flags from the latest venture of disgraced Piers, Moblox Limited. Then it is onto macro predictions on oil, gold, interest rates, inflation, house prices, tax, equity markets and bitcoin. Happy New Year.
Hello, Share Shoppers. Uncle Tom has, sarcastically, remarked that every year I predict a Santa Rally. But should I do so in a covid year like this one? You bet I should. And despite the fact that new daily cases are fast approaching 100,000 per day, the Footsie has not fallen very much from its year high of 7,380. That, I cheerfully submit, is because the traditional Santa Rally has cushioned the blow.
The highlight of this dossier is Boatman demonsrating how Argo’s (ARB) rebuttal of its allegations about a dodgy Texas land purchase made in dossier No 1, just does not stack up. One might even say Boatman shows Argo was telling porkies. Then there is the really sniffy related party investment in a company in all sorts of regulatory scrutiny because of its involvment with disgraced broker Pello and its “colourful” boss Andy Frangos. And it goes on and on. As Boatman points out, if you believe in electronic tulips there are many ways to play bitcoin without buying into Argo’s forest of red flags. Anyone owning these shares is mad. The dossier is below.
Mode Global Holdings (MODE) is typical of many small technology companies in that it burns through cash at an alarming rate whilst trying to grow its revenues to any sort of meaningful amount.
I start with Bitcoin and sleepy Joe Biden’s new legislation, the Infrastructure Bill. Then it is Versarien (VRS), Biome (BIOM) and finally more on Union Jack (UJO), before I discuss Peter Brailey’s big oil call and what that means for gold stocks and how I might adjust my SIPP.
We currently find ourselves at a very interesting fork in the road because the overstimulation of economies by Central Banks since March 2020 is now starting to feed through into higher reported inflation and, more importantly, inflationary expectations. I see no return to a low inflationary world any time soon.
Asset manager Lawrence Lepard reckons the end of the bull market in everything is nigh. He sees equity growth slowing a sign that we are near a market top. Last year we had explosive growth in GDP but that has waned in recent months. We printed trillions to get us through the Covid period and now benefits are running out. The economy is starting to choke and the key question is will they do further stimulus or will the markets be allowed to roll over.
Against this backdrop our money is edging ever closer towards its biggest reinvention in centuries, which has implications for us all. Not only will this impact our everyday lives, but it will have a bearing on the future value of our pensions and savings in a world where inflation is back after decades of lulling us into a false sense of security.
This is just for Jimbo! Writer Keith Weiner says that economists and experts tend to say the strangest things and most of their statements don’t pass basic scrutiny.
The cash crisis at Argo Blockchain (ARB) becomes more evident by the day which is why, though this company is heavily operational and financially geared to the price of 21st century tulip bulbs, its shares have massively underperformed bitcoin during its recent sharp rally. Today’s news is that Argo has taken advantage of the bitcoin spike to borrow even more dollars.
I have already explained why I would not be short of Argo Blockchain (ARB) despite its failure to address Boatman, crazy valuation and other issues. But today’s update on trading in August gives me another reason not to be long.
Okay, the call is from a chartist so you may wish to ignore it but since it will annoy some folks here goes anyway.
I have been noting for the last few weeks how the Gold price has been fairly stable (…ish!) whilst Gold stocks have been falling. Last week I had wondered whether a mini double-bottom put in by gold stocks might draw an end to this. Alas, no – here is the chart for Gold, GDX (large gold-miners’ ETF), GDXJ (“junior” miners ETF) and GOEX (gold explorers’ ETF). They are still dropping.
Celebrated author and investor Marc Faber does not mince his words. Most stock markets and sectors have underperformed compared with US Markets. This, Faber explains, is because every time the Fed prints, it ends up with corporations and the super-rich. Markets are no longer homogenous, and fiscal deficits are no longer expanding. This is making it more difficult for the entire market to move upwards.
Asset manager Peter Grandich says that during his forty year career, financial markets have changed to become high-tech casinos. Spot on!
Forgive the crude title or love it if you are Matthew and his dog. I could not resist. I start with a discussion of the tyranny of village facebook pages prompted by my latest spat with some villagers of Holt in Wales HERE. Then I look at Kefi (KEFI), Zoetic (ZOE), Kanobo (KNB), Supply@ME Capital (SYME), Block Energy (BLOE) and the bitcoin pump by America’s Neil Woodford and others. Ian Westbrook is now at just under £12,000 and has ten days to reach £20,000 to see the loathsome Neill Ricketts at the next stage. To call the bluff of the Versarien (VRS) bully, please donate HERE. PS Darren points out it is the 26th not the 27th. He is correct.
Asset manager Michael Gayed notes that this year has been remarkable in many ways. That is a bit of an understatement.
A frantic morning of tidying sees Joshua and I ready to face the Mrs, we head to Athens shortly. Ahead of that I suggest a new gender test for the Olympics. In the main podcast I look at bitcoin, Argo Blockchain (ARB), Fevertree (FEVR), coping on a meltdown day, Nightcap (NGHT) and St James House (SJH).
On 8 March 2021, a couple of weeks after directors dumped millions of pounds worth of shares at 243p, Argo Blockchain (ARB) raised £26.8 million at 200p. So where has all the money gone?
Chris Irons, host of the Quoth The Raven, is an outspoken and entertaining fellow who is pretty much bang on the money most of the time. His core thesis is that modern financial systems are essentially nefarious schemes that benefit politicians and the wealthy.
I am so angry that I forgot to memtion bitcoin crashing again and the operational and financial gearing at drowning in red flags Argo Blockchain (ARB). So I am angry and the resultant bad language will delight Matthew and his dog. I consider Sosandar (SOS), Hurricane Energy (HUR), Bidstack (BIDS), Kefi (KEFI) and Bluebird Merchant Ventures (BMV).
That wasted an hour of my life but it looks like all systems go for Saturday when Steve Moore will be in charge of this website while Joshua and I head to the Greek Hovel.In today’s podcast I look at bitcoin’s latest dump and Argo Blockchain (ARB) and at Dev Clever (DEV) and its joke acquisition. That required a bit of work for me at Companies House as did researching today’s smoke and mirrors deal from Remote Monitored Systems (RMS) – how did Nomad SP Angel sign off on this cobblers? I then look at Avacta (AVCT), Zoetic (ZOE), MyHealthChecked (MHC), Bidstack (BIDS) and the fraud Supply@ME Capital (SYME). Where are its results?
Valereum Blockchain (VLRM), The Richard Poulden blockchain/NFT/bitcoin ramp hyped disgracefully by shareholder David Lenigas and penny share paid for promoter Zak “the huckster” Mir, has managed to raise £1 million at a shocking 70p. And the shares are now 76p. This is insanity.
Nick Giambruno is Chief Analyst of The Casey Report and warns that the thief in the night is now out of control. Nick differentiates money from fiat currency and where investors should hold their wealth in times of crisis. He argues that Bitcoin is a good alternative and is not unlike gold. Digital scarcity is a new invention, and the real revolution is in bitcoin, not other digital currencies. Bitcoin is unique because it isn’t controlled by banks or corporations and works as a form of digital gold. He believes bitcoin is in the process of monetization around the world.
Libertarian philosopher, speculator, and author Doug Casey kicks off by suggesting paying for a University education is a misallocation of time and money to have your head pumped full of Marxist ideas.
I can’t take Senator Elizabeth Warren very seriously but the woman who has gained massive career advantage by claiming that she is a Native American, though she is in fact 1/1024th Native American, holds great sway in the Democrat party. What she says is a good indicator of the direction of travel of the party now running America. As such, her full-on assault on bitcoin as the inherently pointless ultimate environmental vandal is of note. As it happens, for perhaps the first time ever, I agree with her. Enjoy.
One of these three gents is a good friend (or was, maybe he won’t be after reading this), one is godfather to my daughter and one is a fat and utterly shameless Aussie share promoter who used to think there was more oil in the Weald Basin than in Saudi Arabia and whose latest tweet is below.
Gold has had another good week, closing at $1880 – up from $1831 a week ago. ShareProphets’ favourite technical analyst, Jordan Roy-Byrne of TheDailyGold.com had been targeting up to $1850 as a point of overhead resistance and it seems that the line has been crossed – seemingly quite easily.
The most read non-Tom article is Would I take a risk on Helium One exploration drilling? Definitely not! by Gary Newman at number eight, or number 17 including Bearcasts and Tom’s new shareshow. Which one is the best of the week? Tell me in the comments.
Equity strategist Gareth Soloway is as bullish on gold as he is bearish on equities, He claims one should balance news with chart technicals. I guess he is half right. Gareth says that you want to be aware of new economic data even though his focus is primarily on the charts.
Shares in the fraud Zoetic International (ZOE) collapsed yesterday to a new year low of sub 52p but this morning have staged a brief rally as the truly deluded have tried catching a falling knife. Meet Czar on the ADVFN asylum.
I’m feeling a little smug following my call last week that the bull-market everything bubble was rolling over and Gold was the place to be, especially vis Bitcoin and technology stocks. Of course, there is plenty that can bite me on the backside so I won’t get too smug – not yet, anyway – but with Gold now trading above $1875, having plumbed the depths of the $1600’s twice in March, the question is what now? Should we be piling everything into the yellow metal ASAP?
I start with good news on Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks - see for yourself HERE. Then a few words about incredibly exciting work today at the Welsh Hovel. Then onto bitcoin, China and Argo Blockchain (ARB), which links to Zoetic (ZOE) which really is starting to collapse. Then onto the arrogance of the City, Neil Woodford, Andrew Monk and Hurricane Energy (HUR).
Suddenly we dinosaurs who did not understand why a worthless piece of code, which was inherently vulnerable to substitution by other worthless but cheaper pieces of code, was so valuable don’t look quite so dumb. Bitcoin is down by 18% at sub $35,000 having been $64,870 just four weeks ago. This time it is not the prick Elon Musk to blame, the bubble today is being pricked by China.
We are now well over £30,000 (with gift aid) for Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks so that is 70% of our target – if you are yet to donate, please do so HERE. In the podcast, I discuss MyHeathChecked (MHC), Zoetic (ZOE), bitcoin, Tesla (TSLA) and Argo Blockchain (ARB).
After part one of the Musk pump and dump and then volte-face on bitcoin, the great fraudster faced the problem that Tesla (TSLA) was still sitting on around half of the $1.5 billion of bitcoin it had bought to great fanfare in February. But this bitcoin is dirty and environmentally tainted said the great green auto-maker – what to do with it?
Investor Rafi Zarber is a libertarian and an Austrian school economist so clearly can do no wrong at all in my eyes. He recently penned an article on money as a gold substitute where he defines the meaning of sound and hard monies. Money needs to be predictable in what it measures and have a predictable supply. Debt substitutes and paper promises become problematic over time, and the entire system becomes unbalanced. These imbalances cause price and supply disruptions across sectors, including commodities like mining.
I start with the frustrations of a visit to Tesco (TSCO) Wrexham. Piss poor customer service. Then I look at Manolete (MANO) where I smell more trouble ahead. Then I move onto bull market madness and how it will end in tears for my mother-in-law, Elon Musk, Tesla, Bitcoin, Jonathan Bixby, Mike Edwards, NFT Investments, Clarify Pharma, Argo Blockchain (ARB), Novum Securities and Uncle Tom Cobley and all.
Some of us have pointed out for a good while that mining cryptocurrencies consumes enormous amounts of electricity and if you are into all of that global warming green shite, which I am not, then you should not be going near bitcoin. It seems that having ramped bitcoin and crypto, Elon Musk has finally noticed this too.
ShareProphets’ favourite technical analyst Jordan Roy-Byrne of TheDailyGold.com has long said that he didn’t see the eventual raging bull-market in precious metals he forecasts until Gold outperforms the stock market. In recent weeks, Gold has moved nicely higher and currently sits at $1837 per oz, having plumbed the depths of the $1600s twice in March. One would be forgiven for thinking it is time for the yellow stuff to take a breather, but I just wonder…..
Kevin Wadsworth and Patrick Karim are both chartists so feel free to ignore everything they say.
After a long period of going nowhere at around $1745 per oz since late February, Gold has pushed higher. Last week it was at $1770, having reached $1777 the previous week. This week the price closed at $1831 and the effect on my portfolio of Gold stocks has been very pleasing. So, as I suggested last week, sell in May would have been a mistake. So what now? Will precious metals continue the ascent in the short term, or might there be good reason to expect a reversal?
Especially if that denial comes from Christine Lagarde
I comment on St George’s Day HERE. In a long podcast, I look at Versarien (VRS), Audioboom (BOOM) – misleading again – Bluebird Merchant Ventures (BMV), Bitcoin and Argo Blockchain (ARB), Bahamas Petroleum (BPC) and the fraud Supply@ME Capital (SYME). And we are now just three hundred quid shy of £14,000 for Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks, please donate HERE.
And now from Wales, by just 30 yards, it is my new weekly video show. This costs 99p per episode, and you can either listen to, or watch, some sparky interviews with Charlie Morris a bitcoin guru where we also discuss gold and the markets and Malcolm Palle of Aquis listed Coinsilum which is now an NFT play Plus there are a few thoughts on wider stockmarket issues from me. This bitcoin, blockchain & NFT special has a lot of gags but is also, I hope, pretty informative.You can access the show HERE
Brian Hirschman is the Managing Partner of Hirschmann Partnership, dubbed by ValueWalk as the “World’s Most Bearish Hedge Fund.” He warns that all the bubbles have only grown in recent months and that the two biggest bubbles are bitcoin and residential real estate.
Valereum (VLRM) in the Aquis lobster pot has, as of today, zero revenues and – if it is lucky – £300,000 net cash. But mention the magig bitcoin word, throw in a few tokens and some magic beans and, hey presto, promoter David Lenigas and the Sith Lord Zak Mir reckon the shares should hit 60p. That would be a valuation of £38 million. Whatever you say Gents…today’s ramptastic love triangle from twitter is below.
Gold businessman Keith Weiner argues that there is no way to extinguish debt in our current system, so the total debt grows, and due to interest, it tends to grow exponentially. He says that in the past, the Fed loosened regulations and lowered rates, but it’s like they are now pushing on a string.
I am sure that folks will say that I am just being a bit of a sad old dinosaur and that I really need to listen to mofre videos by Dominic Frisby and get my head around it all. Whatever… This morning a well known broker penned a piece which should surely, at least, give bitcoin bulls a pause for thought. The broker writes:
Back in August the Gold price peaked at $2063 and it has been more-or-less downhill ever since. On Friday the Gold price closed at $1700 – a 17.6% drop in around seven months. So is the Gold bull story all over? My answer is definitely no. But as a Gold Bull, I would say that, wouldn’t I!
Here are five long reads that have nothing to do with shares. Put the kettle on, find a comfy chair. You have the time, don’t you?
This article from a team at Newcastle University does raise the question of the sheer pointlessness of the pursuit of bitcoin, especially by a generation that is keen on berating we oldies for ruining the planet. When will Greta Thunberg et al turn their fire on cryptocurrencies? It reads:
We live in times of sheer insanity. It is a rampers’ paradise and cometh the day cometh the four horsemen of the rampfest apocalypse. I bring you a tale of sheer insanity from the Aquis lobster pot market, formerly the NEX Exchange. It starts with what was once PGC Entertainment (PGCE), a serial uber dog which was eventually slung off the AIM casino. I should say that its boss is my pal Richard Poulden.
Here are five long reads that have nothing to do with shares. Put the kettle on, find a comfy chair. You have the time, don’t you?
I start with the Mrs being phoned by a fraudster. Then it is a natural move to Elon Musk and bitcoin before going onto the Million Morons on Reddit and a damp squib with Metro Bank (MTRO). I comment on looking daft for eons before vindication so look at Nightcap (NGHT) and then at Bahamas Petroleum (BPC). Then it is on to Abingdon Health (ABDX) and Yourgene (YGEN).
It is such a good joke I think I make it about 5 times in what follows. And now from Wales, by just 30 yards, it is my new weekly video show. This costs 99p per episode, and you can either listen to, or watch, some sparky interviews with Harry Adams of Kefi Gold & Copper (KEFI), where i am a loyal shareholder expecting the shares to double or more by mid year, and also Dominic Frisby. The singer, songwriter, comedian, gold guru, bitcoin expert and libertarian is on great form especially on the bitcoin/gold issue and tips the only AIM stock he owns and explains why. You will laugh and learn with him. You can access the show HERE
Macroeconomist Henrik Zeberg analyses where we are in the winter season of the Kondratieff cycle and what comes next. He believes we are approaching the final deflationary phase, which will have severe consequences for investors.
And now from Wales, by just 30 yards, it is my new weekly video show. This costs 99p per episode, and you can either listen to, or watch, some sparky interviews with Staurt Ashman of Skinbiotherapeutics (SBTX) where I am 130% up in seven months but think the shares could 20 bag from here and bear raider Lucian Miers on macro economics his cooling feelings on cold and warming feelings on bitcoin and his big longs and shorts. Then there are a few thoughts on companies you must NOT own, including the latest nonsense from the scallywags at Powerhouse Energy (PHE).You can access the show HERE
And now from Wales, by just 30 yards, it is my new weekly video show. This costs 99p per episode, and you can either listen to, or watch, some sparky interviews with Chris Gilbert of Fox Marble (FOX) and Dr Doom David Scott. I discuss averaging down and after news this week Fox is a care case where that is justified. This will – as I explain in thde show – be a multibagger from here. Meanwhile Dr Doom is now a bull. we discuss shares, bonds, real estate, bitcoin and gold in a must listen to interview. Then there are a few thoughts on companies you must NOT own, including Powerhouse Energy (PHE).You can access the show HERE
I start on the Greek Albanian border in the 1970s. Then it is onto the dotcom boom in 2000 and bitcoin now and the idea of Institutional acceptance and validation. Then it is onto Versarien (VRS) and Supply@ME Capital (SYME).
Asset manager Lawrence Lepard of Equity Management Associates argues that the system has failed due to unsound money, and an immediate restructuring would be preferable. The alternative may be dragging the process out for the next twenty years. He explains the differences between today and 2008 and why we haven’t seen much increase in money velocity yet.
Silver Guru David Morgan says that in inflation-adjusted terms silver is near all time lows and that “90% of the move comes in the last 10% of the time.” Physical demand in 2020 for silver from ETF’s has been unprecedented, and the gold-silver ratio has also outperformed. He argues that silver should continue to outpace gold, and he expects this bull run to continue for another two or three years.
Analyst Kirian van Hest is a specialist on the Comex and where its delivery default risk may be heading in the coming months. Kirian was expecting more stimulus this last Autumn and more investment in the precious metals. He says that the numbers Comex is reporting are highly suspect, and it appears that it’s now one big fraud. He feels that by February or the latest, the middle of 2021, the Comex’s fraud will become very evident.
Just over a year ago I covered a ‘mining’ share as a speculative buy, and it was very different to the natural resources companies that I normally cover, as it was mining Bitcoin rather than any metal or other commodity.
Writer Lyn Alden looks at the economic downturn and notes that we’ve seen a rebound in some asset classes, but, she argues, that it will take most of 2021 to see all the effects play out. We’ve seen a weaker dollar and slowing GDP growth globally. By late 2021 the global economy should improve gradually.
Nicholas Mertin is the founder of Digifox a digital finance platform and DataDash, the largest cryptocurrency YouTube channel is talking his own book here. But as we have a few bitcoin nutters on this website, as well as the legion of gold bugs headed up by comrade Somerville, here is something for you.
Bullion dealer Simon Mikhailovich argues that today’s accounting practices may look okay on paper but the truth is that we are bust. It is now impossible to meet the future demands on cash-flow. Rates today are at 5000-year lows, while most assets are very overpriced. The dollar has declined in value during the past century by 95%. He argues that since interest rates are now zero, currency can only fall in value from here.
Asset manager Frank Holmes argues that the US the election results and a split house may be the perfect scenario for the stock market and the ideal scenario for gold. He believes that G20 Central bankers have been functioning as a cartel since 2008 by synchronizing taxation and regulation. Now they are playing with MMT, zero interest rates, and monetary stimulus. However, they have redefined the CPI, and today if you use the old model, inflation is running at close to eight percent. Smart people are buying real assets like art, gold, silver, mining equities, and bitcoin.
Libertarian speculator and author Doug Casey says it’s difficult today to be an investor with all the government economic distortion and mis-allocation of capital. However, in contrast a speculator can do well in this environment. He says, “Being a speculator should not be confused with being a trader.”
I start with the therapy my woodshed offers and also a note on Chris Bailey. Then I look at Powerhouse Energy (PHE) and Remote Monitoring Systems (RMS) before considering bitcoin and gold and why I personally have big exposure to the “barbarous relic” and no exposure to crypto.
Goldman Sachs has pinned a $2,300 per oz target on Gold for 2021, saying that its bull market is not over, according to fnlondon.com, as inflation expectations will move higher, the US$ will weaken and emerging market retail demand recovers. Compared to some forecasts, this is extremely modest but a 22% gain for the yellow metal would still be significant.
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.
Analyst Nick Giambruno explains which assets are “hard assets” and so will fly when fiat is, as now, being debauched. There are key characteristics that make gold the best money, and other assets like silver and bitcoin share many of those features. Bitcoin fits this definition because it’s scarce, and its supply growth is similar to that of gold (gradually declining).
Here are five long reads that have nothing to do with shares. Put the kettle on, find a comfy chair. You have the time, don’t you?
In ancient times, heavenly alignments foretold doom. What would the ancients have had to say about the recent extraordinary planet parade when Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune – plus the dwarf planet Pluto – all lined up together? And, at the same time, that most basic and primal of metals, gold, was also shooting up to the stars.
And now for someone who makes our own in-house gold bug, Nigel Somerville, seem almost balanced and sane. Ronald-Peter Stöeferle is a fund manager and starts by discussing his firm's (Incrementum) recently released annual report, “In Gold we Trust.” It believes we are at the beginning of a golden decade, and the report goes over many aspects of the gold market. This year is also highlights bitcoin and have a special chapter dedicated to silver.
Trader Chris Vermeulen is expecting another market correction since the fundamentals for the market have only worsened. Small investors have been piling in while smart money has been exiting. He warns that “The average person is going to get completely slaughtered.” But he is bullish on silver, as it seems primed for a move higher.
In today's podcast I talk about the sell off and discuss the shape of the recovery that will happen in the real economy and in equities but warn against optimism on the rate and timing of that recovery. I look at Restaurant Group (RTN) which, again, I warn is a disaster waiting to happen, then at various bubbles that have burst in the past few weeks including bitcoin (ha Dominic Frisby take that!) cannabis, junk bonds and AIM shite and discuss a few companies in those sectors. I also clarify a point on bailouts for the benefit of NoGold.
Is there anything better than sitting back and reading a well-written article on a lazy Sunday? Every week ShareProphets features some long form journalism that you'll find of interest. Grab your cuppa and enjoy these five articles.
At first glance Argo Blockchain (ARB) seems to be very different to the type of companies that I normally cover within the natural resources sector, but the actual economics of the business isn’t all that dissimilar.
In this eighth edition of the ShareProphets Radio podcast, sponsored by Yorkville Advisors, in order I discuss my guest next week (the biggest name yet on the show) and Burford (BUR) and the more general issue of revenue recognition. I then chat for about an hour to liberatrian comedian, songwriter and singer, Brexit Party activist, gold & bitcoin guru Dominic Frisby. Prepare for a few laughs. Then it is Cathal Friel of Open Orphan (ORPH), where I am a shareholder, and finally David Bramhill of Union Jack Oil (UJO). After that section I discuss nearology with reference to Union Jack, UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) and more generally. If you like this and can't wait seven days for more of the same you should listen to my Bearcast every day.
Sure, this column is merely about the 10 most read articles and listened-to Bearcasts, but when I can squeeze in something sexy, like Bitcoin or graphene or Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice futures, I get all the page views. This week, I have the big dogL Warren Buffett in graphic form. Look to me on top next week.
Love it or hate it … you just cannot ignore gold … it is after all a “bellwether”. Originally a bellwether was a bell tied around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) who would lead the other sheep and give the shepherd a ready reckoner on the movements of the flock. In financial markets it just refers to a leading indicator.
So, did my plan to zoom this column to the Top of the Pops by putting in a pandering Bitcoin infographic work? No, it did not.
This column exists to highlight the most popular articles and Bearcasts from the past week, the introductory paragraphs are merely what's on my mind on a Sunday morning. But this column has dropped in popularity to the #40s, so I will have to pull out the big gun: Bitcoin.
Richard Jennings is wrong about a good few things. Very wrong. But on certain matters (cats, Greece, donating money to Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks) he cannot be faulted. And his logic in arguing to sack the board at Argo Blockchain (ARB) is 100% correct. We will be casting FIML votes in favour of the resolution to do so and we urge all others to do the same. Over to the Align Research boss to explain why:
I accuse Dom Frisby of using a very old photo on this occassion. How do you plead Frizzers? This podcast with the great libertarian and gold guru is nothing if not wide-ranging.
Is there anything better than sitting back and reading a well-written article on a lazy Sunday? Every week ShareProphets features some long form journalism that you'll find of interest. Grab your cuppa and enjoy these five articles.
Is there anything better than sitting back and reading a well-written article on a lazy Sunday? Every week ShareProphets features some long form journalism that you'll find of interest. Grab your cuppa and enjoy these five articles.
Is there anything better than sitting back and reading a well-written article on a lazy Sunday? Every week ShareProphets features some long form journalism that you'll find of interest. Grab your cuppa and enjoy these five articles.
You may wish to watch my UK Investor City forum gig with bitcoin nutter Dominic Frisby HERE to frame what is in this podcast, the title of which is self-explanatory.
Number one is Amazon (again). Number two is Barclays Bank (BARC) again! And the third is explained HERE. Elswhere I explain what it means when I am made an insider and how I have to behave. I look at the bitcoin bloodbath and in that vein at Argo Blockchain (ARGO), Vela (VELA) and the Clem'Chambers spoof Online Blockchain (OBC). I cover Falanx (FLX), Photonstar Led (PSL) and AO World (AO).
The final part of Tuesday night's Nigel Wray UK Investor City forum was a debate on bitcoin, blockchain and goats between myself and Dominic Frisby. I think I had the best jokes though Dominic is the comedian. Anyhow it was fun and, I hope, informative. The next Wray City Forum is on December 3rd so put the date in your diary now.
Is there anything better than sitting back and reading a well-written article on a lazy Sunday? Every week ShareProphets features some long form journalism that you'll find of interest. Grab your cuppa and enjoy these five articles.
Forgive a brief historic digression at the start of this podcast but I start with a history lesson for those misguided souls who think that SinnFein/IRA brought peace and happiness to Ireland. Then I look at some other tossers from Ulster, First Derivatives (FDP) and the 3Xs. I comment briefly on Purplebricks (PURP) and Versarien (VRS) then move via BCA Marketplace (BCA) to Neil Woodford. Then it is onto MySquar (MYSQ), Symphony Environmental (SYM) and on to UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) with a few words for Dominic Frisby on the nature of bitcoin and its bubble ahead of our bust up next week in London.
In today's bearcast I look at the idea of a bear market on AIM, Cenkos (CNKS) as its CEO walks (again), Versarien (VRS), Plutus Powergen (PPG), First Derivatives(FDP), Mysquar (FRAUD), Mayan (MYN) and Wolfe Minerals (WLFE). Due to a bit of a mix-up there are a newly available handful of tickets to next week's wine, canapes, Falanx (FLX) and Premaitha (NIPT) evening in London with me ripping Dominic Frisby apart on blockchain and bitcoin as a bonus. To grab your seat for 16 October book HERE
There are now just the last 5 ( of 120) places left for the next Wray family organised UK Investor evening seminar in central London. So if you want to book a slot do so now HERE. The event kicks off with drinks and canapes from 5.30 with the first talk just after six. It will be a packed evening.
First things first. If you want free booze, canapes, a chance to see me rip Dominic Frisby apart on blockchain and bitcoin and to hear presentations from and quiz Falanx (FLX) and Premaitha (NIPT) then book a seat for 16 October in central London HERE. In today's podcast I look at Premaitha (NIPT), Avanti Communicatiuons (AVN), Cabot Energy (CAB) and the scandal it won't discuss, Greka Drilling (GDL), SpaceandPeople (SAL) and add to Gary's piece on a CEO who should be going straight to jail and not collecting £400 on the way, Brian McMaster of Jangada Mines (JAN).
First things first. If you want free booze, canapes, a chance to see me rip Dominic Frisby apart on blockchain and bitcoin and to hear presentations from and quiz Falanx (FLX) and Premaitha (NIPT) then book a seat for 16 October in central London HERE. In the podcast I look at the madness of Corbyn once more in relation to the Natural rate of Unemployment in a non broken economy. I add to my earlier comments on troughery at Frontera (FRR) HERE by showing it is bankrupt. I cover Concepta (CPT), Fishing Republic (FISH), the Widecells (WDC) scandal and Wolf Minerals (WLFE).
No, I still do not understand this blockchain malarkey but FWIW we have stagged the IPO of Argo Blockchain (ARB) on the standard list today at 16p. The fund raise was just so impressive. Argo set out to raise just £6 million.
Many of you will be well aware of the hullabaloo surrounding cryptocurrencies, the promise of being made a millionaire, seemingly within weeks, if not overnight. I, like so many was curious about what crypto's and block-chains offered - But lets stay on point with crypto's. What better place to start with the premise of crypto's. The birth of crypto's is essentially down to techno-nerds wanting to circumvent the banking system, sound enough reason you may think; after all, why keep feeding the evil banksters with our hard earned cash.
This session was chaired by Dominic Frisby with a panel of Malcolm Palle, Jonathan Bixby, Tony Sanders, Bob McDowall, and Ralph Hazell
Hello Share Mashers. Wow! What a Global Group UK Investor Show that was! I’ve never seen so many folks at any show anywhere. And if audience reaction is any guide, they loved every second of this bigger and better share spectacular, organised by Lucy Wray’s talented team. But for those who couldn’t make it, let me report on what you missed.
No one likes a whinger ... but I did find myself bemoaning the lack of quality news about precious metals AGAIN. Filling the news bucket on the world's favorite precious metals website - is getting tougher and tougher every day. So it got me thinking ... is it really so ???
Currently it seems that the mere mention of cryptocurrency or blockchain can drive investors into a frenzy, with people thinking that the new Bitcoin is about to be born, when the actual reality is that most of these companies will ultimately fail. It seems to be a bit of a ruse that is being used at the lower end of AIM, whereby the company announces some sort of involvement in this field, knowing that it will gain some interest as a result.
I am not sure where this first apperared but thanks to the reader who emailed it over. I have tweaked it to remove the name of a famour journalist as I can live without another lawyers' letter. But the core message stands about botcoin and all the other crypto bubbles is fair. Enjoy.
Ross Norman, the CEO of London's oldest gold bullion dealer Sharps Pixley will be among the speakers at UK Investor Show 2018 on April 21. Have you booked yet? Here are his precious metals forecasts for the year ahead.
Frank Holmes is chairman of a blockchain company (Hive) yet is a major gold bull. He became interested in the space when found out that the CEO of Fidelity a company with two trillion in funds has been discussing bitcoin. He says, “Something big is happening.
Andrew Left of Citron Research is one of the sharpest cookies in the global shorting conspiracy. He has just recorded an interview on CNBC discussing two blockchain/bitcoin shorts in the US. Change your name and your shares soar even though there is nothing there? Sound familiar Clem?
In this bearcast I look at the issue of share buybacks at this stage of the stockmarket cycle in general but with reference to Domino's Pizza (DOM) in particular. Then I look at the bitcoin bubble explaining why it is NOT a currency and why it will in due course pop as Goodhart's Law kicks in. But you'd be crackers to have a position either way right now
I am not so sure. But here is the raging bull case put by Peter Spina. In this podcast he discusses the cryptocurrency space and how it is similar to the dot-com boom of the late 90’s. No one knows how all of this will play out, but it is all but certain that crypto will play an essential role in world finance. Spina feels that both gold and cryptocurrencies are complimentary. You should be careful and protect your wealth in precious metals and only speculate in the crypto market. It is a new technology with much potential that creates a much more free and open marketplace. But...
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.
Rick Rule of Sprott is perhaps the world's best known investor in resource stocks. This video interview will be controversial covering bitcoin, uranium, gold, dollar default and much more.
Investors are ignoring warning signs that financial markets could be overheating and consumer debts are rising to unsustainable levels, the global body for central banks has warned in its quarterly financial health check. The Bank for International Settlements said over the weekend that the situation in the global economy was similar to the pre-2008 crash era when investors, seeking high returns, borrowed heavily to invest in risky assets, despite moves by central banks to tighten access to credit.
When asset classes reach new highs, whipped ever higher by froth, sentiment or easy money, folks always insist that "it will be different this time" and arrive at new convoluted ways of justifying absurd valuations. We are at that stage now warns the great Luke Johnson in today's Sunday Times. Of course he is right.
Like the rest of us, Jeff Berwick has been surprised by just how good the crypto space has done this year. He was telling everyone to buy bitcoin back in 2011 and has continued to recommend it. Jeff compares cryptocurrencies to the beginning of the Internet. It feels like we are entering the Internet 3.0 and Wall Street seems to be finally catching on. The bitcoin market is still tiny, and if it ever gets valued anywhere near gold, it will still go up thousands of percent. The entire thing is bizarre and mind-blowing.
The World Gold Council has recently reported that the Central Bank of Russia has more than doubled the speed of its gold purchases, bringing its reserves to the highest level since Putin took power 17 years ago. Russia’s desire to break away from the dominance of the U.S. dollar and the dollar payment system is well-known. Over 60% of global reserves and 80% of global payments are in dollars. Importantly also the U.S. is the only country with veto power at the International Monetary Fund, the global lender of last resort. Russia’s most aggressive weapon in its war on dollars is gold.
I still do not understand bitcoin as a currency and store of value. For me, gold fills that space. Maybe I am just getting too old. But at least I am not yet 239. I refer not to Malcolm Stacey who is only 184 but to gold bullion dealer Sharps Pixley which was founded in 1778. It is now allowing folks to buy gold with Bitcoin using the processor Bitpay.
Libertarian Peter Schiff is a great hero of mine and I am glad to see him calling Bitcoin out as a bubble.
I still really do not understant bitcoin but it seems to grip fellow libertarians like Dominic Frisby and, in this case, resource guru Doug Casey. In this Palisade Capital podcast, Doug discusses the commodity markets and why the most important thing is what they do cyclically. Most commodities are down 50% since 2011 and the dollar has lost 20%. Commodities remain quite cheap, particularly gold, silver, and copper. He discusses Junior miners and why now is a good time to get into these markets.
I really do not get this bitcoin shite at all, however much my pal Dominic Frisby tries to explain it to me. I just fear it will end in tears but I am cognisant that some folks have made a complete killing on it so far. In a podcast with Palisade Capital, sector guru Michael Pole makes some bold calls. Is this just the start of the gold rush or are we close to dotcom bust in 2001?
Rick Rule of Sprott is perhaps the world's best known resource imvestor. He feels that recent negative sentiment in the gold market may be a good contrarian indicator. Gold has maintained its strength this summer in the face of general economic complacency. The mining industry itself has become the financier of choice to high-quality juniors. There is a quiet confidence amongst large investors that is astonishing. This sort of investor has replaced the generalist hedge fund. Capital that is patient and knowledgeable is replacing capital that is ignorant and short term oriented.
Naturally Sprott Asset Management, as the world's best known resource investor, favours gold but, and this may surprise you, it does see a case for bitcoin exposure. Its latest monthly report discusses the battle: Bitcoin vs Gold. Over to analyst Trey Reik who writes:
There are so many radically extreme events that are happening, or will likely happen soon in the world economy, we have to be very careful. In Jeff Berwick’s 20+ years of market investments, he sees this as the most difficult time for investors. He suggests getting a lot of your money out of the markets by holding precious metals, other hard assets, and bitcoin.
Bloomberg reported late last year that China had founded a working group to explore the use and possible partial adaption of the supranational Special Drawing Rights currency, in a clear sign that it wants a new global currency and that it wants the dollar removed and replaced in its role as facilitating global commerce and it now looks that we are very close to the first SDR issuance in the private sector since the 1980s. The International Monetary Fund itself published a paper discussing the use of private sector SDRs in July and noises out of China’s central bank imply that an international development organisation will soon issue SDR bonds in China, according to Chinese media group Caixin.
We got an indication of what the Chinese may do on Monday morning on the Yuan's morning fix, after Yellans bullish comments sent the markets rushing to update there forecasts on the date of the next US interest rate rise-I think July. Because on Saturday, unprecedented volume of bitcoin buying out of China, sent the digital currency soaring to the highest level since 2014, as insiders fled the Chinese currency and so to script on Monday the official exchange rate of the onshore Yuan was lower by nearly 0.5%, from 6.5490 to 6.5794, the lowest fixing in more than 5 years, or February 2011.
Do you understand bitcoin and blockchain? No. Neither do I. At UK Investor Show a panel organised by Coinsilium (COIN) including Dominic Frisby tried to explain the excitement and the investment opportunity.
With turmoil on markets across the world, gold has seen a resurgence in popularity since the start of the year. It was as recently as late autumn of 2015 when many seemed to be predicting that gold would drop below the $1,000 area, and could possibly even go as low as the $800-850 range.
Coinsilium Group (COIN) shares commence trading tomorrow on ISDX as the first Blockchain technology IPO. We own shares. Ahead of the IPO here is a detailed Q&A with the company’s Executive Chairman Cameron Parry, and CEO Eddy Travia.
Do you get that sense of deja vu sometimes? Could this be 2008 all over again? That is what the dollar vigilante, Jeff Berwick argues, He says that here is enormous potential upside in gold and silver mining stocks and Bitcoin, amidst massive global instability. He warns my colleagues at Palisade Capital in this week's podcast, that the US dollar is beginning to show cracks and a Fed rate hike risks real calamity. The current situation closely really does resemble the scenario just prior to the 2008 crash I cannot disagree.
I do not understand Bitcoin but my good pal Dominic Frisby does and explained the investment case in full at Gold & Bears
I do not understand Bitcoin, blockchain technology and the like. I leave that to smarter folks like Dominic Frisby who will be presenting on it at Gold & Bears and my good friend Jim Mellon who will – I’m sure – mention it in his G&B talk. This could all be the next phooey hype but it could be big so I’m getting a small exposure via Coinsilium – a two year old blockchain investor listing on ISDX later this month. I’m backing Jim’s judgement on this one.
Heck I am a gold bug what can I say. But the argument for getting exposure to gold and on how to do it is really compelling.
Coinsilium is planning an IPO within weeks on AIM and it seems to be attracting some interesting backers as a bitcoin play. It presented at UK Investor Show 2015 and here is the video.
Bitcoin has been a spectacular investment over the past few years but what is the outlook now that they are going more mainstream – are there still stellar returns to be made?
