I will have a listen later to the quarterly call from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) following its first quarter numbers today. The numbers were fine and specifically mentioned the good performance of its pharmaceutical business ahead of the proposed demerger in July. I wrote about all this a couple of months ago and my advice remains to stay a holder here and make a call whether to retain one or both on the demerger in a few months time. If only all investments were as straightforward as the last 15 months in GlaxoSmithKline. And talking about more complex investments brings us to WH Smith (SMWH)...

You read about a new “Capital Enhancement Plan”, and it sounds like good news. But no. This is Orwell speak, and it is, in fact, a series of disastrous announcements from the fraud, Supply@ME Capital (SYME). Even Helen Keller and Ray Charles can see the writing on this wall - although, natch, some posters on the LSE Asylum still know better.

In my previous article, “Alpha Growth – accounts deadline confusion”, I highlighted that Gobind Sahney, Executive Chairman of Alpha (ALGW), seemed a little confused over the deadline date to report its year-end results.  Well today, via RNS, Alpha announced that:

The media company beloved by cross-dressing IT consultants, Bidstack (BIDS), has published its predictably dismal results for calendar 2021, as well as a massively upbeat commentary from CEO, Lyin’ James Draper. That has seen the shares marked up by 10%, to 3.65p, with a market cap of £35 million. As ever, folks do not read the small print of the notes. Read the fecking notes, morons!

Yesterday, I explained why the extension of the Atlas death spiral - to 31 July - was bad news for AIM sewer-listed company, Vast Resources (VAST). 24 hours later comes a reminder of why I was right. The sequence reads: 1.57, 1.24, 0.86, 0.77, 0.59, 0.48 and now, 0.4p.

At one time I quite liked the look of Hummingbird Resources (HUM) and its gold mining operations, but unfortunately, like so many AIM listed resource stocks, its potential looked better than what it hasactually turned out to be!

Hello, Share Takers. This old punter likes TV companies, as I see a sustained demand for home entertainment even after Covid becomes a thing of the past. This optimism doesn't however include streaming companies that are clearly facing too much competition. Zoo Digital (ZOO) is not a streamer, but a provider of dubbing and subtitles. I've commended it to you previously, but the latest trading update before full year figures on July 6 deserves another look.

I start on the news from Twitter & Elon Musk. Then, I look at Wildcat Petroleum (WCAT); Novacyt (NCYT); Vast Resources (VAST); the stinking RNS from Nightcap (NGHT); and Versarien (VRS), where the TWO death spirals are starting to bite, as the cash crisis intensifies.

Life sciences market IT provider Instem (INS) has announced 2021 results emphasising “the combination of increasing demand for regulatory-backed solutions and a growing demand for artificial intelligence and in silico solutions in the drug R&D process underpins our confidence in further leveraging our software and service portfolio”. So what of a current share price response to below 700p, down more than 12%?!

As folks guzzled on the covid testing hype, one man grew very rich. Graham Mullis was CEO of Novacyt (NCYT), a nothing biotech perennial dog, which just happened to have a test. Mullis was to be awarded a cash bonus, the size of which was dependent on the share price as of October 17 2020.

The fraud, Supply@ME Capital (SYME), promises its – dismal – calendar 2021 results will be out by Friday. Given that it is insolvent, I wonder how the reporting accountants will sign off on the document. Time will tell. Meanwhile, Supply seems to have problems updating its Companies House records on a timely basis. For instance:

The most flea-ridden dog on AIM, Vast Resources (VAST), has served up yet more bad news. Just a year after consolidating its shares on a 100-for-1 basis, they are just 0.38p to sell, more than 95% down on the year.  With today’s disaster, another 100-for-1 consolidation beckons. Let me explain.

AIM-listed Advanced Oncotherapy (AVO) has updated the market this morning on progress towards its first fully operational LIGHT system. The news is, for a change, good in that there is no further slippage. But will that last?

Back in September last year I asked the question “is Associated British Foods (ABF) cheap or boring?”. My answer back then was the latter and since then the stock has fallen a further 15% to a share price level last seen in late 2012. So should we buy shares in the diversified international food, ingredients and retail (including Primark) group following its 24 weeks ended 5th March 2022 numbers out earlier today?

Writing on structural steel and construction safety company Billington (BILN) earlier this month with the shares at 225p after I previously noting ‘profit warning & how confident can it be for 2022 really?’, a further share price fall, it has now announced results emphasising some recovery for its markets and that its “order book continues at a consistently high level”. So what of a current below 220p share price?...

Sub scale technology investment waste of space company Vela (VELA) has today announced that it has hired a new PR and IR firm Novum to ramp its shares. Novum, aka my old pal Alan Green, I have a question for you about the gap in the website CV of your boss Brent Fitzpatrick, the one linking him to a convicted fraudster and jailbird.

Hello Share Cheerers. A company in the brick trade I've commended before is flying higher than expected. Ibstock (IBST) makes bricks and other building blocks. And you would anticipate success in this continuing bull market for houses and flats.

I discuss the trip yesterday, from one hovel to another. Then, it is onto Audioboom (BOOM); musicMagpie (MMAG); two more sector-specific lessons from the AIM demise of W Resources (WRES); what McColls (MCLS) said today; and finally, three reasons to sell the hell out of green shite PI darling, Eqtec (ETQ).

Behavioural science-based business improvement company Mind Gym (MIND) has issued a trading update including “revenue is expected to be £47.9m, up 25 per cent on FY21 (in constant currency) and up 5 per cent on pre-Covid levels… adjusted PBT for the year is expected to be in line with board expectations”. So what of a 130p share price, down from over 190p as recently as October?...

It is now just 7 weeks away, and I really must start training as soon as I am back in Wales. I hope that my fellow walkers (Miers, Basham, Basham's trainer, Bell, Moore and two readers of this website who seem frighteningly keen and fit) are better prepared. Anyhow, train I will, for it is a great cause. We have now raised 4% of our £50,000 target, but, fear not; I shall be begging almost daily from now onwards.