The photos below did not come out well but show the track now cut through the grass around our three fields here at the Welsh hovel where myself and the cats (pictured) went on a training walk today. Come June 13 I will complete this route 30-40 times and I beg you to sponsor me, as I look to raise the cash to save Woodlarks, now HERE. In the podcast I look at Belarus and Covid 19 referencing my article earlier today HERE, at Nigel's dynamite expose of Tern (TERN) today and at why ShareSoc should be done under the Trades Description Act.

Looking at the FY19 Annual Report of grossly overvalued AIM-listed Jam-tomorrow investment company Tern plc TERN) I am really puzzled by the valuation of its investment into its supposed jewel-in-the-crown, Device Authority (DA). I wonder what I am missing.

I commented as part of my share tips at the recent share conference on Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and why I remain cautious about re-purchasing my previously largest individual shareholding. As Tom noted I am perhaps the gloomiest bear on the planet currently, but I make no apologies for that – it’s just how I see things. With Shell I see material risks in the near term over and above oil price, and as always it’s worth reviewing the detail.

I have written of the risks to the shorter several times here of late. Indeed, I explicitly warned against going short at what turned out to the bottom of the recent market correction. Forgive me for reminding you of that call! And given the unprecedented Government intervention in our affairs which smacks of market manipulation I am reluctant to consider new shorts. However:

Here are six long reads that have nothing to do with shares (well 1 does). Put the kettle on, find a comfy chair. You have the time, don't you? 

I learnt something new this weekend: AstraZeneca (AZN) is the biggest company on the UK market in terms of capitalisation, having doubled it in the last three-and-a-half years or so.  So well done to it, especially as a number of years back - in its shoes - I would have bitten off the corporate approach made by Pfizer and sold the company.  

This has nothing to do with shares or investing or anything. It's the end of the weekend and we've organised a quick pub quiz. Grab your own beer, there are no prizes, and for Pete's sake, no Googling! Only I get to do that. If you are so inclined, please enter your score in the comments. The highest score still won't get a prize.

Excluding ShareProphets Radio 29, the most read non-Tom article this week is Gold: Some takeaways from the ShareProphets Shares Conference by Nigel Somerville at a terrific number two or  number three including Bearcasts.

Firstly, thanks to all who have donated to Woodlarks in its hour of need. we are now at 12% of the amount needed to ensure its survival until next year, that is to say £48,000. As I prepare for a 33 mile solo walk on June 13 as this year's only rogue blogger, please donate HERE. Then it is onto events at Bidstack (BIDS), Burford (BUR) and BT (BT.A) and a cast of characters including  my pal Carson Block, the snotgobblers at the FT, investment legend Roger Lawson and the suits at ShareSoc.

For those who think that Money Trees do exist I have some bad news

AIM-listed gold-miner in Turkey Ariana (AAU) looks to have finally taken out the 3.5p mark yesterday, having flirted with it several times over the past few days: the stock is now trading on a spread of 3.6p – 3.7p so I guess my target for a small top—slice for those who may want has now gone. But what might be behind the scenes which led to this rise?

Kazakhstan-focused gold company Altyn (ALTN) has updated on Q1 production, emphasising “production up a significant 130% year-over-year” and also that there is presently “minimal” COVID 19 pandemic impact on the operations, with it “closely monitoring the situation while cooperating with relevant authorities”...

Columbus Energy Resources (CERP) has updated on the Trinity Inniss field in Trinidad and funding...

From the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, the following shows the shorted AIM shares with positions from 2019 and thus far in 2020 (by net short position %, those in bold not on the list at the start of 2020) – and if this position has increased (red), reduced (green) or remained unchanged (black) since last week...

Equity markets have had a startling run since posting coronavirus lows back in March. It seems to me that the appetite for risk hadn’t been dented and most seemed to believe in the V-shaped recovery theory once the economies around the world had reopened. Most startling for me is that the Nasdaq was actually up on the year so far. That seems to me to be utter lunacy: I see an “L”-shaped non-recovery for the time being.

Hello, Share Crunchers. At our fabulous online share show (which you can still plug into until Christmas) I told Uncle Tom that Shakespeare would be a great armchair tycoon. I was thinking of his ‘To be or not to be’ speech. Hamlet, as you’ll recall, was racked throughout by indecision. It’s the bane of the investor’s life.  

A “Sale of first Antimony and Update” announcement from Tri-Star Resources (TSTR)...

Sopheon (SPE), a self-styled “international provider of software, expertise, and best practices for enterprise innovation management solutions”, has updated including “several vertical markets where Sopheon operates - food, beverage and consumables; chemicals; defense - are showing resilience to the crisis at present” and “we are seeing orders restart from our existing customers, as their own operations settle down” – and it is “to proceed with our declared dividend of 3.25p per share”. The shares have currently remained around 700p...

Firstly, thank you to those who have donated to Woodlarks as it fights for survival. I include Robert the tractor driver.  If you have not donated please do so HERE. But maybe hold back a few coppers for Evil Banksta and hois colleagues in banking, I describe their suffering and how long it will last. And what the ramifications are for companies such as Restaurant Group (RTN). then I look at Open Orphan which has GOT to issue an RNS after this piece HERE. Finally a few thoughts on Versarien (VRS).

Previously writing on Osirium Technologies (OSI), in September with the shares at 45.5p I concluded a convenient time for a ramptastic “Substantial contract win” announcement then, but it still looks unpleasant dilution ahoy from a current £6.2 million market cap. Natch, still currently avoid / sell. Today results are headlined “Substantial progress against growth strategy” – and the shares are currently at 25p… a further more than 9% lower even today...