Early last December, I recommended selling online home furnishing retailer Wayfair (NYSE - W) at $105. Helped by that month’s broad market sell off it promptly fell to $80. However I managed to close the position for a small loss as it rampaged back through my sale price, hitting over $160 in February. My gripe with Wayfair was and still is that ever since its inception in 2002 it has been incapable of making money and the more it grows its revenues the bigger are its losses (Q2 YOY revenue up 41% to $2.3 billion, losses up 81% to $181 million)...

In this sixth edition of the ShareProphets Radio podcast sponsored by Riverfort Global Capital, this week, in order I discuss PC nonsense in the world of matresses and also the folly of Nigel Wray and Neil Woodford in this sector, I give Harry Adams of Kefi (KEFI) a right old grilling, I look at the pointless ramping of AIM rubbish via other podcasts and paid for research and then discuss all things resources & other matters with guru Gary Newman. If you like this and can't wait seven days for more of the same you should listen to my Bearcast every day.

Spend management software and services company Proactis (PHD) has updated including “we are encouraged by the group's performance and especially the level of cash generation in the second half of the year… we expect this level of cash flow performance to continue as the group delivers on the benefits identified during the operational review” and that a formal sales process has seen it having “received a number of expressions of interest”. The shares are though currently slightly lower to 50p – and also comparing to more than 100p as recently as February…

Hapless Nomad Cairn Financial of Cloudtag (CTAG) infamy has been contacted by both email and phone, to establish whether it has done, as it should do under FCA Rules and contact the FCA regarding suspicious share trades ( i.e. insider dealing) in ADM Energy (ADME) by Dubai Royal Shaikh Ahmed Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum. There has been no reply. To focus the attention of Tony Rawlinson, Liam Murray and Jo Turner round at Cairn, here is what appears to have happened. A timeline.

It wasn’t a formal tip from me but having mentioned fully-listed Centamin (CEY) a good few times saying I had a target of 150p to top-slice, it seems only fair  that I flag up that the mark has been reached so a further handful of my shares are going into the shop window.

No doubt a few of you are reading this either on holiday or having just returned from one. And little doubt quite a few of you popped into a branch of WH Smith (SMWH) during your travels – certainly more of you than has popped into your local High Street equivalent. The last time I wrote about the share I concluded 'I think I would still be interested on a clear sub £20/share fall'…

The wall of bad news for Neil Woodford shows no sign of abating. Last week saw Eddie Stobart (ESL) suspended, his investment into laws of physics-bending Industrial Heat heavily marked down in a revaluation and two further biotech outfits written down to near zero. Yesterday the FD at Rutherford Health (RUTH) - the former Proton Partners - exited stage left on the eve of his reappointment at the AGM which kind of suggests to me there is a problem, Muddy Waters continued its attack on Burford (BUR) thanks at least in part to the excellent work of Drunken Sailor. And on Friday (no doubt after-hours) we will see the delayed Q2 results from Oslobors-listed Thin Film (THIN) which has been trying (and failing) to raise money, and is running out of cash fast. Where will the next shoe drop?

Previously writing on Surface Transforms (SCE), in May I concluded including on recently raised funds forget “to grow and develop”, more like ‘to continue to trade’. The shares are though currently on the rise on a “Contract Agreement with German OEM 5”…

Hello, Share Walkers. Horrified I was when I checked on the price of my Lloyds (LLOY) shares and found a hefty slice of my money gone - on paper. There’s little doubt in my mind that these shares are being cruelly treated by the City. The numbers support this view and the best reason I can think why Lloyds is not more buoyant is the uncertainty of Brexit...

Following my weekend comments when I suggested readers have beer and popcorn to hand as Rutherford Health (RUTH), the ex- Proton Partners (PPI), has called its AGM for tomorrow as investors are asked to approve the share issuance required to take Neil Woodford’s £45 million of other peoples’ committed money, today the CFO has resigned!

Renold (RNO) describes itself as “a global leader in the manufacture of industrial chains and also manufactures a range of torque transmission products which are sold throughout the world to a broad range of original equipment manufacturers and distributors. The company has a well-deserved reputation for quality that is recognised worldwide”. Certainly, that has not proven the case with its financials at least – it last month postponing its AGM after “the identification of historical accounting issues over the three years ending 31 March 2017, 2018 and 2019… immediately initiated an independent investigation”. Now “Completion of investigation”…

Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT), which is considering Neil Woodford’s future as manager, announced its NAV as at the close of play of Friday this morning (just) at 11.57am. We had been warned that Link was marking down the value of investee Industrial Heat by the equivalent of 3.4p per WPCT share. But it seems this was not the only bad news….

The Evening Standard man is not very bright and still does not understand the import of today's Muddy Waters Burford (BUR). Look at the tweet exchange below. Would you believe I wasted 20 minutes of my life answering questions about the dossier from this ungrateful knobhead today?. It is not the first time I've helped him but with no grace to credit, it will be the last.  I also look at First Derivatives (FDP), discuss the very low grade lawyer's letter I received today, look at ADM Energy (ADME) and at the comedy show that is Providence Resources (PVR)

Collapsing the US economy on Trump’s head is one sure way to prevent his re-election...

An “Operational Update” from Live Company (LVCG) commencing; “The group is pleased to announce it has now contracted 60 BRICKLIVE shows and events across the world for 2019, achieving a key milestone for the company. This was the original target set by the company for the year ending the 31 December 2019. The group will continue to work with new and existing partners to deliver further shows and events in the remaining four months of 2019.” Sounds good – but then on Friday it was intra-day (2pm) RNS. Attempted no one watching o’clock?…

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.”

Right now the UK operations of Purplebricks (PURP) are booking a small profit. So if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right? Er new boss Vic Darvey has given an interview to the Press Association hinting very much otherwise.

As a self-confessed investment sad-o, I really like statistics such as when the guys who started the US discount hotel chain Motel 6 opened their first roadside inn in 1962, an ounce of gold would have apparently bought you a six night stay. Now (at today's prices) it buys you a twenty one night stay. Now we can debate whether you want to spend three weeks in a Motel 6 or not...but you get the point I am trying to make. A bit of gold goes a long way to improve the performance of the characteristics of your portfolio in times of strife…

To his credit, Carson Block has credited us fully in his new dossier covering the Napo scandal. The contents will be familiar to our readers having been published here 2 weeks ago. But it has aroused the deadwood press. I have already had one hack on the trombone seeking further clarification. The citical point is that without a Napo win fee, Burford (BUR) would have reported a 2013 loss, not a profit, shortly before getting away a big bond issue. As I noted in a letter to the Nomad Johnny Allison ten days ago "name that case!"  Burford's failure to do so is telling. The new Muddy Waters dossier is below:  

Hello, Share Scrapers. Nobody has any idea how the bank holiday tumbles in Asian markets will affect the Footsie this week. And as this gorgeous website is dedicated to showing you how to make money, let me turn to an area which is now’t to do with shares but which could still put thousands in your pocket...