Thank you to all of you who have donated to the Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks appeal this year. As you might just know, the rogue bloggers (nine confirmed so far) will walk the 33 miles from Horse Hill to Woodlarks on May 25 and we realy want you to sponsor us HERE

Thanks for all your emails, fellow shareholders. I had indeed noticed that shares in Wishbone Gold (WSBN) were down by c27% today at 0.07p and so put in a call to Richard Poulden.

A “New $3.48m USD Contract Award - Asia” announcement from Westminster Group (WSG) – with Chief Executive Peter Fowler “delighted to be able to announce this latest new contract award for large scale screening solutions, which has been secured after a prolonged period of negotiations” and the shares currently higher, towards 9p, in response. Hmmm…

In today's bearcast I cover Optibiotix (OPTI), Vela (VELA), Woodford Patient Capital trust (WPCT), Ascent Resources (AST), Mosman Oil & Gas (MSMN), Management Resource Solutions (MRS), Bidstack (BIDS) and Optiva/Novum and a hot City rumour. Also I have a message for 90% of listeners - please be a hero today, my 21 mile training walk for this weekend has been planned so donate to Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks HERE

Let us be clear: Johnny Mercer, the Tory MP is not involved in the London & Capital Finance scandal which we have done so much to expose. But he is personally profiting from what will prove to be the financial scandal of the year, the mini-bond mis-selling affair, and his reaction to criticism of his behaviour is lamentable.

Bioplastics and radio frequency technology business, Biome Technologies (BIOM) has updated including that “2019 has commenced in an encouraging manner, particularly for the Bioplastics division” – and the shares have currently responded higher to 380p, though still well down from their approaching 700p in January…

Smaller North Sea oil and gas companies seem to be out of favour, as investors go chasing big profits in riskier, less proven parts of the world, but more often than not the outcome tends to be heavy losses on these types of outfits.

Ascent Resources (AST) “is pleased to announce that it has completed an oversubscribed placing of 214,285,714 ordinary shares… with a small number of institutional investors. The placing was conducted at a price of 0.35 pence per share”. Particular credit to Evil Banksta – and the company “pleased to announce”, with the price a 30% discount to the prior close?! (“oversubscribed” not exactly an achievement then!)...

Optibiotix (OPTI) has announced the launch of SlimBiome® Medical in the UK – as of 29 April.  All; well and good and I remain an enthusiast for the shares - they are cheap. But there is another matter which is not so impressive in a word where transparency is now universally viewed as critical.

The investment case for Purplebricks (PURP) is looking increasingly ragged. Even the analysts, not noted for being quick off the mark, seem to be losing faith – JP Morgan slashing its price target from 400p to 188p, and Berenberg really coming to its senses by replacing its 460p target with an 80p target. The disruptive growth story is now in shreds after February’s profit warning...

Direct Line Insurance (DLG) is a rather unusual company. It does not flog its policies on comparison websites. You would think this would reduce the size of premiums. But when I compared the cost of insuring my jalopy, admittedly some months ago, I found I got a few better offers from comparison sites...

Perhaps in 20 days time limp dick sad excuse for a journalist, the liar, Jamie Nimmo of the Mail On Sunday will report on this development at Argo Blockchain (ARB) and tell his dwindling readership that “he can reveal”. I can reveal the board has been given the option of buying the underlying crypto business for just £1.

The great success that was the 2019 Global Group UK Investor Show saw three 'Dragon's Den' sessions where a number of CEOs each gave a 1 minute (well, supposed to be!) pitch and three 'Dragons' at each session each picked a stock for a £1,000 investment. With the show having been in the last week of March, here’s a first performance update...

I have known for a while that Yourgene (YGEN) was to upgrade its broker from FinnCrap to Stifel. It is a big upgrade. But I was told that FinnCap would be kept on as joint broker for three months during part of which Stifel is in a research blackout period. Something happened last Wednesday and FinnCap was fired with immediate effect. I shall endeavour to establish what it was but maybe it was just that FinnCap’s last research note was so bad that it was felt that no research for 40 days was better than another note from the same shite analyst. Perhaps FinnCap did something worse. I am digging. What you, my fellow shareholders want to know about is the placing and acquisition.

Previously updating on point of sale, payment and loyalty systems group Universe (UNG) just over a year ago with the shares lower towards 5p, I wrote 2017 results, outlook “solid”… other than a “significant uncertainty”! – concluding I awaited a more reassuring announcement before considering from the watchlist. Recent results have now been followed by a “Directorate Change”…

I explain why there was no podcast yesterday - we all have our crosses to bear. Then it is onto Plus500 (PLUS) and Bidstack (BIDS) formerly Kin Group, formerly Fitbug. Now: how about you join Adam Reynolds and Susan Dando and be a Superstar HERE

TV and multimedia content producer, Zinc Media (ZIN) “is pleased to confirm that Mark Browning has joined the business as Chief Executive Officer… brings many years of leadership, experience and a clear track record of successfully managing significant growth in the TV production and media sectors and joins the company from ITN Productions, where he most recently acted as Group Managing Director”, with Browning seeing “plenty of growth potential in the TV businesses, both domestically and internationally, and through Zinc Media's digital arm”. Potential then, with the shares having sunk to 0.3p from towards 0.70p when I last wrote?...

A “New Store Opening and Trading Update” from fishing tackle and equipment retailer Angling Direct (ANG), which the company “is pleased to announce” and sees CEO Darren Bailey “very excited to have opened our Nottingham store” and also stating “whilst other areas of the retail sector may be experiencing difficulties, we are delighted that our strategic focus on customer experience and service, as well as positioning our stores in the correct locations, is driving our growth and brand value”. Great news then?...

I have loved up Biffa (BIFF) on these pages before, calling the UK's premier business waste collection company in November a buy based on 'big themes...such as tighter regulation, recycling and participation in energy from waste'. The shares have risen - along with the general market - since November but what has caught my eye today are comments from the company that 'UK recycling confusion' needs to be 'sorted'...

Minoan (MIN) has announced results for its year ended 31^st October 2018 and that “the group has recently received an approach and is in discussions to create a joint venture on one of the five hotel and villa sites... The discussions around value indicate that, if completed in line with those discussions, a figure would be realised at an indicative value which the board believe that shareholders would find attractive”…