Shares in niche manufacturer of specialist plastic products, Plastics Capital (PLA) slipped from 126p towards 120p in December on the back of half-year results including “the board expects profits before taxation, to be marginally below consensus market expectations”, though “we anticipate a significant uplift in profitability during the second half of the financial year which should benefit from the seasonal demand upswing and new business coming on stream”. There’s now a trading update…

In today's bearcast I look at three dogs: UK Oil & Gas (ominous silence), IDOX (crap balance sheet) and Carpetright, all sorts of woes. And what are the wider implications of this latest retail disaster hot on the heels of Maplin and Toys R Us.

Goldplat (GDP) has announced results for its half year ended 31^st December 2017 and emphasises “the outlook is positive”…

Yesterday afternoon two RNSs came out from AIM-listed Milestone Group (MSG). At 4pm we were notified that the 2017 Annual Report had been published, as had the AGM Notice. But at 3.07pm a rather more interesting announcement was issued regarding Black Cactus. Yes folks, that’s the one we’ve been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for. You will no doubt remember that Black Cactus is the outfit of Larry (who has not got an Oxford Maths Degree) Cummins, and that Milestone had agreed a deal with it whereby it would get a few quid in commission and new shares worth 29.5% of the company. Now we are told:

At the end of January I cautioned as Photonstar LED (PSL) argued “a further step towards… strategy of transforming the group into a software and services business, focused on lighting and building management as a service” and that “the unaudited net loss for the group has been reduced to approximately £0.9m, compared to a net loss of £1.46m in the previous year” - concluding it looked to remain cash crunch ahoy and thus, natch, the stance remained sell / bargepole. Now a 3:34pm “Conditional Placing of £430,000 & General Meeting” announcement…

Hello Share Scoopers. There's quite a bit of interest these days by we armchair tycoons in mining tiddlers. This is rather surprising, as many of us are still smarting from the beating this sector had over the last five years. Even gold has failed to become much more valuable, even at a time when the world economy has been - and still is - shaky.

You could not tell jokes, like the one I relay, in the City any more otherwise you'd be up in front of HR at once. Luckily I am not in the City so here goes. I also comment on Defenx (DFX), Bacanora (BCN), Solo Oil (SOLO) and the Horse Hill gang, And I have two pieces of good news for the Mrs.

Around eleven months ago, it was suggested to bank profits in windows and doors retailer and manufacturer Safestyle UK (SFE) with the shares around 300p. I then noted my wariness of the valuation in relation to prospective earnings much enhanced at around 290p HERE and further cautioned at 225p HERE, 170p HERE and 164p HERE. The shares closed yesterday at 152p and today a further Trading Update…

Yesterday the good professor Conroy’s elder child, AIM-listed Conroy Gold and Natural Resources (CGNR) released its interims to last November and it needs cash. Today it is the turn of little brother, Karelian Diamonds (KDR) and the picture is no better. And as you shall see, there is an air of one insolvent partner funding the other. At least, that’s how it looks. And I wonder about the maths….

Obviously great excitement at Bailey Towers today as Carolyn McCall hosted her first results presentation as CEO of ITV (ITV). I professed my attraction to her...management capabilities back in mid-November, when I observed that the bear case for the stock was overstated. Even though the shares have fallen back 5% today, we have lifted off that low point which is pleasing to see. So what's the tone of the update?

Occasionally a company which looks dead and buried does actually manage to turn things around, and I’m starting to wonder if that will be the case with Management Resource Solutions (MRS).

Updating on cyber-security software group Defenx (DFX) towards the end of last month, apparently progress was being made under new leadership – the company having previously talked of ensuring “that profitable revenue growth is delivered in the medium and long-term”. However, its prevailing trading and financial situations saw me emphasise it’s got to reach the medium and long-term first! Today a further Trading Update…

Well this is embarassing. On December 14 B acanora Minerals (BCM) announced that China based investor NextView Capital was investing in new shares at 94.53p to take a 19.83% stake worth £31.17 million. On February 1 were told that the Chinesee had not completed by January 31 as scheduled but not to worry. Today we learned the awful truth...

I know that MySquar (MYSQ) prefers to leak speculation and innuendo as news via the fraudsters poodle journalist of choice, Rob Terry's pal Ben Harrington, but perhaps the holocaust denying fraudsters might consider an RNS PDQ!

Altyn (ALTN) “is pleased to announce… an underwriting agreement with JSC Freedom Finance, a subsidiary of Freedom Holding Corp. to raise c. US$15m, through the issue of five-year non-convertible tenge-denominated bonds”, with CEO Aidar Assaubayev emphasising “completion of the bond issuance will allow the company to accelerate the achievement of target production capacity levels, transforming the company into a significant gold producer in Kazakhstan”…

Hello Share Surfers. As the snow flies here in the grim north, and we all want to stay inside, I turn ironically to a company which relies mostly on the popularity of activities outdoors. Arena Events (ARE) only appeared on AIM in July. The launch price was 55p. Now the share is 63p.

Solo Oil  (SOLO)  is a natural resources investment company with a diverse portfolio of onshore assets, principally in Europe and Africa. It is involved in the Horse Hill play about which we are somewhat sceptical and thus we make no recommendation as it has announced a £2 million offer at 3.5p via PrimaryBid. Half ther cash will go on buying another 5% of Horse Hill from another company in the closely related nest of companies once associated with Big Dave Lenigas, Primorious.

Nine share tips tips, defending Churchill, and not missing Nigel Wray. And much more...

I have a stinking migraine and am very tired after a sleepless night so this podcast rattles through Provident Financial (PFG), Milestone (MSG), Feedback (FDBK), Amur Minerals (AMC) and, in depth, Arian Silver (DOG).

A “GatedTalent signs 100th client contract”-entitled announcement from recruitment industry software group Dillistone (DSG). Sounds ramptastic, let’s take a look…