Hello, Share Schemers. Do you know what ilmenite is? I thought you might not. But you will know what titanium is. And ilmenite is used to produce that. It seems to my ignorant eye that the mineral ilmenite is a mixture of titanium and iron.

In a world of omnipresent instant communication and next day delivery options, I am not really sure there is that much difference between the first and second class letter service - and I am certain that many of you reading this in rural communities can barely distinguish between the two. Anyhow, Royal Mail (RMG) has itself been downgraded this morning with the news it is out of the FTSE-100 and into the mid-cap melee known as the FTSE-250.

There were no great surprises in the results for the six months to May 31 from Optibiotix (OPTI). Maybe that is why, after a decent bounce, they are off a tad at 67p-70p. But those taking profits are making a mistake for there will be fireworks soon and that will see the shares soar.

Yesterday at 4.14pm ShareProphets AIM-China Filthy Forty play Aquatic Foods (AFG) updated the market regarding its overdue FY16 accounts. Once again we are left waiting until next month – Godot is definitely coming tomorrow, honest guv, when the new FD is appointed. So nothing to do with the problems getting cash out of China to pay auditors, Nomad fees and director fees as we were previously told?

My earlier piece outlined some disgraceful behaviour by Charles Tatnall and James Longley at Papillon Holdings (PPHP); however, one has to look at the announcement of Stranger Holdings (STHP) on the same day to really understand the Machiavellian approach being taken by these guys.

Of course the slide of Sterling - as I explained in full HERE - is nothing to do with Brexit. It started months and months before the vote when the polls showed we were certain to stay in the Evil Empire. It is, as I pointed out, to do with base rate expectations and growing fiscal imprudence in the UK. But still the BBC and other fake news outlets such as Channel 4 say that it is down to Brexit.

Sub-Standard Shocker XI member, Papillon Holdings (PPHP) has been a horror show from the beginning, as I have highlighted a few times, most recently HERE, but the massively delayed announcement of the results on Tuesday this week shows Tatnall and Longley to be low-rent lying fraudsters and investors should be clamouring for their money back.

From the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, we previously updated the top shorted London-listed shares HERE. Post Tom Winnifrith offering his top four short-able shorts in London and approaching the final third of 2017, the following updates...

Delays to the Kraken field reaching full production levels could prove costly for EnQuest (ENQ), as it will leave a large gap in expected revenues up until that point.

On the back of a “New Contract Win” announcement, shares in Mirada (MIRA) are recovering having been heading towards 1p following a trading update earlier this month…

Hello Share Trouncers. After a great deal of pressurised angst, I have sold all my IQE (IQE) stash of shares. This doesn’t mean I won’t charge back in at a moment’s notice if things pick up. I had considered selling half or at least top slicing. But I’m beginning to get warning niggles about the way the stock has shot up in the last few months.

With the company having updated in early July on its performance to 1st July, I note shares in HSS Hire (HSS) amongst today’s biggest fallers – on the back of a results announcement for its half year to… 1st July!...

Of course the world's best known investor in resource stocks is talking his own book. But it is a big call made in the latest podcast from Palisade Capital. In it, Eric discusses the recent gains in gold and silver. In 2016 stocks went up 160% in six months, we could be looking for something similar in the gold sector. It’s a tiny part of the overall market that could explode quickly.

I am trying to remember the last time I visited a Dunelm (DNLM) store - to be honest I have much better things to be doing at the weekend than wandering around a home furnishing retailer. On a quiet RNS day, the news that John Browett, the company's CEO for the last couple of years, had resigned with immediate effect for personal reasons stood out. I do not know why John resigned but I wish him the best...and this brings us to the observation that the company itself makes that 'the next phase of growth requires different leadership' (which it will announce in due course - the Chairman is taking charge for the time being).

A “Trading Update” announcement has seen shares in IG Design Group (IGR) higher and research updates…

Ophir Energy (OPHR) has made far slower progress than many could have imagined a few years back, but the oil and gas fields which attracted many in the first place are still there, and the chances of them being developed still look very good.

This will make those who said Big Sofa (BST) was set to do a placing happy. Except that they stated that it was because the business was doing badly. The reality is that it is going gangbusters and needs working capital to take on extra business. Thus last Thursday four phone calls to four fund managers meant that - with NEDS lead by Adam Reynolds chipping in £210,000 - £1.5 million was raised at 18.5p in just ten minutes.

At 4.46pm yesterday AIM-listed Frontera Resources (FRR) announced a placing raising £500,000 and director subscriptions for a further £250,000 all at 0.0975p per share. Compared to the 0.44p per share back in March, when commenting on the announcement of a possible farm-out or joint operation arrangement regarding the company’s Block 12 holding in Georgia (no sign of the deal yet, is there!) the company said it was suspending operations (operations which had already been delayed and tardily announced, according to Tom Winnifrith) I said if I were a holder I’d get on to my broker post haste and sell.

Telit (TCM) currently has a proven insider dealer as its CEO. Yosi Fait sold ALL his shares two months ago knowing the company had breached a bank covenant and was going to serve up dire H1 numbers. Apparently insider dealing is fine and dandy on AIM. In that vein, pointing out other issues relating to shocking corporate governance may seem irrelevant on the "world's most successful growth market". But if any of Marcus Stuttard or his fucking useless colleagues at AIM Regulation care any more...

Previously on this website regarding MITIE Group (MTO) we noted a Financial Reporting Council investigation, now there’s a “Financial Conduct Authority Notification”…