Hello Share Pickers. A company at the centre of the move towards green energy has posted a trading update which seems worth a look. Horsham-based Ceres Power Holdings (CWR) which pioneers fuel cell and electro-chemical technology is confident enough about its interim results for the first half, due on September 22nd, to provide a taster now.

I have no skin in this game, though I wouldn't wish to own shares in Flip Flop's Kavango Resources (KAV). However, as the two men go to war, it is time to grab some beer and popcorn and enjoy from the sidelines. Then, I look at Asimilar's (ASLR) cash crisis, and Red Rock Resources (RRR) where, despite Andrew Bell pulling his usual trick, I hang on. Finally, I take a detailed look at Ince Group (INCE), where I am now 90% vindicated, with the shares crashing to c. 5p. I await an apology from its PR man, who suggested that, at 52p just before Christmas, I was wrong to be such a bear. To watch my next hat eating, go HERE.

Previously writing on floor coverings company Airea (AIEA), in March 2020 with the shares at 39p I concluded that there looked value potential but I’d want to see turnaround of the profit direction before considering from the watchlist. With the shares having last closed at 27.5p, what about the first half of this year?

Describing itself as “a leading provider of specialist products using printed circuit technology”, Trackwise Designs (TWD) states it “is pleased to announce its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2021 and to provide an update on trading for the six months ended 30 June 2022”. So why have the shares currently responded to 36p, more than 19% lower?!

Nightcap (NGHT), the bars chain floated in a deal to save face for Dragon’s Den star, the ghastly Sarah Willingham, has a curious period end 27^th June and December. I have previously noted how this allows the company to mislead investors, as its period-end balance sheet will always include a full month’s cash inflow, but not the final month's wages.

Just under a week ago I wrote about how boring BT Group (BT.A) shares are. However, whilst I was right to buy a bunch of the shares a couple of years ago, when the share price has moved very close to my two quid share price target I have failed to book my profit and run. But what has gone, has gone and what am I going to do with the shares that today are down about 5% to just shy of 168p?

Seed Innovations (SEED) has announced results for its year ended 31^st March 2022, noting a testing stock market environment but much operational progress within its portfolio companies.

Online wine retailer Virgin Wines UK (VINO) has issued a trading update for its year ended 30th June 2022 emphasising “a strong, stable and resilient business model, coupled with disciplined customer acquisition, that delivers market leading profitability”. So why are the shares currently down a further more than 7.5% to 67p on the announcement?

There are many reasons to be bearish of Argo Blockchain (ARB), not least a CEO, Peter Wall, who dumps millions of pounds of shares AFTER sounding folks out about a placing, which took place less than two weeks after that dump.  But that is not the only corporate governance issue.

I am struggling to remember a Wednesday that was as busy for those of us interested in the world of analysis, fund management and macroeconomics matters over the twenty-six years since I started work, as was yesterday. It was all good fun, even if I ended my day listening to the Federal Reserve believing it was very good at looking after American inflation. More about stocks. Like the analytical weirdo I am, I love listening to at least one live conference call every business day. However yesterday, I lost count of the number of calls I listened to and there were a bunch I passed on because I knew I simply did not have time.  First up for me was Reckitt Benckiser (RKT), a company that I mentioned on Tuesday was far more interesting than Unilever (ULVR), which remains very clear after the former’s first half numbers.

Hello Share Players. Despite the Footsie’s lack of progress, quite a few members are posting encouraging numbers. They include Reckitt Benckiser (RKT). In the first half of this year, its like-for-like sales improved by 8.6%. Revenue was up by 2.2% and, more importantly, underlying operating profit increased by a fifth to £1.8 billion.

Premium UK cinemas group Everyman Media (EMAN) has announced “record half year sales and EBITDA… the pipeline for H2 2022 and 2023 is well progressed with a minimum of six further venues contracted to open”. So what of the shares currently moving up to 111p?

Golden rules of AIM, Number 34: If there is a 'y' in the day, Lyin’ Steve Sanderson is either pumping or dumping. On 20 July, just three weeks after the last ramptastic update from UK Oil & Gas (UKOG), came a full operational update.

Pray for poor Jackie Louise Cope for she is a moron, an obsessive and a fantasist. Her twitter line is full of tweets giving folks, generally utterly spurious, reasons to buy shares in Union Jack Oil & Gas (UJO). I fear that she is obsessive for she seems almost one track minded. Please Jackie go and do something interesting for once. Go get a life! Take up pilates. Learn vegetarian cooking. Go to the boozer. Do something different to break your rather sad routine!

Describing itself as “a leading provider of technology and services for the global offshore energy markets”, Tekmar Group (TGP) has announced “a significant new contract award to supply 100 Cable Protection Systems for use on multiple offshore wind farms in the Shangdong and Guangdong provinces of China”. What of a current more than 5% higher share price response to 11.375p?

Writer, Robert Moriarty, is a cheerful bear. He discusses the capital destruction that has occurred within both the cryptocurrency and stock markets. He believes crypto is analogous to beanie babies, due to the number of different currencies.

I have written to the FCA, which is the regulator - no sniggering at the back, please - of companies on the (sub) Standard List, like the fraud, Supply@ME Capital (SYME). A statement is now overdue, for clarification of whether or not its boss, Alessandro Zamboni, has covertly dumped shares.

Previously writing on construction software company Eleco (ELCO), in May with the shares down to 88.5p I concluded that the valuation didn’t look to discount the risks and thus still avoid / sell. What though now with the shares last closing at 70p and a trading update the company states it “is pleased to provide”?

The answer to the question is that they don’t because the old ways of blowing up their balance sheets already work jolly well.  And that brings us to musicMagpie (MMAG) a company with a proven fraudster one missed heartbeat from the helm, which has no real USP, which has deceived its investors and is burning cash. Great! That sounds like just the sort of company a bankster would want to do business with as we enter a recession. Coke and hookers all round. Today we learn that NatWest and HSBC have offered it a three year RCF, an overdraft for corporates And boy will music need that cash.

I start with the business, the spoofs at shamed Union Jack Oil (UJO) and Hydrogen Utopia (HUI), where the Aquis DOM of the year is yanking your chain.  Then, onto today's appalling trading statement from Parsley Box (MEAL). I run you through the implied maths, rather than its adjusted EBITDA and other fantasies, demonstrating why by this time next year, it will have gone bust.  It is a zero, however much the bird in charge protests otherwise. Target price 0p by July 2023.