Since I observed in mid-December that “I like Ocado (OCDO) delivery but I am keeping on avoiding the shares”, I have personally used the company twice and remain completely unsurprised to see the share price down over 10% today and nearly 20% year-to-date. Life is always tough when you have a market cap of nearly £9.5 billion, revenue of just shy of £2.5 billion (up 7.2% year-on-year) and – despite some clever software and robots technology – still make a loss. Striking a deal here with M&S (MKS) was smart here in the UK and ‘unveiled the next leap of game-changing technology underpinning the unique and proprietary Ocado Smart Platform’ may be very exciting, but my top tip would be to make some actual proper profit. I guess that means (1) I will put another food and related order in later this month and (2) I will keep on avoiding the shares. Meanwhile, how is one of my ‘tips of the year’ plays DCC plc (DCC) getting along?

Deltex Medical (DEMG) has announced that “the board has concluded that it is now appropriate to raise a total of approximately £1.4 million… at a price of 1.25 pence per Deltex Medical ordinary share… (i) to launch, market and commercialise the next generation TrueVue monitor as well as a new non-invasive Doppler probe; (ii) to provide the financial resources required to support the substantial grant funding already won… and (iii) for the general working capital needs of the business”. Really?…

Having asked for readers tips for 2022 for the prize of 1/2 litre of Tom Winnifrith’s Greek Hovel olive oil (2022 harvest) HERE, the following is the first monthly update on performance (to be eligible needed to have selected, on a once per username basis, a buy & sell pick from the LSE, AIM casino or Aquis lobster pot and the stocks not to have been suspended at the commencement of 2022)…

Hello Share Snafflers. There are companies that work hand in hand with other businesses to make them more efficient. There’s a perception that successful enterprises don’t need such outside help. But that’s not what the big techies believe. And nearly all of the industry giants use the expert services of Spirent Communications (SPT). It monitors and tests the equipment and running of big communication companies to make sure they operate at maximum efficiency. Because if your system doesn’t work properly, you’re in dead trouble with your customers.

Eleco (ELCO) “announces that Robert Tearle is stepping down from the board as a Director of Eleco plc with immediate effect”. A red flag?…

Not, I stress, to Darren. I fired him yesterday as I have done about once a week for nine years. But to someone working at the Welsh Hovel. I explain what he does and ask if I should fire him. Answers in the comments section below. My sense is yes and that his behaviour is down to massive scale money printing and what comes with it. After that I consider the SEC investigation into the bear community then answer your emails on Kefi (KEFI) and what is happening in Ethiopia this very day. Then I look at Bidstack (BIDS) in some detail and finally at Argo Blockchain (ARB).

Provider of fryer management and other services to commercial kitchens, Filta Group (FLTA) has announced a “trading update” including CEO Jason Sayers “delighted with the group’s performance in 2021 despite the ongoing challenges from Covid-19… significant growth in revenue, whilst managing these challenges”. So what of the shares, having currently responded up to 143.5p?…

On 25 August 2021, Aquis lobster pot listed Eight Capital Partners (ECP) announced that it purchased €40 million of 2.5% Fixed Rate Secured Bonds at par value from IWEP Limited, a company controlled by ECP’s Chairman, Mr Dominic White.  So what you say? Read on for what has happened since shows how the Supply@ME Capital (SYME) con is unravelling

Pro tem there are no articles from Gary Newman as our man is in Uganda doing his day job as a fishing journalist. Anyhow, he has posted this photo he took of David Lenigas wallowing in the AIM sewer, I mean, of the wildlife diversity spotted as Gary tries to catch a fish. I invite you to supply a suitable caption in the comments section before midnight tonight. Do not hold back. 

With shares in SpaceandPeople (SAL) slumping from a 1st February 15p close to just two days later a 10p close, the company still don’t bother to make an announcement last week. It has now eventually got round to doing so, and the shares are currently at 12.25p. So what to make of it?…

Back in December I observed that Johnson Matthey (JMAT) had fallen out of the FTSE 100 and “it might not be one of my top two tips for next year, but it probably makes the top five and that most certainly makes it a BUY”. Part of the rationale for doubling my shareholding in the 204 year old ‘multinational speciality chemicals and sustainable technologies company’ is that I bought during the early COVID-19 fear days at a share price of below 2000p. That worked well until – as mentioned late last year – there was a bit of share price volatility, ultimately taking the shares from above 30 quid a year ago to about an 18 quid share price now. I still think though there are many reasons for holding this share in 2022, and that brings us to today’s 31 page ‘Clean Air: delivering sustainable cashflow’ presentation by the company…

My views on the state of the economy as a result of Covid are well known – which is why I have piled a large chunk of my cash into Gold-related investments. And that brings me to this morning’s news from Great Portland Estates (GPE, formerly GPOR) of the FTSE250, which is apparently up a whopping 33% on a trading update. Is it too good to be true?

Amigo (AMGO) has today given us an update on the scheme of arrangement which will, almost certainly bit not certainly, eventually see nineteen new shares issued for every one now in issue. Whatever happens, at 3.58p the shares are monstrously overvalued.

One year and one month after Wildcat Petroleum (WCAT) lied about having raised £600,000 and took its place among the worthless joke companies on the Standard List, its long promised RTO of an E&P asset is still nowhere to be seen. However, nearly all of the money which did come in after spiv investors flipped the shares they had been issued without paying for, has now been spunked. Cash is now well under £200,000 so serious spoofing is needed.

Hello Share Fans. There’s little doubt that companies which service the NHS should be able to benefit from more government spending on the medical world. Hospitals will have more funds and so will GP’s. And that’s jolly good news for a company I’ve mentioned before called Primary Health Properties (PHP).

I start with KPMG and another scandal but the real scandal is the way it deals with its employees who are fraud enablers by act or by omission or both. Then onto the Methodists and why its stance on Rio Tinto (RIO) is, I suggest, not what Jesus would have advocated.  Moreover it highlights how ESG driven investing has created valuation anomalies on both the long and short side. Finally, THG (THG) and PE bid speculation. 

Gold ended the week at $1808 – so still around the $1800 mark. It has been here for what seems to have been an eternity. Yet at the same time, whilst the yellow metal has held firm, gold stocks have been selling off and silver has slipped back to $22.50, having been as high as $24.50 only a couple of weeks ago.

It was a busy last week and it is going to be a busy next week too.  Such is this time of the year.  It’s all good fun.  Particularly entertaining – no doubt – will be the conference calls after full year updates from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Unilever (ULVR).  Sensibly the former is splitting up its business, whilst the latter really should be considering it a bit more.  It will be enjoyable to listen to and react to (after all I own a bunch of shares in GlaxoSmithKline).  But today I wanted to talk about Rio Tinto (RIO)…

I previously covered the ignominious delisting of Rutherford Health, formerly Proton Partners, from the Aquis lobster-pot. But I fear the denouement for this Woodford favourite has only just started, as a quick trip to Companies House shows and for those left holding the baby – the remains of Neil Woodford’s Equity (lack of) Income fund (now LF Equity Income Fund) and Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) – there is surely more bad news to come.

Here are five long reads that have nothing to do with shares. Put the kettle on, find a comfy chair. You have the time, don’t you?