I am no fan of Tony Blair. I view him as a war criminal and believe that what he did as Prime Minister in the Cool Britannia era was largely a disaster. His business dealings stink, all in all, he is a total rotter as is his utterly ghastly wife, the Wicked Witch. However, folks like Andrew Pierce of the Daily Mail are harassing the old scumbag today on grounds that are simply wrong.

There we were, just the other day, being told that Kirsty Fuller was not only the saviour of Big Sofa (BST) but would lead it to new glories and a trade sale next year. Er…no.

My good pals at the FRC have today announced that it will be launching a full enquiry into the clean sign off given by audit firm Crowe UK into the accounts of the fraud Akazoo for the calendar years 2016, 2017 and 2018. You will remember that Gabriel Grego exposed this UK registered but Greek based and US listed company as a complete fraud in April 2020 and the SEC is now running a full probe. But … the FRC needs to go further.

It is easy to make investment selection errors but it is also easy to miss out on sensible investment opportunities. Over the last 10 months I have written twice about the industrial flooring company James Halstead (JHD), most recently back at the end of March. Back then I talked about that ‘looking for a bad day (or three) share price below 500p feels like a sensible longer-term buy of this sensible family influenced name forged in 1915’. Judging by today’s update from the company, I should have taken advantage of the opportunity I had to do that back in May.

Early this year we showed the Shorted AIM shares at the start of 2021. How’s the performance (those in bold remain from 2020) as at the end of September?…

Hello, Share Pickers. With cold night drawing in, you can expect plumbers to be busier. Mending worn-out boilers, ancient radiators and leaky pipes brings me to today’s choice for your further investigation.

On 17 September a chap called Matthew Scarborough subscribed to ShareProphets and at once sent us an email saying that he had an article he had drafted and wondered who he might submit it to for consideration. Hell: he might have had something interesting to say, some fraud to bust, so I suggested sending it to me. I had no idea who Mr Scarborough was. That could wait until I saw the piece.

Horizonte Minerals (HZM) is pleased to announce that it has received further credit approvals for a project finance facility of up to $346.2 million towards the construction and development of its Araguaia ferro-nickel project in Brazil and the shares have responded up to 8.6p leaving us c20% ahead on this 7 month old share tip.

Actually I advised my gardener from following Neil Jones route to poverty but review what his take on life, c/o the ghastly Mail on Sunday, tells us all about the insane times in which we live. Jimbo I await incoming from you as I expect you view Mr Jones as an investment guru.

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? 
 

Have you ever looked at iomart (IOM)? I am sure that many of you would think that a ‘Scottish information technology and cloud computing company which provides managed services from data centres and offices across the United Kingdom’, would be in a great industry for the 2020s.  However it is facing a few challenges out there as Friday’s 17% share price fall showed (and hello a 44% year-to-date decline).  So what is going on?

Okay, it’s the final day of the weekend. Grab a cup of tea, sit back, and test your knowledge against the other SharePropgets members. Write your score in the comments, there are no prizes, and most important of all – no Googling!

When I commented on AIM-listed URU Metals (URU) at the end of August, following the “disposal” of its Zebediela nickel asset to TSX-V listed cash shell (with no cash) Blue Rhino, now Zeb Nickel (TSX-V:ZBNI) the shares were 405p and I said sell as it was an accident waiting to happen. By mid-September they were down to 320p and I still said sell. Now, following after-hours full year results to March, slipped out at no-one-is-watching o’clock on deadline day (never a good sign) – and showing it had net current assets of MINUS $1.5 million – the shares are down again, to 270p – and in my view they are still monstrously overvalued and a sell.

The top non-Tom article this week is The View From The Montana Log-Cabin as Gold Tests Nerves And I Beat the Rush to Stockpile Beans by Nigel Somerville at number 1 or number 2 if you include the Bearcasts.

I have a few words on Malcolm’s article of earlier which, by definition, makes me old according to him. Pot. Kettle. I talk about the general mood of insanity. Then, in that context, I look at the Optibiotix (OPTI) vs Skinbiotherapeutics (SBTX) debate. Should one short one and go long the other as PL has suggested? I discuss what I am doing and why.

Life sciences compounds developer OptiBiotix Health (OPTI) has announced results for the first of calendar 2021, emphasising “sales of LP_LDL and SlimBiome of £1.076m, a 44.5% increase over H1:2020… pleasing given the continued uncertain global economic environment and challenges of the subsequent waves of COVID-19, particularly in countries like India and the USA”. The shares have currently responded slightly higher, to 50p.

In the last week shares in Cineworld (CNE) rose 25% from 66p to 83p, adding around £230 million to its market cap. To put that number in perspective it represents more that its entire profit before tax in 2019, the last full year without Covid.

The Gold price rose a little this week to $1761 from $1751 a week ago despite at least short term fundamentals being against it. Interest rate expectations are for rising rates, bond yields have been rising and equity markets haven’t cracked: the immediate outlook isn’t all that great for Gold, but it’s hanging in there.

Following half-year results from Jadestone Energy (JSE) recently, we noted the financial improvement despite challenges and that with the growth potential suggested the 77p share price too harsh an appraisal. There is now a “Montara H6 well successfully brought onstream”-titled announcement and the shares are further higher.

Having asked for readers tips for 2021 for the prize of 1/2 litre of Tom Winnifrith’s Greek Hovel olive oil (2021 harvest) HERE, the following is an update on performance as at the end of September (to be eligible needed to have selected, on a once per username basis, a buy & sell pick from the LSE or AIM casino and the stocks not to have been suspended at the commencement of 2021)…