By my reckoning the last Thursday of July is the busiest for global stock market obsessives like me…hence why it has taken me until first thing Friday to write about some larger cap UK market highlights from the day before. First up is ‘Europe’s leading distributor of floorcoverings’, Headlam (HEAD).

Sub-Standard listed AIQ (AIQ), pride and joy of Andrew Monk’s VSA Capital fold, has updated the market with publication of its interims. Given that the company only joined the LSE sewer that is the Standard List in January 2018 and spent its first six months suspended – in part due to disclosure failures in its Prospectus (nice work, VSA) – one might not be surprised to learn that AIQ’s existence hasn’t exactly been stellar. But this morning’s Interims – to April – are utterly disastrous. Shame on all concerned. 

AIM-listed Cretan holiday resort developer Minoan (MIN) released interims numbers to 30 April yesterday morning. Today we have a placing raising £350,000 in cash (before expenses) and a further £99,600 in lieu of certain liabilities. The matters of interest, of course, are not the numbers but progress with regard to monetising its assets at Cavo Sidero. Has there been any movement?

Hello, Share Collectors. Though it’s only ten days ago I last reviewed Water Intelligence (WATR), such is the topical optimism surrounding this company that I believe another mention is justified. The outfit has just issued a trading update for the first half of 2021, and it’s very encouraging.

Yet again I have been thanked by the regulator for exposing cooked PLC books. Not that this will stop BBMs from defaming me in all the usual ways but those who count know we matter. So I discuss Eden Research (EDEN) and KPMG. Then there is Peter Brailey’s amazing scoop. Ta Guido for the hat tip (not!) – I discuss Powerhouse Energy (PHE) and Tim Yeo the sleazebag ex Tory MP. Then I turn to Verditek (VDTK) as it misleads again c/o the AIM Shit of the year Richard “Gollum” Gill as his green ponzi bond deadline approaches. Finally there is the fraud Zoetic (ZOE) where my target price remains 0p after today’s dire admission. Add to your shorts.

Sometimes when I read what BBMs write about me even I start to wonder if I am a bad guy even though I know all their defamatory slurs are false. But those who matter know otherwise and also take me seriously. Today, another letter arrives thanking me for my work which has caused another PLC to have to restate crook accounts. The Sheriff of AIM vs Eden Research (EDEN) and KPMG (again). For the second time in 4 years my work has spurred the Financial Reporting Council to act against Eden & KPMG.  I have now lost count of how many such missives I have received from my good pals at  the FRC but it is quite a lot. The letter is below.

Its been an interesting day so far, but far more interesting I rather think for Sleazy Tim “Porkies” Yeo. Having exposed him for lying to the High Court, he has delivered his AGM statement in advance of today’s meeting. Looks like shareholders have more to worry about than just Sleazy Porky Tim, with project timetables slipping and no CEO recruited.

Self-styled “leading in-content advertising company” Mirriad Advertising (MIRI) has made a half-year trading update including “we are effectively delivering our twin-track strategy by developing a robust global supply and demand pipeline to drive global adoption, while simultaneously moving the platform towards full integration with the media buying and ad delivery ecosystem… Total revenue increased by 27%… Closing cash at the end of June 2021 of £29.8m (June 2020: £14.4m)”. So why are the shares currently 34p, more than 19% lower in response?…

A group calling itself the Block Energy Support Group has emerged, representing around 20% of the currently issued shares in AIM-listed Block Energy (BLOE). Unlike some shareholder support groups, such as the Quindell one, this support group is not for the support of current management and already two EGMs – one to remove the chairman and the other to commission a forensic report into the affairs of the company – have been called. One would imagine that such aggressive action might suggest that somebody knows something and via the support group’s website the bombs have started to drop.

Last month Salt Lake Potash (SO4) was “pleased to announce that following receipt of funds from Tranche 1 of its recent A$28m placement… SO4 has drawn down the final US$33m tranche of its US$138m Senior Debt Facility” and on 1st July “that process plant Practical Completion… has been achieved at its Lake Way asset in Wiluna, Western Australia. Plant commissioning continues with first SOP product expected in the weeks ahead”. Today a further update and the shares currently more than halved to below 8p in response!

Bulls and bears in tech investment company Tern plc (TERN) can at least agree on one thing: the key to the investment case is its holding in Device Authority Ltd (DA Ltd), a provider of security solutions for IOT products. Tern holds 56.8% of DA Ltd’s equity and has to date lent it £3.1 million in convertible loan stock. The stake is carried at £12.8 million on the balance sheet (valuing the whole company at £22.5 million), representing 58% of the value of the portfolio. It is DA Ltd’s perceived potential that has seen Tern’s shares trade at multiples of its book value and been the hook upon which it has hung the majority of its 16 placings to date.

Castillo Copper (CCZ) has announced an update which emphasises “up to 9% copper in Big One Deposit assays plus more visible mineralisation up to 26m thick”. More good news?

Peter Brailey has the scoop on all the nationals. Ex Tory Minister sleazy Tim Yeo has been accused by a judge of lying under oath as he was found guilty of failing to appropriately discharge his fiduciary duties and now bankrupt TMO Renewables.

The fraud Zoetic (ZOE) said it would serve up its final results in July. Instead, on July 1, we had a trading update and today we have another trading update. If results really are out before the weekend, why rush out a second trading update this morning? This is smoke and mirrors time as the trading news is absolutely dire and the absence of those results should alarm even the most moronic of morons.

I wrote in March about Powerhouse Energy (PHE) Chairman Tim Yeo being in court to answer claims related to TMO Renewables Ltd. Not only has he been found guilty of failing to appropriately discharge his fiduciary duties, he was also found by the Judge to have been telling a series of Porkies. With the Judgement handed down on the 20^th July how on earth can he remain the Executive Chairman of an AIM listed company or indeed the Director of any listed company?

Hello, Share Users. This old punter avoided recruitment firms at the height of the pandemic. But it now seems to be a growth area with a shortage of employees in several sectors. Like hospitality and lorry driving for instance. One of the more interesting recruitment outfits is Staffline (STAF). The share price took a massive hit at the start of the pandemic and it had a bit of an issue with accounting fraud and a consequent balance sheet reconstruction. But it’s just provided a six month trading statement and things look good going forward.  

An early podcast as Joshua and I are off exploring for an old bridge and a back road to Orova shortly. In today’s bearcast, I look at Predator Oil & Gas (PRD) – a cause for extra ouzo tonight as Ron Pilbeam gets the order of the boot after my missive to the FCA – at new IPO Spinnaker Acquisitions (SPAQ) which looks like an overpriced nest of vipers and finally at the fraud Supply@ME Capital (SYME) whose RNS today is just complete and utter bollocks.

Previously writing on building products manufacturer Epwin Group (EPWN), in May with the shares at 107p I noted “indicators of consumer confidence strengthening”… but value here?. The shares last closed at 106.75p but are currently above 110p on the back of a half-year trading update. So what’s the latest?…

Back in late April I wrote about the ‘US tobacco market shocker’ for companies such as Imperial Brands (IMB) and British American Tobacco (BATS), but argued that it was more of an opportunity than a threat HERE. British American Tobacco produced its first half numbers today and whilst there is plenty of difference between current rate and constant rate returns (thanks the rise of the pound against the dollar and related over the last year!), the company is still growing its underlying sales and profits. And whilst the US authorities were very grumpy concerning their desire to ‘ban menthol cigarettes, ban flavoured cigars build on previous flavour ban and mark significant steps to reduce addiction’, not only have the shares edged up since but sales and profits have continued to go up in both the US and around the world.

Previously writing on manufacturer and specialist manipulator of pipe and tubing assemblies Tricorn Group (TCN), last week I reiterated my view from the end of last month with the shares slumping from 8.25p that how expensive the funding options I wonder? Natch, still currently bargepole. Today a “Company and Formal Sale Process Update”-titled announcement, and the shares currently further lower to below 4p!…