Making SkinBioTherapeutics (SBTX) one of our three tips of the year 2021, we noted we considered it likely to make 2021 a breakthrough year, including with a planned first quarter human study for AxisBiotix™ targeting psoriasis and then, subject to a positive readout, commencing commercialisation. Already we now have an “Enrolment for AxisBiotix-PsT study commences” announcement and the shares are already massively higher than our 15.5p tip price at 29p. But you’d be mad to sell.

Yesterday Tom Winnifrith commented on a cash shell, Hawkwing (HNG) and promptly the share price took-off causing Tom to comment on the irrationality of cash shell valuations in yesterday’s bearcast. That has triggered me to write about a share I’ve looked at on and off over the last week or so. Wildcat Petroleum (WCAT) – the most bonkers cash shell valuation on the London market.

Oh dear, oh dear: things seem to be going from bad to worse at David Sefton’s former (and apparently still currently) stamping ground Iconic Labs (ICON). Last night at 5.35pm, 15% shareholder OTT Holdings released a statement announcing it has requested an EGM with a view to changing three (out of four) of the board as the major shareholder considers share price performance, lack of financing, management and board performance and now a lawsuit for breaching a financing agreement. Oh…..and toxic Dave Sefton gets a mention in despatches as well. It’s beer and popcorn time!

From the FCA’s spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, the following shows the shorted AIM shares with positions from 2019, 2020 and thus far in 2021 (by net short position %, those in bold not on the list at the start of 2021) – and if this position has increased (red), reduced (green) or remained unchanged (black) since last week…

Hello, Share Shapers. So the UK economy shrunk by 2.6% in November. As England was put into lockdown for the second time and Wales and Scotland were also restricted, I believe most of us expected a bigger drop than that. The effect on most shares should be an upward thrust if that’s the best the Covid response can do to our GDP. 

I start with Jubilee Metals (JLP) where I am way ahead but have had enough. The shares are cheap but I have had enough of Colin Bird spouting utter bollocks. After today, I now own more shares in this company than Bird but that is going to change. Soon, like me and Lance Armstrong with accepted Tour de France wins, we will be neck and neck. Then I look at Hawkwing (HNG), Babcock (BAB) and Conduity Capital (CCAP) run by scumbag Greg Collier.

We’ve produced an update on a positive trading statement from J Sainsbury (SBRY) but it is not the only one in its sector that, despite recent gains, looks to offer long-term income value…

A start of this week trading statement from UK developer of beauty, personal care and life sciences products InnovaDerma (IDP) noted some “encouraging growth” and that it “will be exploring options to strengthen the balance sheet to ensure it is in a strong position to benefit from the substantial growth opportunities anticipated once restrictions begin to ease”. Today a “Loan Agreement”…

Most cash shells are the results of failed businesses and have sod all cash and are run either indirectly by Peterhouse Corporate Finance or by out and out scallywags or in some cases both. And most now trade at massive premiums to net cash and have a shareholder list comprising Bulletin Board Morons diluted to oblivion and scoundrel flippers brought in by Peterhouse and waiting to flip into the first ramp. But here is one that is different and worth a small punt.

One of Tom Winnifrith’s more memorable descriptions in the stock market is one of two hopeless companies deciding to merge as being like two drunks trying to prop each other up. On Wednesday night, at no-one-is-watching o’clock (5.21 pm) – except ShareProphets was watching – AIM-listed John Zorbas vehicle URU Metals (URU) announced the potential disposal of its Zebediela project in South Africa to Canadian-listed (on the Toronto Venture Exchange) Blue Rhino Capital (RHNO). The shares shot up by 27% and are a little higher today at 290p, but I wonder whether anyone has actually considered what is going on here.

UK Oil & Gas (UKOG), the company (Backed by British Investors, but mainly by Turkeys) has provided me with much amusement today with not one, but two RNS statements on the current state of play. I wish the Horse Hill update was issued in time for my breakfast – it would have been Ouzo not milk on the cornflakes!

It started in October 2018. Boatman Capital published its first bear dossier on Babcock International (BAB) with the shares at 672p. After yet another dire warning today, the stock trades at just 215p and still looks overvalued.

Fund manager Jaime Carrasco of Canaccord Genuity looks back on 2020, the elections, and why the world needs a monetary reset. As some of us keep pointing out to bearded lefty crackpot Darren Atwater, Jaime notes that Darren’s beloved Canada is making many stupid decisions around energy and the economy. Globally, the consequences are becoming evident from all the money printing. Darren, be warned, this will end in tears for you and the cats. 

Just a few hours before voting to delist Octagonal (OCT) from the AIM Cesspit earlier this week, shareholders in the company were presented with unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2020. With AIM’s worst FD, Nilesh Jagatia, in charge and London’s worst Nomad, Roland “fatty” Cornish, signing off, you will not be shocked that there were a raft of howling schoolboy errors.

Hello, Share Planners. Investing in a shipping broker has a rather historic feeling to it. Isn’t that where the share game first started, with merchants buying shares in ventures by galleons to exploit foreign markets? Shipping brokers often turn up in the exotic works of my favourite author Joseph Conrad. Any road up, today’s choice is a modern version – Braemar Shipping Services (BMS)…

A 2020 calendar year trading statement from inkjet printing technology company Xaar (XAR) commences emphasising “the on-going successful implementation of the new strategy”. The shares have though currently responded to 138p, more than 15% lower!…

I start with the manic activity round at the Welsh Hovel, photos HERE. Then I look at Iconic (ICON), Toople (TOOP), Xaar (XAR) and at Powerhouse Energy (PHE). So much coke and hookers money for all the City boys, but it will end in tears and a diet of cabbage soup for the mug punters. 

Self-styled “global leader in intelligent automation for the enterprise” Blue Prism Group (PRSM) has announced results for its year ended 31st October 2020 with Chairman and CEO (hmmm) Jason Kingdon emphasising “we are building a global software company and have made a great deal of progress in the year”. The shares have currently responded to around 1400p, circa 25% lower!…

Bidstack (BIDS) managed to ramp its shares up to 13p the other day thanks to the follow on from a trading statement which was long on ramp but short on critical detail. That AIM Regulation allowed a company with a history of deceiving investors to issue such bollocks is another mark of infamy on its already soiled record. After the pump, you know what comes next and it looks to be underway.

Since both sides in this particular tussle speak only to folks of a similar bent, both will take enough from a statement that says nothing concrete to allow them to scream for joy inside their respective echo chambers. Both camps will be emboldened in their GroupThink. But should they? Here are a few hard numbers to consider…