Gold has been rebounding. At the close of November the correction had taken it all the way down to $1760 and it had fallen from almost $1880 in the course of just eight trading sessions. Now it is back at $1880 and it looks as though the bottom of the correction has been put in. So what now?

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 and thus far in 2020 (by net short position %, those in bold not on the list at the start of 2020) – and if this position has increased (red), reduced (green) or remained unchanged (black) since last week…

I am quietly warming to (sub-) Standard-listed Panther Metals (PALM), chaired by Kerim Sener of AIM-listed gold producer Ariana Resources (AAU). Both are involved in gold, both are being run very conservatively and, of course, Kerim Sener is involved with both. When I first wrote about this company back in August, I had two main concerns: it is Standard Listed, and Peterhouse was the Broker. Despite those concerns, I picked up a few at 9.6p earlier in the year – a case of following the man (Kerim Sener) – but there may be some good news…..

Hello, Share Scrapers. There was a time when it didn’t really matter much about Blighty’s economy when it came to the value of our biggest shares. If the Dow went up, so did the Footsie. And vice versa. It’s only in recent years that this correlation hasn’t been as strong. But just lately, the strength of a record-breaking Dow, despite the virus, seems to have galvanised shares over here. Now if that’s true, then our shares are going to rise nicely next year. I think most of expected that already, but its nice to have a few American views to back things up. 

And now from Wales, by just 30 yards, it is my new weekly video show. This costs 99p per episode, and you can either listen to, or watch, some sparky interviews with Richard Poulden of Wishbone Gold (WSBN) where – no sniggering at the back – there is a case made why this could be a hundred bagger, and bear raider Gabriel Grego on the markets, shorting and on Penumbra, a potential zero. Plus I have a few thoughts on Deepverge (DVRG), pillow talk at dog Powerhouse (PHE and other matters.You can access the show HERE

United Carpets (UCG) has announced a tender offer it emphasises represents premiums including of “19.05 per cent. to the closing share price on the 17 December… 78.44 per cent. to the nine-month average closing share price”. With the shares currently at 5.875p, what to make of it?…

Berkeley Energia (BKY) has announced progress including an authorisation renewal and the Spanish Supreme Court rejection of an opposition appeal against its Salamanca uranium project.

A “Further Covid-19 update” from Wagamama, Frankie & Benny’s and Brunning & Price owner The Restaurant Group (RTN) commencing, “Through a range of decisive management actions, cash-burn during the November national lockdown was minimised to c. £5.5m for the month”. Is a current 7% lower share price response, to below 63p, justified?…

Author Charles Goyette does not mince his words. They will print dollars until they destroy the currency and this means you must be ready for the last great gold rush. He argues that there is something different about this bull market – bull markets are generally driven by money printing, but today this is unprecedented and global.

I start with Joshua’s Advent calendar and with some right-wing harridan on Twitter who reckons that suggesting Jesus was a refugee is anti-Jewish left-wing fake news. Then it is onto Falanx (FLX) en passant, Online Blockchain (OBC) and to Remote Monitored Systems (RMS), both of which have disgraced themselves yet again today.

Franco Manca and The Real Greek restaurants company Fulham Shore (FUL) has announced results for its half-year ended 27th September 2020 including noting “our post half year trading, despite a second lockdown, and our significant debt headroom continue to demonstrate the group’s ability to emerge from this period as a successful survivor in an albeit reduced UK restaurant sector… over the next few years and once normal trading conditions return, we will target a higher return on capital than we have historically achieved”. So why have the shares currently responded to 9.5p, 5% lower?…

Hurricane Energy (HUR) updated the market today on operations and finance matters. All too much of the news was as Gary Newman and I predicted back in September. I did not see a debt for equity outcome as being the only or most likely potential outcome. The fact the update spelt out explicitly what would happen without such a deal, and new money being put in speaks volumes. It really is looking like a crash landing in tits up alley is the most likely outcome.

Ariana Resources (AAU) has announced further progress on the proposed partial disposal of interests in Turkey and of exploration plans. It is all good news and good news not yet fully discounted in the share price.

AIM-listed jam-tomorrow (or never) Internet of Things investment company Tern plc (TERN) has seen its shares continue to crater – the shares are now, at 6.7p, well below the last placing price of 7.5p. Meanwhile investee FVRVS Limited (Fundamental VR) has filed its 2019 accounts……and…..oh dear!

Hello, Share Shakers. Such is the sparkling reputation of my boss Uncle Tom that to suggest a share he’s been wary off can be a scary thing. But Tom has a different approach to me. I can sometimes favour rather weak fundamentals if the direction of travel is sound. Whereas Tom, as a value investor, regards the balance sheet with more respect. Which brings me to today’s choice for your further inspection…

In my detailed coverage of the POS AIM Company Verditek (VDTK) I have shown how in every year since its IPO it has announced contracts, ramped the shares and then having raised funds in a bailout placing or two, the contracts disappear. Sometimes it ‘fesses up, sometimes there is no ‘fess, other times I have to run articles and sheeplishly, Tory Toff Lord Willetts and his chums are forced into an RNS. Well here we go again.

I start with Joshua’s Advent calendar, Then it is onto tales of boardroom greed and naughtiness at Octagonal (OCT) which is to leave the AIM Cesspit. Based on what I reveal today, where do you think its cash will go?  Then it is onto Verditek (VDTK), Bidstack (BIDS) and a second company run by a former Tory MP, Powerhouse Energy (PHE) where the man in charge is sleazy Tim Yeo. 

Revolution Bars Group (RBG) has announced full-year results and, in line with the heroic Tim Martin of J D Wetherspoon, hit out at “nothing short of scandalous” government actions…

Dbay’s withdrawal from the battle to buy the overvalued junk floated by mortgage fraudster Uzi Katz, that is to say Telit Communications (TCM) has left stale bulls lookimng increasingly daft.  And at least one appears to be getting desperate as the shares slide – and will continue to slide as I explained HERE.

Sales are vanity. Profit is a matter of opinion. Cash is reality. But if you are trying to ramp your shares ahead of a bailout placing you do not want to talk about cash ( or rather lack of it) or even profits (or rather losses) so you just bang on about sales. That brings us to Bidstack (BIDS).