I accept that you might justifiably question a minor institution in the Fens which has historically only excelled in the production of homosexual Russian spies. But Cambridge University is not all bad and today it has served up data which should send shivers down the spine of those holding shares in Novacyt (NCYT) or planning to back the luducrous AIM Casino IPO, announced today, of Abingdon Health.

This year a lot of private investors seem to have been focussing on any stocks even loosely associated with Covid, plus those in the tech sector, and more recently mining has also seen a resurgence, gold in particular, but oil and gas has very much remained unloved and out of favour. That gives you a great opportunity and this is no fisherman’s tale…

Worthless Standard listed POS, Iconic (ICON), issued its final results for the year ended 30 June 2020 and they were dire. Truly dire. Unbelievably dire. And this comes after ramptastic RNS after ramptastic RNS penned by toxic Dave Sefton et al saying how well things were going.

Previously writing on neighbourhood retailer McColl’s (MCLS), I concluded with the shares having risen well above 40p that the ‘opportunity’ here has been somewhat reflected with the shares having recovered from below 20p and also above the sub 40p of the start of the year though the news flow continues to suggest it worth looking out for following financials. Today a “Full Year Trading Update”… and the shares currently 15% lower on the back of it to 26.5p. Why?…

Having had an involvement in UK onshore drilling decades ago, I follow the sector with interest, and just occasionally my cash. For some time now Union Jack Oil (UJO) has seen me invest and cross my fingers. West Newton has really interested me. Today’s news on the WN-B1Z drill results is a further very positive result, for what could be an exceptional find.

Nicholas Mertin is the founder of Digifox a digital finance platform and DataDash, the largest cryptocurrency YouTube channel is talking his own book here. But as we have a few bitcoin nutters on this website, as well as the legion of gold bugs headed up by comrade Somerville,  here is something for you.

Corero Network Security (CNS) has made an “Order Intake” update, emphasising “positive progression… reflected in the associated order intake of more than $3 million in the first two months of the final quarter of 2020” – and the shares have currently responded to 9.5p, more than 15% higher. Does this look justified?…

A reader of this website who I have known for many years and who is a truthful and honest man is a client of Hargreaves Lansdown (HL).  Poor man. He was advised, falsely, by Hargreaves that if he wished to convert Golden Prospect subscription shares (GPS) into Golden Prospect ordinafries (GPM), he had to notify the company by 31 October.  Hargreaves then claimed, again falsely, that this date had been extended.

Simec Atlantis Energy (SAE) updated the markets yesterday on the permitting and consent process for what it describes as its flagship scheme the Uskmouth (Money Pit) Power Station. It confirmed what I have been saying for some time – it’s seriously delayed. The company did not say what has caused the delay and what it means. Let me try to help.

Hello, Share Seekers. My favourite housebuilder, Berkeley Group (BKG) isn’t doing too badly given the disrupted year all builders have experienced thanks to the virus. It’s announced that first-half revenue was only down by 3.8%, to £895.9 million. It could have been much worse, but the virus has, rather perversely, caused house prices to rise which offset most of the damage.

Ariana Resources (AAU) has announced the completion of conditional agreements on its joint venture and additional resources estimated for the Magellan project. The latter is the small copper gold play in Cyprus and that does not float our boat but the former is massive news, though not unexpected…

A further fundraising update from Trackwise Designs (TWD) includes that “the company has decided to accept applications under the open offer for £1.625 million (previously £1.0 million)”. I previously called the fundraising shameful, is it still so?…

Vending equipment and services company Photo-Me International (PHTM) has issued a trading update which includes that it “was cash flow positive in the period” and “as at 31 October 2020, the group had a net cash balance of £22 million”. However, the shares are currently 3% lower at 57p, so what is the cash flow and balance sheet detail?…

I start with the reason for no bearcast yesterday, Joshua and I heading to an empty house in Shipston. Then today’s Advent calendar window which confuses me. Then onto Nakama (NAK), Red Rock Resources (RRR), Wishbone (WSBN) which could be a 100 bagger – see HERE  - Monday’s fraud conference which is definitely my last outing as a speaker – Anglesey Mining (AYM) and finally why at every level, including valuation, Sensyne (SENS) is a complete and utter stinker. 

Shares in recruitment group Nakama (NAK), once called Highams and a perennial dog in the bottom tier of the AIM Cesspit, are up by 15% on news that it is to sell its ongoing businesses and become a cash shell.  As ever, investors are a tad over-optimistic.

I have no idea why shares in Zenith Energy (ZEN), the worthless, cash guzzling POS which needs me to force it to fess up to bad news, are soaring. Perhaps the photo tweet below from boss, Andrea “the king of socks” Cattaneo might be a clue to the ramp.

You may have noticed that Gary Newman is not filing a lot of copy. His wretched and pathetic excuse is that he is on his day job as a fishing journalist and is out in the field, or, to be precise, the seas offshore Kenya. And in case you think anglers always exaggerate when it comes to size here is our man with a sailfish he caught earlier…

A trading statement today from LED lighting for industrial applications company Dialight (DIA) concludes that structural drivers position it well and give it confidence for the future. However, the shares have eased by 2% to 253.5p. That suggests that Mr Market does not wholly share that stated “confidence for the future”.

Shares in AIM-listed jam-tomorrow (if ever) investment company have again been dribbling south, closing yesterday at 6.95p. With a load of freshly raised cash and a new investment to boast, surely things are going well for Tern……but alas the market seems to be taking a different view. Of course, Tern has a habit of keeping quiet when there might be something to clear up – such as the recent speculation (unfounded, as it happens) on the BBs about Wyld. And that brings me to its 50%-owned investee InVMA.

Hello, Share Packers. My fellow investors in BlackRock’s Greater Europe Investment Trust (BRGE) may have noticed the share fell slightly yesterday. This is unusual these days as this seemingly Covid-proof investment vehicle keeps on breaking its old highs. BlackRock is, of course, one of the biggest financial investors in the world and has many funds. But the Greater Europe trust seems to be one of its more successful…