Even the journalist smearing PR mothers at FTI consulting could not polish the steaming turd that was today’s 4.11 PM update from the, until recently, FTSE 100 member NMC Health (NMC). The level of fraud is staggering.

A “Trading Update for the Nine Months to 31 Jan 2020” from Tungsten (TUNG) which includes “revenues remain in line with our YTD Q3-FY20 expectations” and “our transformation to a sustainably profitable e-invoicing enterprise remains firmly on track”. The shares though remain below 34p – having been approaching 40p last month…

This is all to do with my own panic shopping but what it told me about how others are behaving. If folks think that most consumers continue to act as if nothing is wrong, think again. Then I look at Future (FUTR) which i don't believe as it issues a trading statement, round two of beer and popcorn at Iofina (IOF) as the great Brexit bad boy Arron Banks makes his move, French Connection (FCCN) and ValiRx (VAL) botb of which look pretty fecked.

Previously writing on SRT Marine Systems (SRT), in November I concluded that a market cap of already more than £60 million and the smoothness of the progress being relied on despite, particularly, the noted dependency on customer processes and timings, sees me currently continue to avoid. Today a “Trading Update”…

I am still sitting on my shares in AIM-listed Bowleven (BLVN) which I picked up during the corporate handbags as the old management was given the boot. For a short while I looked very clever indeed as the shares headed north, allowing me to top-slice and last year a special dividend of 15p per share added to my returns. But things haven’t quite worked out as I had hoped….

Having updated early last month, today branded hostels company Safestay (SSTY) makes another “Trading Statement”. The early February one included “performance in the first month of 2020 and forward bookings for Q1 are very encouraging, a positive signal for the coming year, which will also benefit from the acquisitions made last year”. Now…

Readers know I focus on the oily investment space and try to track the macro picture as well as the detail of specific investments cases. I thought it only appropriate with the current oil price turbulence to offer a few views on my own, which I free admit are influenced by other respected commentators. I hope this is useful in forming and reforming opinions on investment cases in the sector.

I was a bit busy yesterday with some of my institutional contacts and did not have an opportunity to write any thoughts on the volatility. What is uppermost in my mind is - as I asked on Sunday - where we are in the seven stages of market psychology? Clearly yesterday we saw 'panic' and in some areas 'capitulation'. With the exception of one private investor I am acquainted with, I have yet to see widespread 'I am never coming back to the stock market' thoughts. Let me know if you are bumping into such people (or even thinking this yourself!) Two stories to play minor catch-up on…

In a just world Dev Clever (DEV) boss Chris Jeffries would be in jail for selling shares while sitting on undisclosed adverse financial news.  But while he still enjoys his liiberty he has announced the purchase of a crap company from some tax dodgers. Will he inform HMRC of the deal so ensuring the matter is dealt with?  he is clearly an honourable man....

My tips of the year were published at the end of December HERE and HERE and I now update amidst the extraordinary start to the year…

Hello, Share Sappers. Few of us will be interested in buying shares at the moment, whether I think they’re in a great company or not. So allow me to impart some encouragement in these difficult days. And that is: dividends are still being paid...

Describing itself as a “global provider of human capital and business improvement solutions”, Mind Gym (MIND) has updated commencing; “Underlying trading remained strong between the half year-end (30 September 2019) and the end of January 2020, however”…

My apologies for what now looks like being a zero of a tip. I hope that folks lost patience last June when the word from the debt markets was that the banks had run out of patience and a share suspension beckoned.

Don't worry the sun will still rise tomorrow and we are not ALL going to die of Coronavirus. I discuss the oil price crash and stockmarket slump and look in particular at: Tern (TERN), Carnival (CCL), Bidstack (BIDS), Versarien (VRS), the antics of market makers, Diversified Gas & Oil (DGOC), Bahamas Petroleum (BPC), BP (BP.), Shell (RDSB), Tullow (TLW), Optibiotix (OPTI) and Premier Oil (PMO)

“Microsaic Systems plc (AIM: MSYS), the developer of point of need mass spectrometry instruments, is pleased to announce its audited financial results for the year ended 31 December 2019”. The shares have currently responded to 0.80p – 20% lower!…

Previously writing on agent-backed property portal company OnTheMarket (OTMP), in October with the shares at 83.5p I concluded so it’s a ‘supplemented offering’ as a result of conditions deteriorating, with the company’s cash already squeezing and brand awareness important for growth. There’s dilution as “we continue to convert agents to full-tariff, long-term contracts with share issuance” but I suggest there could also be much more dilution required not too far down the line due to the financial position. Thus, in all, certainly not one I’d want to own currently. Today a “Directorate Change and Trading Update” announcement including a “pleased to provide” update on trading – so positive then? Er…

Fully-listed Shetty vehicle and owner of Travelex which is surely in trouble from the panic of corona virus Finablr (FIN) has updated on the good Dr Shetty’s shares. But the update leaves far too many questions unanswered and the shares remain a stonking sell.

This one company represents almost 20% of the gross assets of what was formerly WPCT and is now the Schroders run SUPP. It was a folly from the start and 1 big reason why Neil Woodford should be chucked out of financial services, now Rutherford International (RUTH), is, just a year after its IPO, fast running out of cash. I am not sure folks realise just how fast.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. AIM-listed jam-tomorrow (if ever) Internet of Things investment company Tern (TERN) has announced a placing at just 6p to raise just £0.8 million as predicted HERE to keep the lights on as its auditor is surely raising going concerns. That is a whopping 22.6% discount to last Friday’s close and 35% down on my tip of the year to sell when the shares were 9.25p. But there is more....

My favourite two gold stocks are AIM-listed Ariana Resources (AAU) and fully-listed Centamin (CEY). Both operate in far flung fields – Turkey in the former’s case, and Egypt in the latter’s – and both are producing gold. Of course, Ariana is amongst the tiddliest tiddlers and Centamin hasn’t so far to travel before reaching consideration for the FTSE100 (I wish!) so there is the world of difference between the two. But Ariana has been a long-term tip for me, joined by Centamin this Christmas...