Earlier today I exposed how in a private chat room group, Neill Ricketts, the shameless boss of AIM listed Versarien (VRS) was communicating information not verified by his Nomad and therefore not demonstrably true but clearly price sensitive. I have now written to AIM Regulation and to the company’s Nomad Canaccord which, surely cannot be aware of this. The letter follows:

Former Woodford pick, Itaconix (ITX) has followed a “First order to Croda for new odour control polymer” announcement yesterday with a now “New patent issued for detergent compositions” and these have helped the shares up from a prior 1.525p to currently around 1.7p – although down (natch, for a recent years Woodford pick), for example, from more than 4p at the commencement of 2019 and approaching 16p at the commencement of 2018…

Last year I forced Versarien (VRS) to issue a clarifying RNS after Neill Ricketts made unverified and it seems untrue claims on twitter. Nomad Bobbie Hilliam at Canaccord read Ricketts the riot act and his twitter outpourings have been greatly diminished. But I can reveal that he has a new conduit on a private chat group on Discord. I doubt his Nomad or AIM Regulation are aware of it but thanks to Winnileaks they will be soon and will be horrified as I have a series of screenshots to share.

In today's bearcast I discuss Sirius Minerals (SXX), the comedy show that keeps on giving at Anglo African Oil & Gas (AAOG), Petrel (PET), NMC Health (NMC) and also today's shocking expose on Versarien (VRS)

The talks are advanced but it looks odds on as if Sirius Minerals (SXX) will get bought out at 5.5p per share by Anglo American (AAL). I guess that explains the very strong share price over the past few days, not that there is ever any insider dealing in London.

Hello, Share Smashers. The move by BP (BP.) to sell some of its North Sea assets to Premier Oil (PMO) may boost the share price of both companies. Premier will take over the Andrew platform and BP's controlling stake in five surrounding fields, as well as its quarter stake in the Shell-operated Shearwater field. BP will raise £474 million from the deal. The Andrew platform is 140 miles northeast of Aberdeen. Why is BP doing this?...

Agriculture feeds and engineering group Carr's (CARR) has updated commencing that it “continues to expect the performance of the group to be in line with its existing expectations for the full year”. The shares have currently responded to below 150p – more than 5% lower. Hmmm…

In today's podcast I look at mini-bond scandal house Wellesley Finance and why it once again shames new Bank of England Governor Andrew "asleep at the wheel" bailey and the shitheads round at the FCA. I comment on another of its failings in light of today's Neil Woodford News. I comment on Big Dish (DISH), have a theory about Angloa African Oil & Gas (AAOG), comment on Optibiotix (OPTI), Versarien (VRS) and ask how long its Nomad will tolerate Neill Ricketts and finally on Aston Martin Lagonda (AML).

Well you have been warned repeatedly by myself for almost a year as was the FCA which, natch, did nothing. Wellesley Finance has finally filed its 6 months overdue accounts for the year ended 31 December 2018 at Companies House and they are truly dire.  The net loss before tax is £10,249,314 and a deficit on shareholders’ equity was £9,202,737. The auditors, unsurprisingly, cite a material uncertainty on going concern. Worrying times for the mini bond lenders who have lent £99,540,212 to Wellesley Finance Plc.  A further £64 million in Peer to Peer assets is held off the balance sheet. 

As followed on ShareProphets, AIM-listed Yolo Leisure proved a damp squib and reformed itself into Asimilar (ASLR), a Chris Akers – backed vehicle. As before with Concha (CHA – and now booted off the Casino), EVR Holdings (EVR) and Red Leopard Holdings (RLH), where it seems the involvement of Mr Akers brings the ability to ramp hot air to at least £100 million worth, Asimilar’s shares have been rising. But when the music stops, will this prove Asimilar to the others or will the shares collapse back down again?

What does not stink in the annual accounts for Woodford Investment Management which surfaced at Companies House yesterday? The £14 million dividend paid to Neil and his business partner Craig Newman surely is top of the list but then there are the dates…. Let me explain.

The comedy that is life as a publicly listed stock of Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) continues apace. I see Nigel was moved a few weeks ago to highlight the lunacy around rumours about a big potential new investor into the business. Meanwhile, I observed in my latest bearish update in November that 'my favourite line for insight remains the x5.5 net debt to adjusted ebitda multiple'. Well I must apologise for the conservatism of my comments back then...because today's update places it squarely in the x6s...

I guess I am just very stupid and someone brighter than me can perhaps enlighten me but, to a simple mind it seems that Anglo African Oil & Gas (AAOG) has not been entirely upfront on the matter of cash. Let me explain….

A “Response to the Stock Spirits (STCK) notice of General Meeting and hostility towards special dividend AGM resolution” from 10% shareholder Western Gate Private Investments. Ooh – sounds interesting…

When I first commented on AIM-listed cancer drug developer ValiRx (VAL) back in 2016 the shares had just seen a pump’n’dump which pushed the stock up to 21p before a placing at just 12p. Now the stock is just 0.1p and on a market cap of £0.9m (source: ADVFN): never mind the 90% club, this is a fully paid up member of the 99% club. And now we have a placing for just £200,000 gross…..and Broker number three joins the fray, although as Tom Winnifrith points out the RNS will have to be reissued. How on earth can you justify paying three broker retainers for a company worth less than a million pounds?

Hello, Share Swappers. You may recall that I generally support the chances of housebuilders continuing their resurgence as reasonable investments. And I rather think that companies which make swathes of new houses in the middle price range are the way forward...

I asked you in yesterday's bearcast, which operation was blessed with a site visit from myself, the Mrs & Joshua, hint its shares are worth 0p.

A “New Order for Smart Metering Project in India” from CyanConnode (CYAN), and the shares are currently rising back above 3p – this after I noting last month “New Order”…or not?... And if order delays are a positive, why bother in the first place?!…

The statistics for AIM for December 2019 show that the market contracted to 863 companies its lowest number since 2003.  The real concern for the LSE should be the shockingly low number of new listings a derisory 23, the lowest number of new issues ever since the market as formed in 1995.  The quantum of new monies raised was also very low by historic standards at £489 million and this figure is not adjusted for the impact of inflation.

Of course some of us identified that there was a real problem at Patisserie Holdings more than a year before the public became aware and explicitly warned folks about it HERE in November 2017. Some, like ShareSoc director Chris Spencer-Phillips knew better.  Thankfully Chris sold before it was too late but now identifies the real problem. He writes: