Company upon company is reporting they’re suffering amidst “heightened macroeconomic and political uncertainties of recent months” – or words to that effect. The quote there was from a trading update last month from Solid State plc (SOLI)… but the update also included that, notwithstanding… “trading in the first four months of the year has been very strong… is confident that profits for the year ending 31 March 2020 will be significantly ahead of expectations… consider there may be opportunities to generate further incremental sales later in the year”…

Neil Woodford cash-guzzling NEX-listed dog Rutherford Health (RUTH) – the former Proton Partners – had been keeping a low profile in the wake of Neil Woodford’s sudden departure from the financial services scene. Of course, without Woodford around, there are questions as to who will have to foot the bill for his remaining £32.5 million funding commitment offered to Rutherford at listing in order to get the IPO away. Yesterday Rutherford announced a £20 million “impact-linked” loan facility from Triple Point Investment Management – but what are the terms? Is this money to replace the Woodford commitment? Is the loan secured or not? What is the interest rate? Is there an equity kicker? And what on earth is an “impact-linked” loan anyway?

Hello, Share Miners. Though I normally ignore charts as a way of predicting the future course of shares, I do carry out the simplistic task of seeing where the trend is going – believing that the most useful market cliche is ‘the trend is your friend’. And one share which almost always seems to creep forward these days is Capita (CPI)...

The 10th September-announced half-year results from “regenerative medical devices” group Tissue Regenix (TRX) included “we anticipated that the year would be significantly weighted towards the second half, as announced on the 4 June… We continue to expect that this will be the case… demand for our products is strong”. Now a “Trading Update”…

Ariana Resources (AAU) has followed recent half-year results with its Ardala operational licence being renewed for 5 years, with the operating permit increased in area substantially…

Previously writing on bathroom and kitchen products company Norcros (NXR), in November it was concluding somewhat nervous about both the UK and South Africa trading environments and note a current 227p to sell is near multi-year highs. As such, though considering there further upside scope on delivery to plan, we opt to play it safe and bank the gain here. Sell. How’s that call looking approaching a year on? – and on the back of a “Trading Update” from the company today…

Is shorting Neil Woodford stocks like shooting fish in a barrel? I argue not and explain why it could be dangerous. I look at the FCA enquiry into Woodford and question whether its remit will be wide enough. Then, touching on the Fiske (FSK) AGM statement I look at calls for more regulation in the wake of the Woodford scandal.

Building materials group with “leading regional or national positions in the merchanting markets in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands”, Grafton (GFTU) has issued a trading update for the third quarter of 2019 – this “brings forward a planned update scheduled for 12 November 2019”. Uh oh – that doesn’t tend to be a good sign…

No doubt Roger Lawson reckons that Matt Earl should have run the dossier below by the Luxembourg based company first. It is long but damning and the shares are crashing on the back of it. Enjoy.

Well, there were no redemptions yesterday as both Woodford Income Focus and Woodford Equity Income are now gated. But the letter from Link (the ACD) telling Income Focus’ investors of the suspension of dealings seems to me to be a little misleading as it looks to me to be an attempt to re-write history.

Time for a pizza? Well...maybe it is a bit early but no doubt Domino's Pizza (DOM) will happily make and deliver one for you at almost any time you like. Earlier in the month I talked positively about a potential management evolution and, prior to this, had observed that its UK/Ireland business is so much better than its European / 'international' ones (in Germany, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). And finally the embattled Domino's management has made two smart decisions: an ongoing search for new senior management personnel and a 'review of International markets concluded; the Board has decided to exit the markets in an orderly manner'…

I happened to be in Oxford, for family reasons, and my colleague Nigel Somerville lives close to the City of Lost Causes and so we thought we'd pay Neil Woodford a visit. After the past 1000 articles exposing the soon to be ex fund manager since 2015 it was the least we could do.

Hello, Share Creepers. Tesco (TSCO) shares have bounded ahead this year. So I think I might sell my holding now. I was shopping in Morrison (MRW) yesterday - in which I also hold stock - and I found the shopping environment there rather better than my local Tesco branch...

Woodford Patient Capital (WPCT) - Neil Woodford's last investment fund still standing, although not for long as he is working his notice - has announced its latest NAV per share. If I were Susan Searle, Chair of the Board, I would be a tad concerned.....

Online fashion retailer ASOS (ASC) has announced results for its year ended 31st August 2019 including “the financial and operating performance of ASOS has been disappointing… With the benefit of hindsight, we were not adequately prepared for the additional complexities of planning and trading across our expanded warehouse footprint. It is also clear that our internal capabilities had not kept pace with this growth and change in complexity, and accordingly we lost focus on several of our core competencies, notably product, presentation and customer engagement”. The shares have responded currently to around 3100p – er, more than 20% higher!...

You can't say you were not warned even as recently as yesterday: following Neil Woodford's sacking from his Equity Income Fund (WEIF) and then his serving notice on Woodford Income Focus Fund, Link - the ACD - has announced that the latter fund too has now been gated...

“Nanoco Group plc (LSE: NANO), a world leader in the development and manufacture of cadmium-free quantum dots and other specific nanomaterials emanating from its technology platform, is pleased to announce its Preliminary Results for the year ended 31 July 2019”. Hmmm – the shares are down from approaching 50p towards the start of the period and more than 40p as recently as May… to a current just above 10p!...

Yes Neil, I will be the guy turning up at some point today in a blue van at your luxury HQ to take some photos and maybe shoot a short video. My pal Nigel Somerville may be coming too. It will be good to catch up. See you later! In the podcast today I also look at Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT), backing Richard Jennings at Global Resources Investment Trust (GRIT) and at Optibiotix (OPTI). I also receive complaints about my coverage of Neil yesterday. I despair.

Brexit excitements, eh? The merest whiff of some kind of deal and hello a rotation into UK domestic shares such as the banks, the housebuilders and - of course - retail. All good fun and certainly - as I talked about before - this is where most of the value in UK equities is currently...

Yesterday Neil Woodford finally threw in the towel. Having been sacked as investment manager for his own namesake Woodford Equity Income Fund (WEIF), as we immediately pointed out here on ShareProphets, his fund management operation was no longer viable. Last night we learnt that Woodford had handed his notice in at WPCT and Income Focus, and will wind up Woodford Investment Management. It is an outcome we have been explicitly predicting for over a year and a half and now it has come to pass. The only question now is how much further humiliation can be heaped on Woodford, and that day of reckoning is already upon us.