This really is taking the piss. Having released its FY18 results at one o’clock in the morning, a 6pm on a Friday release covering another major round of redundancies and news of share dumping by Neil Woodford at 9pm on a Wednesday, now Oslobors-listed Thin Film (THIN) has offered up more news, this time at half past midnight on a Saturday and it once again features Neil Woodford, who has again been selling shares. To err once might be seen as forgivable, but four after-hours releases of bad news, two of them in the middle of the night over the past (less than) four months? It is appalling behaviour for a listed company - a serial offender in the issuing of bad news at no-one-is-watching o'clock.

I looked earlier at Fridays announcement about Parkmead (PMG) buying a farm in Scotland and questioned that deal as being apparent madness. Perhaps it is not – if shareholders want to own a share of a swanky c.12,000 square foot rural farmhouse, and of course a second farm south of Aberdeen. I have a few questions I think Parkmead need to answer PDQ on these matters.

 Bear raider Marc Cohodes is being sued for defamation for tweets he issued during a bear raid according to papers we publish below. Cohodes will no doubt have a good explanation but his accuser Guy Gentile who was a major shareholder in Lannett, the company that Cohodes was raising seems to have a strong case. Those, like Roger Lawson, who demand ever tighter and more draconian restrictions on those of a bearish opinion, should take note.

Yesterday’s big disaster for Neil Woodford was Oslobors-listed Thin Film (THIN). Given that Neil has already lost most of his money here already yesterday’s news won’t count as a financial disaster. But yet another dog on the verge of insolvency will – and once again we have the plain fact that Neil can’t bail it out because he’s got no cash being demonstrated to all. And to underline its mega-dog nature, this company once again clocked up an entry in the Red Flags at Night register, with a filing at half past midnight last night telling us of another sale of its shares by Neil Woodford. Half past midnight!

From the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, the following shows the shorted AIM shares with positions from 2018 and thus far in 2019 (by net short position %, those in bold not on the list at the start of 2019) – and if this position has increased (red), reduced (green) or remained unchanged (black) since last week...

I commented on Parkmead (PMG) last month and noted I saw real potential in the oil and gas assets, but expressed my displeasure in both the news flow and the related party loans to a company controlled by Linda Cross, the CEO’s wife. Gary Newman has already commented on today’s deal that see’s Parkmead buying a company largely owned by Linda Cross. It is a farm in Scotland! I view this deal as outrageous.

Hello, Share Trotters. I believe those who say Britain is facing the biggest constitutional crisis since World War 2. But I don't think shares will suffer much. That’s because the problem has already been factored into the Footsie. Probably by far too much. You can’t get away from the fact that, compared to most of the world, many British shares are cheap.

Previously writing on “data science led agency and consulting business” Jaywing (JWNG), I noted in July “trading in the first quarter of this financial year has been very weak” compared to “solid progress” in early May – concluding the shares are currently down below 10p, but “very weak” trading and the exposure to discretionary spend in the uncertain conditions concern. I’ll review the results statement - when it actually arrives! - with interest but currently certainly continue to avoid. Now “Further re. trading update and results”…

As I revealed yesterday, the FCA and FRC are both investigating Burford (BUR) following a letter I sent requesting an investigation on August 8. But Burford is Guernsey Registered so there is another regulator which needs to have a butchers. As such I have today written to the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (the tax dodger’s equivalent of the FCA) asking it to launch an enquiry. The letter is below::

Global Resources Investment Trust (GRIT) has today fessed up to some of the shocking revelations on this website about its former boss David "Sam" Hutchins. A small ouzo for the Sheriff for hos breakfast is perhaps in order. But this is not enough. GRIT and its adviser, Peterhouse Corporate Finance, need to go to the FCA and ensure there is a public"career execution" for smug Sam as part of a zero tolerance approach to those who break the rules. I also discuss Malcom's bonkers views on the housebuilders and what the Shoe Zone (SHOE) warning and writedwns says about commercial property NAVs, ref Intu (INTU) and Hammerson (HMSO) in particular. 

I’ve always been a fan of Parkmead Group (PMG), but after the last couple of RNSs there have been for this company, I can’t help wondering if my faith in it to succeed may have been misplaced.

Rick Rule of Sprott Asset Management, the world's best knowm resource investors, cut his teeth in a bull market a time when anyone can look like an expert!

The board of Frontier Smart Technologies (FST) has announced its “intention is to recommend the merger on the terms set out in the Science Group (SAG) announcement… invite those Frontier shareholders who have the benefit of a live share trading account to consider the merits of selling their ordinary shares via the share trading facility”. Those are though at 25p per share – it having previously stated on a 35p per share offer from Science Group…

Technical analyst Louise Yamada makes the observation that twenty years ago there were more stocks on the market than today. This is due primarily to companies buying back shares. Recently companies have cut back on buying back shares but that is a significant reason for the market moves over the past decade.

Yesterday was a good day in the markets: the FTSE100 put on 1%. Of course, the FTSE100 is not the benchmark for Neil Woodford’s two unit trusts – that is the FTSE All-Share index, which put on 0.87%. So it is perhaps a tad disappointing that Woodford Equity Income Fund (WEIF) dropped by 0.07% in NAV per unit, although not as disappointing as Woodford Income Focus which managed to drop 0.89%. Oh dear...

Live Company Group (LVCG) Chairman David Ciclitira is “very excited to have established a long term partnership with Imagine Exhibitions, one of the world's leading creators and producers of touring shows exhibited globally. This partnership is a fantastic opportunity for both the company and Imagine Exhibitions to showcase our wide range of BRICKLIVE touring shows and bring the BRICKLIVE experience to venues in America”. Sounds promising…

Hello Share Topplers. Since I last commended my favourite builder to you, its share price has marched ahead. But there could be further to go for Berkeley Group (BKG). The company has done what we all seek to do, but rarely succeed. That is: it has worked out the best timing...

Micro Focus International (MCRO) has announced a “Trading update and Strategic review”. Uh oh – strategic review of course usually meaning ‘we’re in trouble and don’t currently know what to do about it’…

Gold may once again be shooting the lights out but poor old AIM-listed Turkish gold play Ariana (AAU) seems to be struggling to keep up. Yesterday’s news as detailed in the Alliance News headline of Ariana Reports Dip In Kiziltepe Mine Income and Production didn’t help – and certainly didn’t tell the whole story. But perhaps of bigger interest to me was last week’s news regarding the Salinbas project.

Regular readers of ShareProphets will know that I’ve been a fan of Horizonte Minerals (HZM) since 2016 - as well as tipping it on the ShareProphets Podcast last week - and it is also a company where I hold some shares myself, so it is good to see that it is continuing to progress in the right direction and has had some good news today.