Neil Woodford’s Income Focus Fund (WIFF) had a good day yesterday as it put on 0.53% in NAV per unit, according to Morningstar. Mind you, the FTSE-100 put on 1.8% and the FTSE All-Share index added 1.5%, so it wasn’t all that great. But a gain is a gain. In theory, that should have pulled the total assets up from Friday’s close of £287.65 million to £289.17 million...

Hello, Share Crazies. This old punter has a weakness for companies with rather exotic names. But that’s not the reason I commend Blue Prism (PRSM) to your further research today. I just happen to think that robotics is the way forward. And Blue Prism uses intelligent robotic software to decrease the number of boring jobs that we humans have to do...

It is just out – this month’s review of the gating of Neil Woodford’s Equity Income Fund by its authorised corporate director, Link. The news is not good...

Research data and analytics company YouGov (YOU) is “pleased to report that the group's trading for the year ending 31 July 2019 is now expected to be comfortably ahead of expectations for the year”. Sounds good – but what are the expectations and how do they compare to a now more than 560p per share, approaching £600 million, valuation?…

NEX lobster-pot listed joke Proton Partners (PPI) has announced its intention to switch its registration to that of a plc and has called a general meeting to approve a number of changes which need to be made. But it looks to me as if Woodford Patient Capital (WPCT) is being lined up to take the rest of the shares in return for the rest of the £80 million - £45 million, following the £10 million and £25 million already ponied up – that Neil Woodford promised in order to get the listing away. That’s a problem for WPCT, which has today signalled that it may or may not (you can bet “will”) sack Neil Woodford. That’s a problem for Proton Partners and a big problem for Neil...

Over the weekend, I explained in bearcast why any half sentient being would not wish to tie the UK’s growing economy to the neo-corpse that is the EU economy. My friend, our in-house Euro loon Jonathan Price likes backing losing causes, being a fellow West Ham supporter. And thus, he has taken the trouble to respond which is very good of him as I know that he knows that he is, like all London based liberal elitists, an expert and I am one of the 17.4 million who are too thick to understand the real issues of Brexit. Anyhow, Jonathan explains:

In today's bearcast I touch on the antics of two of the City's brightest lights. First up is Agronomics (ANIC), where my old friend Jim Mellon is the largest shareholder and the price of cultured pork sausages in 2021, then it is onto disgraced Neil Woodford and Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT).

In June last year “i-nexus Global plc (INX), a provider of cloud-based Strategy Execution software to Global 5000 companies”, was pleased to announce admission to AIM, raising £10 million at 79p per share with CEO Simon Crowther emphasising “the power of our software, our outstanding customer base, strong competitive position, high levels of recurring revenue and large addressable market”… The shares last closed at 34.5p and today a “Trading Update”…

Two bits of news from Woodford Patient Capital Trust suggest that Neil Woodford is on his way out – or at least believes he is. Firstly, the Board at WPCT intends to tout third-party managers which may or may not result in a change of manager. But secondly, Neil has been dumping his own shares in WPCT – apparently to meet personal financial obligations, including a tax liability. Given that he has trousered tens of millions of pounds from Woodford Investment Management (WIM) over the last few years, that sounds like utter hogwash to me.

I noted back in February that property group Hammerson (HMSO) had ludicrously turned down a Hail Mary bid approach - at approximately a 70% share price premium to the then share price - and was consequently (correctly) being hassled by activist investors. Roll forward five months and all of this counts for double with the shares driven lower by further property sector pessimism…

For Boris 20-02-20 is a very important date (if he survives this long, he will not be the shortest ever PM)...

My mini dividend munchers portfolio is still ticking along, and an update is long overdue as we head into the summer holiday season - as I’ve not written about it for three months or so. The aim was to beat putting cash in the bank even though markets are feeling very toppy. After all, interest rates available are below the rate of official inflation figures and bonds yields are rubbish. So how am I doing?...

Hello, Share Pranksters. As I’m a responsible sort of chap I initially baulked at commending Victrex (VCT) to your further scrutiny. It makes plastics. So one thinks of polluted oceans. But this company makes a lightweight plastic which is used instead of metal. That still sounds a bit un-green, I know. Until I realised that this lighter plastic is used in cars and planes instead of heavy metals. And that saves on fossil fuels...

Back in March I covered Highlands Natural Resources (HNR) and its announcement that it was diversifying into cannabis, as well as highlighting concerns over the high level of costs associated with running the business.

Shares in self-styled “technology provider for modern TV experiences” Amino Technologies (AMO) were above 200p as recently as early October, when they were then hit by a warning of “an intensification of external macroeconomic headwinds”, including “higher than expected component price increases”. However, consumers wanting to enjoy content at the time and location of their choice has remained a clear trend and there has since also been a “transformation programme”. This is actually a stock we tipped in 2014, on which we banked big gains at 141p in 2015. Now at a 128p offer price, we ride again…

I predict lots of deal excitement in the London market on Monday morning, with the weekend press all excited about a London Stock Exchange (LSE) apparent takeover approach to a global financial data peer.  There are precious few numbers on the proposed combination currently kicking around but the mooted level of cost synergies appears very low to me. 

In today's podcasts I look at calls to ban OIECS, Unit Trusts, in the wake of various disasters include the Neil Woodford affair and make my own suggestion of reform. I also again look at commercial property stocks and an unfolding catastrophe hitting the sector.

Is there anything better than sitting back and reading a well-written article on a lazy Sunday? Every week ShareProphets features some long form journalism that you'll find of interest. Grab your cuppa and enjoy these five articles.   

Yesterday a new name joined the Standard List of the London Stock Exchange: that of BSF Enterprise (BSFA). It is yet another cash-shell to join the sub-standard list – as if we really needed any more – but a name sprang out at me and that name rang a bell.

You could not dream up a more perfect weekly reader's top five articles than what we got this week.