After a couple of days having a few business meetings in The Promised Land it is back to the reality of the UK market...and a basic observation that we all know about competition in food retail but we are all still learning about competition in the business of death. And you know the stock market really, really dislikes unanticipated extra competition…

In today's bearcast I discuss I3 Energy (I3E), Redde (REDD) and hapless Neil Woodford, Concepta (CPT), Optibiotix (OPTI), Yourgene (YGEN), Big Sofa (BST), Mirriad (MIRI) and Mothercare (MTC). If you enjoyed this, less than PC, bearcast, follow Jim Mellon and support the Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks HERE.

A “Share Price Movement” announcement from ‘Labskin’ technology company Integumen (SKIN) – this including “the transformation of the company has been swift since new management took over in August 2018… part of Integumen's growth strategy involves actively pursuing a broader portfolio of services, that contribute to increased revenues per client, through existing revenue shared collaboration and acquisition options that include, data analytics, software and biophysics integration services. The company is currently involved in a number of such discussions”… and the shares are currently higher today, towards 2.40p…

Oh dear – things are going from bad to worse at AIM-listed Haydale. The bailout refinancing had to be repriced down to just 2p and the open offer raised less than half the amount wanted. And now the shares have fallen below the bailout price – which was set at 2p, the nominal (or par) value of the shares which make raising any more cash a tad difficult.

Last year AIM-listed Ariana (AAU) offered up production guidance of 20,000 ounces of gold – and delivered 27,110 ounces. Talk about under-promising and over-delivering. This morning Ariana offered guidance of 25,000 oz of gold. Under the same maths, that suggests we could see as much as (almost) 34,000 ounces. Of course, we shall have to wait and see what the real figures are, but with the end of Q1 less than three weeks away we shouldn’t have to wait long.

On 30th January, after at first only announcing “Delay to publication of results… the company will provide a further update as soon as possible”, shares in Staffline (STAF) were eventually suspended (3:50pm) and it was updated (6:14pm) including that “concerns were brought to the attention of the board relating to invoicing and payroll practices… shareholders will be updated in due course”. Today a “Group Update and Restoration of Trading” – and the shares currently more than 25% higher, at around 840p, capitalising the company at £235 million…

My attention is drawn to a press release issued by this wretched Government which should, I believe, force Optibiotix (OPTI) to make a statement and make even the most cynical of bears wake up. It reads:

Last week I questioned on automotive sector acoustic and thermal insulation group Autins (AUTG), “pleased to announce” results & “confident 2019 will deliver positive results”. Really?. There is currently though a “Directors' Dealings” announcement seeing the shares jump…

Yesterday it was Kier (KIE) and today his attempt to disrupt the world of bedding takes yet another glorious bow, for AIM-listed Eve Sleep (EVE) has published its 2018 full year results. Oh, and Halosource (HAL), which was revolutionising the world of water, was formally booted off the AIM Casino this morning after not being bailed out. What chance a Woodford hat-trick today?

Following on Friday from Redde (REDD) an intra-day “Contract Update”, surely not ANOTHER disaster for Neil Woodford?!, Tom noted yesterday Woodford having bought more shares on the Friday. Cue the shares slumping to 90p yesterday – down another more than 14%!… and there are some other features which make Woodford’s move look particularly questionable…

In case you feared that the lack of a daily column from Malcolm means that our 158 year old anchorman had gone to a better place. Fear not. He has but it is not that Heaven...

On Friday Redde (REDD) ‘fessed up that it had lost its largest contract. The yield on the shares by c.o.p Friday was more than 11%, screaming out that this company was now certain to slash the dividend. But as the stock collapsed from 130p to 104p (it is now 98p) one 'savvy' investor thought that, once again, he knew better...

Anglo Asian Mining (AAZ) “is pleased to announce… the company will declare a minimum final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2018 of US$3 cents per share and a minimum total dividend for the year ending 31 December 2019 of US$6 cents per share” and that it “now publishes Mineral Resources and an Ore Reserve Estimate for its Gadir Underground mine”…

“Xaar plc (XAR), a world leader in industrial inkjet technology, provides an update in advance of its forthcoming preliminary results”. This including “the integration issues experienced leading to the delays are now behind us and sell-through is expected to increase. Furthermore, the minimum volume commitments from our supplier have now been met. The company will announce its preliminary results on 21 March 2019 at which time it will also provide an update on its review of strategic options for more extensive partnering in the Printhead business unit”. Having also provided a trading update on 28th December, why a current 6% share price fall today though, to below 130?...

In today's bearcast I look at Widecells (WDC), RM2 (RM2), Kier (KIE), Tomco (TOM), Northern Bear (NTBR), Driver (DRV) and Regency Mines (RGM). If you enjoyed this bearcast, follow Jim Mellon and support the Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks HERE.

December-announced results from professional services consultancy to the construction and engineering industries, Driver Group (DRV) emphasised “significant improvement on all fronts… Awarded Large Company Turnaround of the Year at the national 2018 Institute for Turnaround Awards… The transformative turnaround in Driver Group's fortunes reflects a job carefully judged and executed” and a “positive start to the new financial year”. But pride comes before a fall…

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Just when Neil Woodford might have thought it couldn’t get any worse (at least for a day or two), up pops fully-listed Kier Group (KIE) – whose rights issue refinancing saw the humiliation of being bailed out by the underwriters last December -  which seems to have found an extra £50  million of debt since its trading statement of just seven weeks ago……and capped  that with the announcement of a £25 million provision with regard to a redevelopment project at Broadmoor Hospital. As I write, the shares are at session lows of 412p  a drop of 85p, or 17%. Neil sure can pick’em.

You might just remember Maria Miller MP being forced to resign from Government in utter disgrace after bogus expense claims of up to £90,000 were exposed. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner said the old trougher should pay back £45,000. Her fellow MPs helped reduce that to just £8,500. Sleazy Maria has today tweeted a remark of such mind numbing idiocy that I wonder if you is the dimmest MP tod

The S&P 500 bottomed at 666 (intra day) ten years ago last Wednesday...

There has been a lot of talk on social media recently about a petition to ban the short selling of AIM listed stocks - although it currently only has a little over 3,200 signatures, including a few CEOs, and is well short of the 10,000 needed to even get the government to respond – 100,000 are needed for a Parliamentary debate...