In today's podcast I look at Purplebricks (PURP), Neil Woodford's cash woes, re BTG (BTG), MySquar (MYSQ), Fishing Republic (BUST), Bushveld Minerals (BMN), who's a naughty boy then Fortune?, Quadrise Fuels (QFI) and at Sound Energy (SOU) which even at 13p is a verry poor risk reward play.

The next City Forum is on January 21 with Adam Reynolds as the guest speaker being quizzed by the Sith Lord Zak Mir. I bet Adam's quaking about that grilling. Three companies will also present and take questions as will Adam. Put the date in your diary. From this week's seminar here is Skinbiotherapeutics (SBTX) presenting and taking questions.

Hello, Share Smoochers. A day or two ago, I mentioned three ships in my personal share bag which could come sailing in on Christmas day. Or before. Now let me pick three of my babies which are not my favourites in the hectic Yule run-up…

I start with a few Greek ramblings, The Iliad and the Greek Hovel, going to a bank, etc. Then I look at the wider stockmarket woes and then onto TrakM8 (TRAK), Versarien (VRS), BlueJay (JAY), FinnCrap (FCAP) and the resigning analyst and finally I have grave questions about the statement made on November 15 by Neil Woodford dog Eve Sleep (EVE). Surely there must be a steward's?

An update less than two months ago from Gresham Technologies (GHT) concluded “the company is actively engaged on a number of well advanced Clareti opportunities that are expected to contribute to the current financial year, and management therefore remains confident in the full year outlook”. Now a further “Trading Update”. Hmmm…

After spunking millions backing companies wanting to change the laws of physics or disrupt the markets for wooden pallets, washing machines and drinking water a chance to revolutionise the world of mattresses was just too good to pass up on for Neil Woodford. So he backed the May 2017 IPO of Eve Sleep (EVE) at 100p heavily and as the share price sank he added to his holding taking it to 29.05%. Neil always knows better than the market….

Regular readers will know I like a bit of geek chic in my investment choices and the surprising rise in importance of the packaging sector as both part of the structural rise of the e-commerce sector and as a way for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) names to differentiate their offering in a competitive world, may have surprised a few people. It certainly has excited me over recent years and a year ago - as I noted here - DS Smith (SMDS) was riding high. The 2018 35%+ share price fall however is striking…

The next City Forum is on January 21 with Adam Reynolds as the guest speaker being quizzed by the Sith Lord Zak Mir. I bet Adam's quaking about that grilling. Three companies will also present and take questions as will Adam. Put the date in your diary. From this week's seminar here is Sosandar (SOS) presenting and taking questions.

The picture below is of Sam Smith the CEO of FinnCrap (FCAP) celebrating the IPO of her company on AIM at the offices of the London Stock Exchange. I ask you for suitable captions in the comments section below with the prize for the wittiest and rudest being a semi naked picture of Britain's top share blogger (mornings only), Thirsty Paul Scott. For what it is worth I set an early low bar with my suggestion...

There is, for we long suffering shareholders, light at the end of the tunnel though a first read of results from Yourgene (YGEN) for the six months to 30 September 2018 does not exactly bring a warm feeling. But there is a new CEO, Lyn Rees, and he seems to have a clue. Of course the Illumina patent issue was only settled during this period and that should be born in mind. To the numbers…

Early this year we showed the ten top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2018. How's the latest performance?...

Online ‘social video’ company Brave Bison (BBSN) “is pleased to provide a trading and operational update”. However, it has previously been ‘pleased’, or indeed “delighted”, in announcement ramparoonies (e.g. HERE). Is it different this time?

Hello Share Punchers. Allow me to bring you yet another company which is growing profit faster than revenue. You'll recall that I maintain this is one of the best portents you can find for a rising share. Today's winner is Pennon (PNN), the utility which owns South West Water…

In today's bearcast I start with an explanation about how the share price of FinnCrap (FCAP) is just articifial. I then look at ImageScan (IGE) which is not a bad company but why is it on AIM? Then onto Thomas Cook (TCG) and also Audioboom (BUST). In the case of the former my old pal Andrew Monk of VSA is just naive. I suggest he should be a spiv and sell.

We knew that the Administrator of Ariadne Capital, the flagship company of Julie "lingerie on expenses" Meyer had passed a file to The Insolvency Service. I assumed that it would do nothing but au contraire it has launched an official investigation into Julie Meyer MBE herself. This could well lead to her being disqualified as a director. The proof of that investigation comes c/o Winnileaks below. The only question is whether any other agency is running an investigation into Meyer...

I wonder if this reader is Malcolm Stacey in disguise? He seems a terribly optimistic fellow dismissing all my bear points made in today's bonus bearcast. Calling himself "KeepingTWhonest" he opines:

Nobody has written about retailer Joules (JOUL) on this website for a good while now. I cannot claim that its key features of 'quality, Britishness, family values, colour and humour' naturally attract me to its stores or online shop...but then if the retail industry just relied on consumers like me, then it would be in a much poorer state than even in today's troubled times…

Optibiotix (OPTI) boss Steve O’Hara has dusted down his Adam Reynolds keyboard for another RNS which the market seems, unwisely to ignore. But we, the faithful shareholders, will be rewarded for our patience with something far more stirring and we shouldn’t be waiting very long at all...

After recent disasters such as Kier (KIE) and faced with wall to wall redemptions, funds managed by Neil “nomates” Woodford are clearly utterly desperate for cash. Today another sign of just how big is that crisis emerged. It’s a shocker.

Of course none of the eight might come to pass but I explian why I am bearish anyway and then list eight events each of which could happen and each of which could really tonk UK equities and it is just possible that all eight may come to pass. Enjoy.