In Africa things always tend to take far longer than people expect, and even more so when it comes to anything in the natural resources sector. Interest in, and the share price of, Tlou Energy (TLOU) seems to have waned and I think that has largely been as a result of some having far too optimistic timescales with regards to the company’s coal bed methane project at Lesedi, in Botswana.

Provider of geological products and services Getech (GTC) has announced results for the first half of 2018, noting “a robust sales pipeline” and “we expect 2019 budgets to set a clearer and more positive path”...

It never ceases to amaze me how much of a gamble some PIs will take with their money, even when the company itself has warned that it is in real trouble and it is almost impossible to see a way out of a bad situation which would result in a higher share price.

Hello Share Solvers. You have to respect a company with a lot of famous names among its customers. Today’s choice for your further exploration includes among its clients; the British government, Airbus, the European Space Agency, the BBC, Radio France, Siemens, Vodafone, Metropolitan Police, the Royal Navy and the National Trust. Impressive, eh?

Previously writing on cyber-security software company Defenx (DFX) in May it was CEO didn’t seem to like it… after just 6 months! - and I noted its statement that “there can be no certainty that the net proceeds of the fundraising will be sufficient to meet the working capital requirements of the Defenx Group in returning it to profitable trading”… Now AIM “Restoration” and “Convertible Loan from BV Tech” announcements…

This is an interesting business model. Write to your client, for whom you have published bullish paid for research notes, open letters slagging them off. I wonder what the renewal rate is at Align Research? Anyhow the latest target of Align boss Richard Jennings is Charlie Wood of Mayan Energy (MYN) who received the stinging missive below today. Ouch.

The September letter from Matt Earl to investors in his Shadowfall fund has found its way, via Winnileaks, into my possession. I gather Matt does not want it published but Winnileaks works both way Mr DD! I had a pop at First Derivatives (FDP) myself back in June despite it hailing from God's chosen lands of Ulster, as you can see HERE.  Matt goes into far more detail in the 47 page document you can see below. 

HaloSource (HALO) has emphasised “a significant milestone for the company, as it has officially received notification of certification from the Water Quality Association for its patent-pending technology and innovative astrea ONE filtering water bottle” - and the shares are currently more than 11% higher at 1p. Hmmm…

Aside from a couple of brief comments on its new discount offering Jack's, the last time I wrote substantially on Tesco (TSCO) was six months ago - when I concluded that there was another leg in the share price to come, which duly resulted. But the wheels have come off the shares in the last couple of months. I still remain unconvinced by Jack's but in the wider scheme of things in the Tesco empire it is a rounding error. I think the real issue however is that Tesco is now no longer a recovery stock and - as we all know - it is easier to travel than arrive…

In today's bearcast I help my pal Mr Lenigas out and answer his question as to why shares in Angus (ANGS) are not rising after the Balcombe flow results yesterday. I look at Blue jay (JAY) where it is placing ahoy, Pantheon Resources (PANR), Optibiotix (OPTI) and in detail at Malcolm's favourite penny dreadful, Feedback (FDBK) and its risible trading statement today.

Under promise and over deliver is what PR poltroons tell their AIM clients. So you say you are looking to raise x but know you will raise x and a bit and then call it a massive success even if the placing is only at 66% of the share price a week or so earlier.

Purecircle (PURE), the jam-tomorrow sugar substitute shambles about which I have written in the past is a difficult stock to trade. The share price seems to do nothing for ages and then move violently for no obvious reason in a very short space of time. Late in August it lost 25% of its value, from 400p-300p, in three straight trading days. Since then it has rallied to 375p after publishing dire results for the year to June 2018.

San Leon Energy (SLE) has announced that Midwestern Oil & Gas Limited has notified it that Midwestern has entered into a binding agreement with SunTrust Oil Company Nigeria Limited to acquire SunTrust's equity interest in San Leon, that is 14.29% of the company.

Hello, Share Turners. Though sending cards is a necessary ritual of life, I have my doubts about investing in firms which make or sell them - or do both. Technology and high postal charges are a growing problem. And younger people look more to Facebook and the like to confer their birthday and other greetings.

I note the wise words of Chris Bailey on Royal Mail (RMG) and have swapped emails with him on the subject. He is, much cleverer than I am so you may wish to heed the conclusion of Three Brains Bailey. But I am not so sure if a 6.8% current year yield is enough to offset the risks both operational and political.  The article I wrote on water leakage which I refer to in the podcast and which the Sun Tel picked up on is HERE

Shares in Ilika (IKA) are currently 15% higher on the day, heading towards 20p, on the back of an announcement of “Pre-launch samples of mm-scale batteries shipped”. However, I immediately note the announcement is an ‘RNS Reach’ rather than a formal RNS. Hmmm…

In this two part series I shall explain why the valuation of Accesso Technology (ACSO) is quite simply insane. At £29.20 the market cap on the AIM Casino is £791.2 million. That is bonkers. In part two I shall look at the “interesting” way it generates profits and its dire cash generation.  But let us start with sales growth for this is valued as a mega growth stock.

A rough old start for certain large cap UK equities this week. Tom has already commented on Ryanair (RYA) and today's September traffic from the same company does nothing to encourage me to bottom fish here. By contrast, the knock-on impact on easyJet (EZJ) shares - which I loved up on these pages on Saturday - has been pretty savage, pushing the shares down 10% odd since the Friday close…

The tweet below relates to Carillion (CLLN) and comes from a leading group of supporters of Jeremy Corbyn and Labour. And it shows why the British left today not only fails to understand capitalism but also despises it.

Like Tom Winnifrith I am licking my wounds, after AIM-listed Big Sofa (BST) announced awful interims (after the deadline, but escaped being suspended by releasing the numbers first thing this morning before AIM announced today’s suspensions) and a placing so heavily discounted that it made the interims look like the company had won the lottery. It has been a bad couple of weeks. Having been keen I suggested that readers pile in when IPSOS bought at a big premium yet the shares hardly moved. If it looks too good to be true…..lesson learnt.