Cynics will say that Falanx (FLX) delayed its results until August so that it could sugar the pill of not exactly sparkling numbers for the year to March 31 2018 with news that it achieved EBITDA profitability in July. Perhaps there is another reason. Certainly, no-one could describe what has been served up as sparkling and we shareholders will only be hitting the ouzo to dull the pain not to celebrate. The shares are down by 14% to 4.15p-4.4p, valuing the company at £11.1 million at mid. Is that an over-reaction?

Too many years ago to remember my most influential old boss gave me the nugget of investment advice that 'there is nothing more complex than an insurance company'. Broadly I have shared such sympathies over the resulting time period and it has probably saved me more times than it has hindered me. However in the light of this week's esure (ESUR) takeover by Bain Capital, I thought I would have a quick look at Admiral (ADM), which reported first half numbers today.

I noted last Thursday that in the wake of updated Directors’ information (Messers Leith and Ritchie having missed out ten insolvencies) and the clarification over forecasts for Device Authority that one wonders what will come out next from AIM-listed Tern plc (TERN). Well, on Monday it announced it had appointed Allenby as Nomad. What I wonder is whether WH Ireland jumped or was pushed?

Shares in MBL Group (MUBL) closed approaching 18% lower yesterday on the back of a 3:54pm “Cancellation of Admission & Notice of GM” announcement, which followed a 6:04pm “AIM Notice and Update on Proposed Cancellation” announcement on Monday…

Hello, Share Cuddlers. August is a dead month for the kind of stock market news which causes a share to soar or crash. On the whole, values slowly decay. Not necessarily because companies are in trouble, but because volumes are low. And they're slow not for any interesting reason, but for the prosaic fact that many of the big traders have swapped their screens for a bucket and spade to keep their holidaying kids happy.

Following the latest Walcom – customer still not coughed up, now its off to the lawyers, here's an August ShareProphets China AIM 'Filthy Forty' performance update...

I have already covered results from Falanx (FLX) in bearcast but there is one matter than niggles me in the annual report – the “resignation” as a director of CEO  Stuart Bladen. Let me explain…

In today's bearcast my mind is a bit elsewhere as I explain HERE. But I cover SalvaRX (SALV), Optibiotix (OPTI), the fraud MySquar (MYSQ) and Falanx (FLX).

Historically a provider of health, safety, hygiene and environmental consultancy services, PHSC plc (PHSC) decided to diversify into security technology and associated systems. How do results for its year ended 31st March 2018 show things going?...

Prompted by a reader I wonder exactly what Gavin Burnell of Globo infamy is doing round at Novum Securities these days?

Castings plc (CGS) has updated commencing “demand from our main customers' remains strong” - so why do the shares remain well down on the comfortably more than 450p they were at early this year?...

Who would have thought a stodgy stock like Royal Mail (RMG) would be such a trading counter? Over the last year alone it has moved between a sub four quid share price and pushing 630p a share...and when I look back over the last year it has been one of my top active selection larger cap names. I have not owned the name for a few months now but it has come back on my radar today as its regulator Ofcom has just slapped it with a £50 million fine.

I have been an avid supporter of AIM-listed gold miner Ariana Resources (AAU) for a long time and have been advocating buying the shares since recommending them last February, as production approached. I like the company, I like head-hocho Kerim Sener who is, in my view, an exception on AIM in that he is straight and I think the news from the company’s joint venture mine at Kiziltepe has been exemplary. In particular, in the wake of the production update last month for Q2, I had been looking forward with some considerable excitement to the full results of that period. But we have a crisis in Turkey: is it a concern?

Hello, Share Crimpers. Unlike Uncle Tom whom I think uses the services of a famous bear's wife to finish his tax returns, I fill in my online form myself. But then I have a very simple professional life, earning a bit by my writing and turning in reasonable share profits. However, there's no doubt that working out tax liabilities is becoming even more difficult in these ever more complex days - especially for top businesses.

The great success that was the 2018 UK Investor Show saw six 'Dragon's Den' sessions where a number of CEOs each gave a 1 minute (well, supposed to be!) pitch and three 'Dragons' at each session each picked a stock for a £1,000 investment. With the show having been in April, here’s a fourth performance update...

I suggested shares in Tern (TERN) were a sell in June - noting that its main asset, Device Authority, appears to need constant drip feeds of cash from Tern - which, in turn, taps the AIM market regularly and that this summer Jo Retail is proudly wearing his tech hat and taking a swing at The Internet of Things...

Plus500 (PLUS) has announced results for the first half of 2018, including emphasising “we have had a very successful first half with two major milestones; another record set of first half results including an exceptional first quarter performance and completion of our move up to the Main Market”. However, having recently exceeded 2000p, the shares have responded materially lower towards 1700p. Hmmm…

Chemring Group (CHG) has confirmed that at approximately 5pm on Friday there was an incident in a flare manufacturing building at its Countermeasures facility near Salisbury and that, although emergency services attended the scene and the incident was quickly brought under control, “tragically, one employee was fatally injured and another employee was badly injured and is currently receiving treatment in hospital”…

Last week was not ideal for those short of Tesla (US - TSLA) after that tweet announcing the potential biggest take private deal in history. Nothing now surprises me with this company and, also having been a victim of the Autonomy-Hewlett Packard debacle seven years ago, I am wary to dismiss the possibility of a deal out of hand. But as the week closed without any further details emerging, it is looking increasingly likely to me that the funding might not be “secured” as claimed.

China has the world’s most overleveraged, fragile financial system. In 2008, China’s total debt-to-GDP was 140%. It is now roughly 300%, while GDP is slowing. The economy is held together by capital controls. If those fail, the whole system fails. The capital flight in 2015/16 cost the government $1trln in reserves, and that was with ultra-dove Yellen in charge. Imagine what would have happened with Volcker at the helm.