I start with domestic woes and legal opinion on the claims of the IRA man. In the main body of today's podcast I look at Purplebricks (PURP) and the role of Neil Woodford and Link. I cover Microsaic (MSYS), Deepverge (DVRG), Pantheon Resources (PANR), Asimilar (ASLR), Argo Blockchain (ARB) - placing at 6p?. I also relay the thoughts of the world's greatest living expert on musicMagpie (MMAG) and why it is doomed. If you hurry and book a seat at Sharestock - where less than a third of seats are still free - you can meet the expert, who was also a great Quindellologist - on September 23. You can book HERE

The most-read non-quiz non-Tom article this week is by Nigel Somerville with Ariana – 2022 Production Result: A Top Effort: Buy  at No 2 or No 6 including Bearcasts.

AIM-listed Advanced Oncotherapy (AVO) has announced yet another fundraise – this time for £6 million (before expenses) for the issue of another 24 million bits of confetti and associated warrants at 25p – the par price of the shares (below which it is not permitted to issue stock). The grateful recipient of the latest round of paper? Step forward clients of Odey Asset Management as Crispin Odey’s outfit doubles down yet again.

Did you read Tom’s article yesterday titled “Lies, Damned Lies and The Mail's Jeff Prestridge on Neil Woodford as Hargreaves Lansdown faces a class action”? It was a really good read and raises a number of interesting questions. I don’t know about you, but class actions are generally worth a bit of a mention if you, conceptually, are giving a trading update a day or two later. And that brings us onto this morning’s trading update from Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.).

Eve Sleep (EVE) floated on AIM in May 2017 just two years after it started trading. It brought in Paul Pindar which had listed Purplebricks (PURP) the disruptor – no sniggering at the back – of estate agencies to help disrupt the world of mattresses which also needed disrupting. And Neil Woodford, whose funds owned 18% after an IPO which raised £32.8 million, was not the only fund manager who was made to look like a fool. Here is Luke Hakes of Octopus writing just after the IPO:

The Mail on Sunday's Jeff Prestridge has a scoop. There is a class action being launched against Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) for telling customers to buy Woodford funds when it was already aware that there were problems so bad that its own funds of funds were selling Woodford units. Good news. All those who stuffed folks into Woodfgord and ignored warnings that we started flagging up in 2015 should be held accountable. So who else was a massive Woodford supporter from 2015 until the funds were gated in 2019, even saying there was nothing to worry about the day BEFORE the gating? Er...

Normally I am envious of Robert, today I am not. On that note and now with the blessing of Aunt L, I tear, once again, into Colin Bird and Tiger Resources (TIR) after interims from Bezant Resources (BZT), then onto a shocker from Chill Brands (CHLL) and finally a laugh at former Neil Woodford dog Xeros (XSG) which is still spunking half a Bernie a month seeking to revolutionise the world of washing machines. Versarien (VRS) also gets a mention as I increase my forecasts of cashburn.

My Aunt Lucy ticked me off this morning for writing nasty things about folks. She wants me to be nicer to EVERYONE even folks like Colin Bird and Neill Ricketts. Hmmmmmmmmmm. In today's podcast I look at Versarien (VRS), musicMagpie (MMAG), Saga (SAGA) and in detail at Tiger Royalties & Investments (TIR), Birds's collapsing house of related party cards.

Folks registered in the farmyard and headed through the main barn and up onto the new 35 yard by 35 yard elevated lawn ending with a Ha Ha where Sharestock took place. In the pictures below you see the tents, folks enjoying breakfast of croissants with butterand home made damson and blackberry jams and heading to the stand manned by my son Joshua who was obtaining an early lesson in the joys of capitalism. All profits on the stand go to his ice cream fund.

From a long-standing Woodford bear, it may seem an odd question as to whether Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) might now be a buy. But with the latest published NAV standing at 36.04p as of last night, and the shares trading at a mammoth 52% discount at just 17.26p, it is a question that I have to ask myself.

I have suggested several times that Cathie Wood is the next Neil Woodford, a high profile blow up, most noticeably HERE.  Her latest tweet outburts, below, sounds almost bearish but also nonsensical. Is she getting her excuse for failure in early or just losing the plot?

Former Neil Woodford favourite, fully listed Esken (ESKN), has offered up a trading statement this morning ahead of its interim results to today – which won’t appear until November. The statement offers some glimmer of hope, which saw the shares rise initially by as much as 7% before turning tail as the market read into the detail.

In today's podcast I discuss today's breaking news on disgraced Neil Woodford's comeback and the scandalous deception Nanosynth (NNN) has attempted . Then it is on to UK and US house prices, that Moody's forecast and related matters. Then Revolution Beauty (REVB) and Oxford Cannibanoid (OCTP) - as tipped by naughty Bethany Garner of Forbes who really should have her bottom spanked for her antics.

You might think that disgraced fund manager Neil Woodford and his business partner Craig Newman would want to lie low with their ill gotten tens of millions until the FCA enquiry into them was concluded. But perhaps you cannot keep a good man down.

I should declare that I am a shareholder in this company. I bought 1 share a few years ago so that I could attend its AGM to quiz the management on the catalogue of lies they had told to investors.  Then covid struck. On a properly regulated market Advanced Oncotherapy (AVO) would have been given the order of the boot years ago, but this is AIM.

Back in February, I observed that Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) may have been at a six year low but the shares were still a strong avoid. Since then the stock has fallen further but apparently, “against a macroeconomic and geopolitical climate not seen in a generation”, Hargreaves Lansdown still remains optimistic about the future. Surely it is nothing to do with another launch opportunity from a leading fund manager?!

Dramatis Personae: The Mail on Sunday, a low grade rag whose financial pages ramp any scam going in return for scoops ( see Neil Woodford), Ben Harrington, a “journalist” close to fraudsters like Rob Terry and other colourful characters who will publish stories that suit the fraudsters and colourful characters which may or may not be true, Audioboom (BOOM) a grossly overvalued and overhyped tech play – see HERE – and Robert Bonnier a speculator whose share dealings have been a source of controversy for 23 years (see HERE). Today Audioboom served up shocking news.

In its latest letter to those conned by Neil Woodford which is strictly priovate and confidential sdo I have published in full below, law firm Harcus Parker explians how thingsd are now hotting up with more than a thousand claims now submitted, what its case is and what wreteched defence Link is trying to use. As this heads towards court it seems that Neil Woodford's threatened comeback is stalling. I can't think why! Link may be the defendent but it is Woodford's skulduggery, deceipt and incompetence which will be exposed in Court. Enjoy. 

I start with the garden, before explaining why I am driving all the way to Greece - my rational decision is a canary in the coal mine of global inflation. I defend Neil Woodford against a low-grade Sunday Times journalist, with reference to 4D Pharma (DDDD). Then, I look at bonkers house prices and when the tears will start.

These are the most-read articles and most listened-to Bearcasts of the week. The most read non-Tom article is Following its joint venture with Anglo American, Arc Minerals has the potential to reach production – speculative buy by Gary Newman at number one or number 4 if you include Bearcasts.

It is just five days to Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks and we are at just under 33% of our target so can the 93% of listeners yet to donate please do so HERE. In today's podcast I cover the quarter of a billion quid blown, largely by Neil Woodford, at Rutherford (RUTH) and how that made Woodford,personally, even richer. I name and shame a couple of those who enabled that scam.  I look at Wildcat Petroleum (WCAT), Guild ESports (GILD) and Cellular Goods (CBX) and the piss poor Times' idea of breaking news, I mention Optibiotix (OPTI),look at Eve (EVE) which seems to be a zero to me, at spineless and busted Cineworld (CINE) and in detail at ADVFN (AFN) and its woes.

Eve Sleep (EVE), under a “Strategic and financing options review” heading, states this is with it “having delivered a third consecutive year of growth in revenues and marketing contribution in our core UK & Ireland business in 2021, and cognisant of current trading conditions, the board now wishes to accelerate eve’s push into the wider sleep wellness space” and following “recent inbound investor interest”. So what of a current approaching 25% lower share price response to 1.25p?...

It is a strange situation that we now have plenty of referrals to the Woodford fiasco in the mainstream media, but it is Link, not Woodford, which is being sued by former investors who lost piles and piles of money. Woodford made the investment decisions, he called the shots: he was the man in charge. Yet it is not he who faces being sued.

I discuss Manchester vs Geneva airport and why you should not believe everything you read in the Daily Mail.  In a week's time I will be, I hope, three quarters of the way through Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks. If you are among the 93%of listeners yet to donate please do so HERE.  Then I look at Neil Woodford and Harcus Parker finally filing its claim against ACD Link. Finally it is Versarien (VRS) 

Some bien pensants like Neil Woodford and top share blogger, Paul Scott, insisted that Purplebricks (PURP) was a long-term disruptor in the Estate Agencies world. The reality? It was a piss-poor way to sell houses, and could only survive in a fizzingly hot housing market. Well, guess what?

I start with the cows, my red face and pain. Read all about it HERE and then urge you to leave the 95% and make a donation to Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks HERE. Then I discuss Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.), Neil Woodford and whining underperforming fund manager Nick Train of Lindsell Train

These are the most-read articles and most listened-to Bearcasts of the week. The most read non-Tom story is Sleaze on AIM: Oilex looks very leaky – just look at the share trades! by Gary Newman at Number 13 or Number 20 if you include Bearcasts.

I start with football and a question from last night’s West Ham game, concerning how society now views crime and criminals. Then onto the lessons from the collapse of Sensyne (SENS), the bastard child of Neil Woodford and sleazy Lord Drayson. Finally, I look at: Canadian Overseas Petroleum (COPL); Bidstack (BIDS); Angus Energy (ANGS); Sound Oil (SOU); the odd case of NFT Investments (NFT); and the Bixby/Edwards/ Frangos/Storey/Peter Wall gang.

Sleazy Labour peer, Lord Drayson, pocketed an £850,000 bonus for floating Sensyne (SENS) at 175p, despite promising the Nomad he would not be so greedy. Now, three and a half years later, it has all gone horribly Pete Tong. So, will he hand the cash back, as those who backed the IPO prepare to lose, more or less, everything? Today, Drayson has got the order of the boot, and, to survive, shareholders face dilution to high heaven, while the shares will be slung off AIM.

As you know I got disinvited from speaking at the TTF symposium taking place today which aims to discover what went wrong with Neil Woodford and how to stop it happening again. As the one journalist who did expose Woodford from 2015 onwards, one point I wanted to make was that the corruption of the deadwood press as an enabler of fraud was an issue but that was going to make the chap from the FT a bit cross.  So here below, is an article from the FT in December 2017 for the establishment arse lickers at the TTF to consider. You will see it is branded as among “FT’s personal finance highlights of 2017.”

Of course certain folks* do not want to learn all the lessons of Woodford so that it never happens again as that might threaten the grievance industry gravy train on which they ride.  One lesson is that the press only start calling out bad actors in financial services when it is too late. Before then, they promote the bad actors for the mainstream media are bad actors themselves.  The next Neil Woodford, as Lucian myself and others have noted for a while, is Cathie Wood of ARK whose funds share a lot of the failings that caused Woodford to blow up and whose arrogance matches that of the disgraced Neil. But for years the deadwood press blew smoke up Cathie’s posterior just as the FT and others blew off Neil.

These are the most-read articles and most listened-to Bearcasts of the week. The two most read non-Tom items last week were by me – The ShareProphets Sunday Pub Quiz #130 and Sunday Long Reads: Last of the Department Stores, Successful Estate Agent, Secret Taliban, Inside Pornhub, New Goldfish– which should buy me some time against a P45. TW Note, Don’t kid yourself.  The most read non-Tom, non-Darren story is After Ukraine it can never be the same again and it is going to be far worse before it gets better by David Scott.

 The strictly private and confidential letter was sent to the 10,000 but thanks to Winnileaks I bring it to you in full … Enjoy. 

I previously covered the ignominious delisting of Rutherford Health, formerly Proton Partners, from the Aquis lobster-pot. But I fear the denouement for this Woodford favourite has only just started, as a quick trip to Companies House shows and for those left holding the baby – the remains of Neil Woodford’s Equity (lack of) Income fund (now LF Equity Income Fund) and Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) – there is surely more bad news to come.

As predicted on this fine website, AIM-listed Purplebricks Group (PURP)’s interims to October 2021 are suitably disastrous. But since the company isn’t bust (yet) the market has reacted with relief and the shares are marginally up on the day, at 20.3p – though a long way shy of the 50-60p they were at only last autumn, and a country mile off the £5 at peak Neil Woodford-ramp back in 2017. The opening preamble tries to polish the turd, but a peek at the formal accounts shows that it lost £20.2 million in just six months. During a housing boom where anything standing sold within hours and average prices roofed it as mortgages were almost free to a good home. Yikes – just how bad might it have been in a slump?!

In today’s bearcast I start with Cathie Wood of Ark Invest and another sign ( hat tip FP) that she is Neil Woodford on steroids and will see a mega blow up in 2022. The onto the FCA’s plan to crack down on financial promotions. My arse it will. If it was serious on this matter Gollum Gill would be in the slammer already. Then some consolation for Gary Newman with some words on Advance Energy (AVN). I comment on URU Metals (URU) and the there is Best of the Best (BOTB). Surely there must be a Steward’s intp the £60 million share dump by directors nine months ago.  But are the shares now cheap?  

When you look over the 30 most-read stories of 2021, what jumps out? Fraud busting. There are one or two tips thrown in there but what ShareProphets readers really sink their teeth into is the ShareProphets team digging into the accounts and showing up the wrong ‘uns. The author of all of the top 30 articles is….

At 3:42pm yesterday it was announced that Aquis lobster-potted Rutherford Health (RUTH) – formerly Neil Woodford shambles Proton Partners – is to delist, thus bringing to an end what must have been the most outrageous listing by Neil Woodford on the market today. This follows a management restructuring – getting rid of the CEO, the Chair and a raft of NEDs – after the company failed to raise new money and the cash ran out, leaving it reliant on bridging finance and the arrival of a Chief Restructuring Officer.

Describing itself as “a leading innovator in plant-based specialty polymers used as essential ingredients in everyday consumer products”, Itaconix (ITX) has announced that “successful” interim measures have enabled it to have “met and expects to continue to meet all customer orders” after water damage for which it has filed an insurance claim for property damage and operational costs incurred. What though of a current more than 33% higher share price response?…

Aquis-listed Rutherford Health (RUTH) – formerly Proton Partners – announced this morning that it has secured bridge financing from shareholders including Neil Woodford’s former stamping ground of Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) – formerly Woodford Patient Capital – and LF Equity Income Fund – the unsaleable rump left over from the Woodford Equity Income fund – to raise up to £10 million in the form of various loans costing 15% per annum. The old saying that if you owe the bank a quid you’ve got a problem, but if you owe the bank a million quid then it is the bank which has the problem is writ large here.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. It was already clear that Aquis lobster-potted Rutherford Health (RUTH) was in big trouble as funds from a placing back in August had not arrived and last Friday the company had promised news of bridge financing this week. Back on 25^th October my back-of-an-envelope calculator suggested that the company was already on the brink and on Thursday this week – at lunch time when nobody was looking – the company announced the departure of the CEO and the chairman. Did somebody say rats and sinking ship?

I end with a question for you. Who should feature in the Christmas carol here on ShareProphets? Past Scrooges include Chris Oil, Rob Terry, Neill Ricketts and Neil Woodford. Who should join that merry band of fine upstanding citizens? Before then I discuss a chat with a broker about placing ennui, Tungsten (TUNG), what was WPCT (SUPP) and Rutherford Health (RUTH) where we await imminent news of the bad variety.

Aquis lobster-potted Rutherford Health (RUTH)  – formerly Neil Woodford favourite Proton Partners – has announced a deal to open new health clinics in partnership with BUPA. Great, whizzo……but there is just one tiny little thing wrong here!

When I read Purplebricks (PURP) CEO Vic Darvey prattling on about a solid platform to achieve longer term targets my mind immediately switches to thoughts of Cheryl Cole. I feel that I too offer an increasingly solid platform (boom boom) and I have my targets too. Whatever … today Vic served up a ghastly profits warning and shares in Purplebricks (PURP) are in freefall. You cannot say that this site has not warned you all often enough. So what’s the story morning glory?

Aquis lobster-pot listed Rutherford Health (RUTH) has announced yet another delay in its acquisition of Proton Partners International Health Care Investments LLC, UAE. The deal, originally announced on 31 August 2021 – along with a placing which is also delayed – was due to complete 21 days on from a share swap deed dated 28 August. Then it was 11 October 2021. Now it is 16 November and the ShareProphets bookies are offering generous odds on yet another extension after that.

Back in early August I observed that there were ‘continuing issues’ at Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) which made me avoid the shares. Obviously I still do not own any today and this morning’s update keeps me of the view that the company’s shares are still stuck in a 1400-1800p range.

An email went out yesterday to those folks who have signed up with Harcus Parker to pursue Link over its Neil Woodford negligence. Marked Private & Confidential it is not to be forwarded to anybody. Thanks to Winnileaks I can publish it in full and do so below. It explains why the approach of Leigh Day is costly and wrong and what will happen next.

Itaconix (ITX) “is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2021”. The shares have responded currently approaching 7% lower to 8.3p. So “a leading innovator in plant-based specialty polymers” or still another Woodford pick dog?…

The top non-Tom article this week is Union Jack Oil – I have lost faith by Peter Brailey at number 2 or number 7 if you include the Bearcast.

I commented on Tuesday that Acquis-listed Rutherford Health (RUTH) seems to be having a bit of a problem collecting the placing proceeds originally announced at the end of August. The original payment day – September 13^th – came and went, with an after-hours announcement that the deadline had been extended to September 23^rd – yesterday. There was no announcement yesterday, but at 11.57am – ie lunchtime – today the company announced the grisly news:

This website has made no secret of its cynical take on the valuation of one of Neil Woodford’s most controversial investments into Acquis lobster-pot listed Rutherford Health (RUTH), formerly Proton Parters. There was a tiny investment made at its IPO allowing Woodford to mark up his original investment heavily, but since Woodford held all the cards apart from Rutherford’s management, there was nobody to sell and thus the apparent price was, we argued, totally illusory. We predicted problems when the cash ran out……

Today was Joshua’s birthday party so I am pretty whacked. In the podcast I look at how we fail to tackle financial crime – just 67 arrests by the dedicated unit responsible in H1. Then to ShareSoc. Will it on Wednesday blow off Jeff Prestridge as he blew off Neil Woodford? Or will it face him down and put one of the main enablers of what went on via his yellow journalism on the spot? I suggest some questions that Cliff Weight needs to put to Mr Presstrip. Or what abut listener Steve, would such an online showdown cheer you up?

It was back in December 2018 that Nigel mentioned ‘Neil Woodford raising more much-needed cash by dumping good shares’ by selling his stake in Kier Group (KIE), ‘a British construction, services and property group active in building and civil engineering, support services, and the Private Finance Initiative’. I am sure there were a bunch of reasons why Woodford needed the cash at the time, but this decision was not a complete disaster as the shares have fallen over 80% since. If only he could have missed all his other big losing calls! I have not been a great fan of Kier Group and related companies for many years, having seen plenty of sector ‘excitement’ over the past twenty-five years. Suffice to say there were a bunch of reasons why in an industry that can easily be impacted by economic volatility and too much debt.

Tissue Regenix (TRX) has announced results for the first half of 2021 claiming “we have created a commercially focussed regenerative global medtech company in a high growth sector… encouraged by our strong H1 results” and that we “look forward to this being further built on in H2”. So why are the shares, at 0.675p, currently more than 4% lower?

Back in May HERE I observed on ‘Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) whose shares have remained stuck in a 1400-1800p share price range over the last year…there is no reason – in my opinion – to own the shares here’. So what do I make of today’s full year to the end of June numbers?

Forgive the crude title or love it if you are Matthew and his dog. I could not resist. I start with a discussion of the tyranny of village facebook pages prompted by my latest spat with some villagers of Holt in Wales HERE. Then I look at Kefi (KEFI), Zoetic (ZOE), Kanobo (KNB), Supply@ME Capital (SYME), Block Energy (BLOE) and the bitcoin pump by America’s Neil Woodford and others. Ian Westbrook is now at just under £12,000 and has ten days to reach £20,000 to see the loathsome Neill Ricketts at the next stage. To call the bluff of the Versarien (VRS) bully, please donate HERE. PS Darren points out it is the 26th not the 27th. He is correct.

There were you and I thinking that the job of the Financial Conduct Authority was to protect consumers and to tackle financial crime. Well think again, welcome to its latest master plan published yesterday.

Fully listed Esken Limited (ESKN), formerly Neil Woodford favourite Stobart Group Ltd (STOB), has announced that – as I suggested back on 31^st May – the sale of Stobart Air and Carlisle Lake District Airport to Ettyl Limited has collapsed. Worse still, support for Stobart Air has been terminated, Stobart Air has terminated its franchise agreement with Aer Lingus, will cease trading and liquidators are to be appointed. The pain for Esken does not end there, but later on it confirmed talks to potentially sell 30% of London Southend airport. But that’s not the whole story……

The most interesting fact this week is the Sunday Pub Quiz is #4. The most read non-Tom non-Darren article is The View from the Montana Log-Cabin as Gold stalls by Nigel Somerville at number 24, or number 31 including Bearcasts and Tom’s new shareshow. Which one is the best of the week? Tell me in the comments.

I start with a culinary triumph for myself and Joshua, a highlight of the day. Then another: Neil Woodford and why today’s expose is so damning. Then I flag up why today’s problem for Alien Metals (UFO) is bad but nothing compared to what is going to land on this website at 8.30 AM Friday. Then onto Plutus Powergen (PPG), Verditek (VDTK), Lekoil (LEK) and Hurricane Energy (HUR).

Thanks to Winnileaks I have obtained an explosive document prepared by Neil Woodford in January 2018  in which he answers questions put to him by Old Mutual for whom he – at the time – managed a value fund. I publish it in full and it is explosive in part because Woodford – for once – shows a degree of honesty in what he says. And that makes it all the more damning. If the FCA can be bothered to read this it explains in a nutshell why Neil Woodford should never again be allowed to manage other folk’s cash.

I start with a few thoughts on this anniversary of D-Day. For those of my age, there were links with that day. For my kids, there will not be. Then a few thoughts on Neil Woodford as more damning material comes into my possession thanks to Winnileaks.

We had the news that disgraced disabled-parking-space abuser Neil Woodford was setting up in Jersey earlier this year but that seems to have come to nothing (I can’t think why…..) Now, according to the Sunday Times, he plans to set up in the Caymen Islands and Delaware.

The most read non-Tom article is Who owns Queeld Ventures which has a stake valued at £73m in Eurasia Mining? by Lucien Miers at number four, or number 11 including Bearcasts and Tom’s new shareshow. Which one is the best of the week? Tell me in the comments.

I start with my utter revulsion at Neil Woodford after today’s expose HERE – can anyone be in any doubt now that he is a truly evil and morally bankrupt individual? I end with a brief correction regarding Britain’s thirstiest share blogger. In between, I look at Rosslyn Data (RDT), Supply@ME Capital (SYME), Eurasia Mining (EUA), Kefi (Kefi) and MyHealthchecked (MHC).

Tainted by the stench of Neil Woodford, the collapse of Carillion and its own balance sheet woes, folks have, until recently, asked when this company was going bust. Now a refinancing means it will not and with Britain’s left-wing Government spending other folks cash like there is no tomorrow, all looks set fair. That is not in the price but as the market wakes up it will be and the shares will spurt ahead. That makes it a buy.

Thanks to Winnileaks I have been sent photos from the car park at Woodford Investment Management which are truly revolting and show exactly the sort of vile individual Neil Woodford is.

No doubt this will be deemed misogyny, but Cathie is one hell of a dumb bint. She is the fund manager who reckons, based on piss poor analysis, that Tesla (TSLA) is worth $3000 and it is by far the biggest holding in her Ark Fund which you can and should short aggressively. Her fund also holds shed loads of illiquid shit and so has the potential to be Neil Woodford on steroids. But here is a tweet which shows that Wood makes Woodford look like Einstein.

On Friday morning at 7am fully-listed former Neil Woodford favourite Esken (ESKN) – formerly known as Stobart Group Ltd (STOB) – announced that its proposed sale of Stobart Air to Ettyl Limited was being delayed by change of control consents taking longer than planned. Given that the sale was due to complete by early May 2021 announcing this on the last trading day of May seems a bit ripe. But worse was to follow.

I start with good news on Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks - see for yourself HERE. Then a few words about incredibly exciting work today at the Welsh Hovel. Then onto bitcoin, China and Argo Blockchain (ARB), which links to Zoetic (ZOE) which really is starting to collapse. Then onto the arrogance of the City, Neil Woodford, Andrew Monk and Hurricane Energy (HUR).

Shares in Tern (TERN) are this morning tumbling as the company announced it was calling a GM to allow it to issue yet more confetti after the last GM failed to approve a motion for confetti issuance. But the share price is still insane as is anyone long of the stock as Nigel Somerville pointed out at the weekend. Just a reminder of the facts.

It has been a busy last week for markets and UK listed reported names.  Next week – certainly on the latter component is not going to be any different, so time to play a bit of catch up.  

This morning’s announcement of a £241 million fundraise by fully-listed Kier Group (KIE) comes as no surprise to me in the wake of last month’s FY20 numbers which showed a company technically insolvent as net current assets were MINUS £297.5 million. Time for some Ouzo…..

The FY20 Accounts for the latest investee of AIM-listed jam-tomorrow investment company Tern (TERN) were released by Companies House at the end of April: Talking Medicines carried on sending cash to the great central bank in the sky at an alarming rate and retained profits – or, rather, retained losses, ballooned further……which might raise an interesting question with regard to a share buy-back conducted by the company!

Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) – formerly Neil Woodford’s Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) has released its Annual Report for FY20 and the shocking write-downs are all too apparent, although no surprise to ShareProphets as we warned of this all along. The good news is that the gearing has been paid off and the company now finds itself with over 3% cash now that investee Kymab has been sold. But the red ink is everywhere, and led to another severe drop in NAV as write-down after write-down took their toll.

I start with Neil (one L) Woodford after today’s exposes from Nigel on this website. Then it is onto Neill ( 2Ls) the loathsome Ricketts who will be sweating like a pig ahead of 8.30 AM tomorrow for reasons I explain HERE and who has blundered big time with a fascist lawyer’s letter. Today’s Woodlarks training walk was just 11 miles – a stroll – but I had to listen to daughter Olaf with her woke views for the whole of it so show sympathy and donate HERE

Woodford Investment Management (WIM) has finally released its accounts to March 2020 – they were published by Companies House some two and a half weeks late. Tut-tut. But that is the least of the worries here. In part one I discussed Neil Woodford and Craig Newman with their tasty £1.5 million payout as they emptied the coffers on the eve of flagship Woodford Equity Income fund being gated. In part two I look at the rest of the accounts, and wonder where the auditor went.

In his soft interview with Lucy Barton of The Daily Telegraph on 13 February of this year, we are told that Neil Woodford claimed: From the moment of the fund suspension Craig [Newman, his sidekick] and I received absolutely no income, or dividends or any remuneration from Woodford Investment Management, none, and indeed haven’t received any for the best part of two years. The accounts of Woodford Investment Management for the year to March 2020 are now out (two and a half weeks late). So was the disgraced fund manager telling a whopping lie? What do you think?

I start with problems getting hold of my father’s estate because Link are fuckwits. Then onto Woodlarks where I make the usual request to the, now, 97.5% of you yet to donate, please do so HERE. Then a detailed look at IMC Exploration (IMC), Eurasia Mining (EUA) and Verditek (VDTK) with new evidence of its lying to investors goading me into action.

I do not write this in defence of paedophiles for there can be no defence of these sick individuals. Nor am I defending one particular paedophile, John Frensham, formerly known as Jonathan James Hunt, the sole director of Frensham Wealth Limited. In March 2017, Mr Frensham was convicted of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. Mr Frensham was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. My first observation is which dipstick, Guardian reading, wet liberal judge handed out such a light sentence?  

Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) – formerly Neil Woodford’s Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) – slipped out a new but unaudited net asset value statement yesterday at 3.32pm and it was shocking: it wiped another 20% off the previously stated NAV to bring the official figure down to just 35.01p per share. That, against the fantasy 89.07p when the flagship Woodford fund, Woodford Equity Income, was gated on 3 June 2019.

Link seems to have a habit of shooting itself in the foot at the former Woodford Equity Income Fund as it prepares to defend itself against a legal onslaught from Harcus Parker on behalf of 6,500 folks whose investments were mis-managed into the ground by Neil Woodford, overseen by Link acting as authorised corporate director (ACD). Most recently, it has announced that it has invested some of the fund’s cash into a company called Mafic and the mainstream media has been having a field day as cash supposedly due to be handed out to beleaguered Woodford investors has headed in the opposite direction.

It seems that Neil Woodford and his side-kick Craig Newman are being somewhat tardy in filing the latest set of accounts for Woodford Investment Management for the year to March 2020 at Companies House, for they were due by 31 March and are now marked as late. What are they hiding?

I start with Boris and the blonde and what it says about double standards for the public sector (our servants) and the private sector.  My big political scoop of the day, BTW, is HERE.  Then I discuss procrastinating ahead of a Woodlarks training walk. The weather is foul here in Wales but off I go so as you listen, think of my suffering and donate HERE. Then it is onto Hargreaves Lansdowne (HL), poodle journalists, Link and Neil Woodford.

I ask you to review the following three statements from Neil Woodford poster-dog Rutherford Health (RUTH) formerly known as Proton Partners and tell me why I should not view the managers as scumbags with an issue in the investor transparency department.

I think last night saw more phone harassment but maybe it was just pocket calls. Anyhow, I have spent some time chatting to North Wales Police about comrade Seth Freedman and the Zoetic (ZOE) inspired menacing phone calls of last month. They are taking it seriously. In the podcast, I discuss this plus the news that Hargreaves (HL) may be sued over Neil Woodford and the myth that there is a short position in small and mid caps to be squeezed.

AIM-listed former Neil Woodford favourite has released its FY20 results. The company makes great hay of the fact that it beat twice raised expectations, which is all very well, but it still racked up a pre-tax loss of £2.4 million. The bigger question for me is what happens when the high street finally reopens – assuming any bricks-and-mortar outfits are left.

Neil Woodford’s shambolic Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) – now Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) after Woodford’s disgrace – has announced the completion of an asset sale to bring in £52.9 million. In theory this is good news, but since the original sale was announced as being at a 19% discount and the vast majority of the cash is being used to part-pay the bank there really isn’t much to celebrate for shareholders.

Why does anyone still use Hargreaves Lansdowne (HL) of Neil Woodford infamy? Its latest customer screw is for shareholders in Hammerson (HMSO).

Having spent the Woodford years attacking the chap who exposed disgraced fund manager Neil, while giving Mr Woodford a free pass, the organisation that claims to stand for private investors continues to mislead folks about claims against Woodford, or rather his ACD, Link.

It was a liquiditry crisis that did for Neil Woodford in the end. Meeting redemptions required forced selling which cratered NAV which caused more redemptions which, however much smoke the Mail on Sunday blew up Neil’s arse, lead to an inevitable conclusion. Now I wonder if over in the USA, ARK Invest, a star of wall Street in the tech bull market, might meet a similar fate.

The FCA has clearly failed investors on am serial basis over many years: Woodford, all of those mini-bond disasters not just London & Capital Finance, Quindell, the list goes on and on.  So now under new CEO Nikhil Rathi there is claim that it is getting its act together. Frankly, this is woke cobblers, it is rewarding failure, it is not changing a culture of smug and holier than thou incompetence.

I am off to my late father’s at Shipston in a few minutes so no more from me today. I compare now and 2000 with looks at KR1 (KR1), the bonkers new associate of Richard Poulden, Neil Woodford’s WPCT, David Lenigas and his new pot play with Afriag (AFRI), nonsense elsewhere in that sector and then the odd Coro Energy (CORO) transaction which I feel obliged, as a good citizen, to ask the HMRC to have a butcher’s at.

For 20 years Jeff PressTrip built his name at the Mail on Sunday with his exclusive chats and scoops from Neil Woodford. The quid pro quo was that he blew the man off in print once a fortnight and he ensured that Mail on Sunday Readers ALL owned shares in the doomed Woodford funds. Even a day before Equity Income was gated, the Mail on Sunday urged its readers to show faith. But the corrupt old bastard (PressTrip not Woodford) wishes us to forget that and today again rails against his ex-mate saying how disgraceful is his planned comeback.

The most read non-Tom article this week is Ariana – Ozaltin deal completes. Now, what to do with £25 million (that’s alot of Ouzo…) by Nigel Somerville at number three, or  number ten including Bearcasts and Tom’s new shareshow. Which one is the best of the week? Tell me in the comments.

As ShareSoc attempts to push more folks mugged by Neil Woodford into backing a legal claim not yet launched by a firm that made its name suing the British Army over false allegations of brutality in Iraq, a claim that will not be launched for many months if at all, rather than one launching within weeks HERE, it is hosting an event “Neil Woodford, Reflections, Redress & Reform. Its star speaker on Reflections is not one of the three journalists who exposed Woodford with more than 1000 articles from 2015 onwards. Nope it is Captain Hindsight. His colleague, Corporal Hindsight is not attending.

I thought that ShareSoc, having ceased taking direction from he who shall not be named, had at last recognised the great job shorters do in exposing frauds and overpromotes. But it seems not. Cliff Weight, a self confessed shareholder in Burford (BUR) today makes a number of valid points on Neil Woodford’s comeback while still not admitting that ShareSoc is backing a laggardly and non battle-hardened legal claim for Neil’s victims. But it is on Burford where ShareSoc lets its mask slip. Cliff says of the FCA:

This podcast is all about the Woodford scandal of today. The corruption of the Sunday Telegraph in trading a scoop for dishonest journalism and the scandal that the disgraced fund manager may be back after less than 20 months of not screwing around with other folks’ cash. Why must people like Lucy and Neil be stopped and who will stop Neil? Lucy, I fear, is destined for great things in the corrupt world of the deadwood press.

Lucy Burton of the Sunday Telegraph will this morning be celebrating her scoop of the year. It may win her prizes such is the corruption of modern journalism. In a faustian deal she gets to break the news that disgraced and crooked fund manager Neil Woodford is planning a comeback. In return she publishes a blow off interview in which Woodford paints himself as the victim of what happened, tells blatent lies and those lies go unchallenged. This is not journalism it is revolting PR ands Ms Burton should be drummed out of the industry. She won’t. She will be praised and promoted. And the deadwood press wonders why it is ever less trusted and its reader numbers slide?

I start with the news that we are backing Harcus Parker to get cash back for victims of Neil Woodford. Then I look at Versarien (VRS) and its new improved face nappy, at Iconic (ICON) and the madness at NightCap (NGHT) – since when is one rented London bar ( currently shut) worth £4 million? Then San Leon Energy (SLE), en passant, there is a detailed look at Symphony Environmental (SYM). 

As the BBC and most in the City recognise, it was this site which exposed disgraced fund manager Neil Woodford with more than 1,000 articles, podcasts and videos starting in 2015. Now we are working with law firm Harcus Parker as the outfit most likely to get redress for victims and quickly. And here is why. 

It was announced on Friday afternoon by Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP), the former Neil Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT), that the IPO of Immunocore on Nasdaq had gone ahead. We were offered some tasty numbers, but are they really true?

I start with ShareSoc backing an investor action group at bust mini-bond outfit Wellesley. I warned folks explicitly about this almost two years ago HERE and many times thereafter so have scant sympathy. I discuss the role of the floor shitters at the FCA in this debacle. That brings me to Supply@ME Capital (SYME) after today’s dynamite expose HERE. The email is genuine. I ask what next? Finally, I discuss comments by populists seeking cheap love, such as shamed Neil Woodford promoter Jeff PressTrip of the Mail on Sunday and Nigel Farage, about GameStop. Do they both really support bubbles and capital misallocation?

Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) – the former Woodford Patient Capital Trust has today announced the sale of seven assets for a total of £51.9 million. Well done, you might say – until you read that this represents as discount of some 19% to the forex adjusted (as at 25 January) valuations as at 30 September 2020. Not so hot, all of a sudden.

You member Rutherford (RUTH), the company listed on NEX, now Aquis, on a bonkers valuation with Neil Woodford opting to put cash in at a far higher price than was needed so his funds could cut their unquoted holdings and book gains on earlier investments so earning more management fees for the disgraced multi-millionaire fund manager?  Yes, that one. It is still going but it seems to have burned its way through all of Woodford’s investors’ cash and some…

It started in October 2018. Boatman Capital published its first bear dossier on Babcock International (BAB) with the shares at 672p. After yet another dire warning today, the stock trades at just 215p and still looks overvalued.

And so a fascist email from a lawyer arrives addressed to ShareProphets requesting that we remove content from our website. The email comes from a Spanish firm called Eliminalia which boasts that it is “dedicated to erasing the past. Our team deletes all the links that exist about your person or business one-by-one, if necessary, initiating legal action to achieve your desired results, thanks to our team of in-house attorneys.”. Orwell would love these bastards. The person paying Eliminalia to bully companies such as ShareProphets is former fund manager Mark Denning. Well Mark we will publish this correspondence in full so that more folks know about you. And to Eliminalia we will “see you in court bitchez!” So who is Denning?

Oh dear, oh dear. Neil Woodford’s former Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) now under new management as Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) has announced this morning a 71% hit to its investment in Ombu, knocking £10 million off NAV. This follows the acquisition of Ombu by HP Environmental Technologies Fund (HPET), in which SUPP now has a stake.

On Joshua’s Advent calender the shepherds go to Bethlehem. That is almost true, well a bit true as I discuss. In prior years I have penned a three part Christmas carol featuring a villain of the year: Rob Terry, Neil Woodford and Chris Oil have starred. So please nominate your villain of 2020 for this year’s opus magnus below. In the podcast I discuss the IPO of Sarah Willingham’s company Nightcap on a day when most of its bars go into tier 3. She is ‘avin’ a giraffe. There are other red flags and questions to ask. Then I look at Jubilee Metals (JLP) and Bahamas Petroleum (BPC) asking if, on AIM, anyone gives a toss about the law of the land. Finally I look at Dignity (DTY) where i retain grave concerns.

The time to invest in a sector is when everyone loathes it. Think oil earlier this year. The time to avoid it like the plague is when it gets so hot that crony capitalists float investment companies hoping that mug punters will overpay for shares in their vehicles which will then overpay for shares in actual companies. Meanwhile its snouts in the trough all round for the board and City advisers.

A reader of this website who I have known for many years and who is a truthful and honest man is a client of Hargreaves Lansdown (HL).  Poor man. He was advised, falsely, by Hargreaves that if he wished to convert Golden Prospect subscription shares (GPS) into Golden Prospect ordinafries (GPM), he had to notify the company by 31 October.  Hargreaves then claimed, again falsely, that this date had been extended.

Aquis-listed Rutherford Health (RUTH), the former Proton Partners that Neil Woodford so merrily put his former fundholders on the hook to fund at a ludicrous price, has published its Interims to August 31 this morning. What a shambles!

A couple of announcements today from one of the many AIM dogs of Neil Woodford, Xeros Technology Group (XSG) – and the shares currently continuing something of a recent recovery…

A reader has been contacted by Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) about what is in his acount. No not units in Neil Woodford funds bought on the advice of Hargreaves as its own funds were selling out but certain funds invested in crypto currencies. The letter reads:

I did what 3 million Welsh residents could not do today and had a pub lunch. But I’ve broken the border and am back at the Welsh Hovel. I discuss my day, why I think Nigel is wrong on investing in residential property and ask why Link is being sued over Neil Woodford’s crimes yet he seems able to escape scot free.

In some ways I feel a little sorry for Mark Dampier, as he sets sail into retirement from fully-listed Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.), his copy book indelibly blotted by exceptionally poor calls over Neil Woodford and, as Tom noted today, value crushing Tom Dobell of M&G. But it is not just Neil Woodford where I would have issues with HL’s recommendations, and that brings me to Gold.

To be fair to Tom Dobell, his first ten years running the M&G Recovery Fund were pretty spectacular. That was partly because the market tanked as he arrived and then bounced back. Corks, waves etc but still his record was impressive. Today that all seems a long time ago with news that he is being resigned at Christmas.

Yes, it is corrupt to claim that with 60 articles a year you are chasing Neil Woodford when you were for two decades his greatest cheerleader on Fleet Street. Jeff Prestidge ignored ALL the warnings and kept on urging Mail on Sunday readers to average down on Woodford funds. He should hold his head in shame. He demands transparency over Woodford while I demand transparency from him so I have 4 questions the loathsome reptile will not answer. I also look at bent PR-led journalism at the Sunday Times ref BT (BT.) Then it is onto Reach4Entertainment (R4E) where the FCA and AIM Regulation should be all over the company, its CEO Marc Boyan, and chairman Lord Grade.

I have never owned or – to the best of my knowledge – written about AA plc (AA.). Briefly last decade I was a member before an alternative breakdown service was bundled into my bank account but I remember thinking it was a bit of a rip-off back then. Obviously some people (Neil Woodford) did not think it was a rip-off and built up a large double-digit percentage stake before having to admit it was yet another mistake…

Ex-Neil Woodford dog, AIM-listed Eve Sleep (EVE), has this morning updated the market with a first half trading update for this year – the highlight being that it has been trading ahead of expectations and generated a first positive cashflow. So all’s well – time to pile in? Not so fast……

I commented back on June 20^th on Zak Mir’s squiggles in the sand when he gave AIM-listed jam-tomorrow investment company Tern (TERN) the kiss of death, suggesting it could make it up to 18p per share. This, of course, was based on his charting analysis and not fundamentals. So how has he done?

It was in April last year that oily Neill Ricketts first announced that Chinese Investors were going to buy new shares giving them 15% of Versarien (VRS). The shares roofed it and he dumped vast amounts at 137p - today the shares are 42p. First it was BIGT, the CIGIU and finally YG, a newly established Hong Kong entity set up to source funds working with those other companies that had no websites or offices or phone numbers. Quelle surprise! Guess what?

Squiggles-in-the-sand specialist and all round Good German, the Sith Lord Zak Mir, noted yesterday that his bullish comments on POSs on the AIM Casino tend to trigger bear articles on this fine website in his lead-up to comments on AIM-listed Tern plc (TERN). Well I don’t want to disappoint him….after all, as you all know, I’m all heart.

The sale of a bunch of biotech assets by Link from the Neil Woodford portfolio which used to be known at his Equity Income fund has received criticism as the buyer immediately offloaded some of it at a massive profit. Surely that means those assets were sold too cheaply……or does it?

Of course, the bad news is that the worst of them haven’t been sold and the buyer, Acacia Research, got a thumping discount. The news of the discount should come as no surprise to ShareProphets readers, as Tom Winnifrith, Cynical Bear and I have all warned of as much. And with the absolute dogs left over, there is surely more pain to come for Neil Woodford's motley crew of hard-up former investors into hs Equity Income Fund.

It was announced yesterday afternoon that Link Fund Solutions sold 0.52% of AIM-listed Purplebricks (PURP) on Wednesday. Why is this significant? Well, this is the stock overhang from the ex-Woodford Equity Income Fund (WEIF) and there is still 11.93% to go.

Previously writing on Time Out Group (TMO), in March I noted after placing only in October, former Woodford pick “will review its funding and ability to manage its cost base” – concluding with the shares a further more than 20% lower in response, at around 65p, still avoid / sell. Now a 4:06pm “Results of Placing and Notice of General Meeting”…

Back in 2015 I demonstrated, without any doubt, that AIM listed InternetQ (INTQ) was a fraud. I doorstepped it in Athens. I crawled all over its bogus websites in Greece.  The Greek management and fund manager Martin Hughes of Tosca - a shareholder PA as well as via his fund - responded by taking it private. They then rebranded it as Akazoo and listed it on Nasdaq, Earlier this week Gabriel Grego again exposed it as a fraud. On Friday, the shares were suspended, the CEO fired and investors warned that ALL historic financials may be fiction. The SEC filing below is damning.

Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) - formerly disgraced Neil Woodford’s Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) - has released its FY19 numbers and the report is truly a dog’s breakfast. It is a shambles: the manager has gone but the board should be sacked at once.

This is an amaingly honest yet utterly dishonest admission from Schroders which managesthe  Schroders UK Public Private Trust (SUPP), the dog formerly known as the Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT).  It is also a damning indictment of the disgraced Neil Woodford. Schroders has published a new Key Information Document, a KID.

I see that our favourite technical analyst, Jordan Roy-Byrne of TheDailyGold.com is getting ever more bullish. Although he is a gold-bull, he is often rather dour in his opinions shorter term but it seems that the flood-gates have opened – not just with reference to his charts but with reference to anything to do with gold. More importantly, it seems that the big institutional money has finally started to arrive. Bank of America has slapped at $3000 target on the price of an ounce of gold over the coming eighteen months, well up on its previous forecast of $2000.

With other folks cash, Neil Woodford was a big fan. The company has missed all its targets to date. Even now, having belatedly slashed costs, Xeros (XSG), the company founded to disrupt the world of washing machines, does not expect break even until Q2 2022. What could possibly go wrong? I reckon there is more chance of me shagging Cheryl Cole by Q2 2022 than of this company reaching breakeven by 2022 but we shall see. Anyhow if you are tempted, not by Cheryl – that is a given - but by Xeros here is your chance.

Given the abject performance of the Miton Smaller Companies Fund managed by Gervais Williams, driven by a combination of utterly dire stock picking and mass redemptions, I have more than once suggested that Mr Williams has the potential to be the new Neil Woodford. But today I can reveal that Williams is performing a trick used by Woodford and it is one that his ACD and the FCA should be investigating with some urgency.

Since Cynical Bear’s coverage of the Tinkler vs Rest the Board fiasco back in 2018 (when Tinkler and Neil Woodford lost), shares in Stobart Group (STOB) initially trod water and then went into a bit of a tailspin, closing 2019 at a shade over £1 a pop. But then Covid-19 struck: bearing in mind one of its two prime assets is an airport, it has been bad news ever since and the shares are currently just 50p. So what of today’s announcement?

Every dog has its day. Even the Miton Smaller Companies Fund run by the new Neil Woodford, Mr Gervais Williams. In March it managed to lose just under 12% in value whereas the small cap unit Trust sector saw an average loss of c25%. So Gervais, for almost the first time in five years, beat his peers. But the absolute losses were compounded by yet more redemptions and, thus, the precipice of an FCA driven gating, draws ever closer.

The dog’s breakfast that is Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) – formerly Neil Woodford’’s Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) has announced that Link is taking the hatchet to the portfolio net asset value once again. Oh dear……

AIM-listed Neil Woodford dog Eve Sleep (EVE) released FY19 results this morning. My immediate thought is who would buy a bed right now, amid fears of Coronavirus, job losses and with the UK in near total lockdown? But these are last year’s numbers, before the invisible invader was around and it looks to me as though Eve will need even more cash, despite its laudy claims that the latest rebuild strategy has left the company operationally profitable. Let’s take a look at what that actually means……

We have warned about this Neil Woodford dog so many times.  Now, you may find this tasteless but I suggest that no-one in their right mind would actually buy a house right now as the grim Coronavirus reaper stalks this land. Do you want to have to sell your place with all sorts of strangers wandering around touching door handles, or more likely no-one wandering around? And why buy now when the grim reaper may well be freeing up a stack of houses and flats to come onto the market as a glut from anytime soon? Who has enough income security to take on a mortgage these days? This begs the question of when exactly will Purplebricks (PURP) go bust. Here is the maths.

This morning saw a first partial ‘fess-up by Finablr (FIN) and the shares, as covered by Tom Winnifrith, duly collapsed yet again. But on good day to bury bad news, NMC Health (NMC) ‘fessed up yet again, saying that evidence leading to suspected fraudulent behaviour has now been found. Well quelle surprise, given that we were told two days ago that it appeared that some proceeds from undisclosed £2.7 billion of borrowing may have been utilised for non-Group purposes. In other words, it had been stolen!

This one company represents almost 20% of the gross assets of what was formerly WPCT and is now the Schroders run SUPP. It was a folly from the start and 1 big reason why Neil Woodford should be chucked out of financial services, now Rutherford International (RUTH), is, just a year after its IPO, fast running out of cash. I am not sure folks realise just how fast.

In today's podcast brought to you from Shipston I look at the oil price and what it means for a range of oil shares from the majors down to shitty little oil explorers on AIM. I then return to the coronavirus ex oil and with especial reference to Telit (TCM), Cineworld (CINE) and The Restaurant Group (RTN).. Finally I look at the proposed comeback of disgraced Neil Woodford.

Neil Woodford’s former Patient Capital Fund, now in the hands of Schroder under its new name (but not new performance!) Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) has released the January month-end update. Not as delayed at the 2019 year-end update which took almost two full months to appear), this is still remarkably late and it is easy to see why.

Here is a question for you and the answer is not Neil Woodford although it could be. Who said recently that: “easy, positive trends for markets have lulled our clients into a false sense of security”. Hmmm might it be a fund manager whose flagship Smaller Companies Fund is down by 16.2% over three years while his peer group shows average gains of 22%? Yes indeed, it is the clownish Gervais Williams and data just out on his fund is, again, shockingly bad.

I said many times that Kier Group (KIE) would be Neil Woodford’s last gamble and so it proved. Having been a heavy buyer all the way down from around £10 he threw every last penny he could muster as he always knew best. But he did not know best and this morning’s interims statement shows that even with new management on board there is a very long way to go before investors see anything like real profits and dividends again.

Scandal after scandal, suspension, sacking the CEO, the CFO on extended sick  leave, a whole bunch of boardroom resignations, the admission that Muddy Waters was on the money but it is far worse and finally the chocolate teapots have woken up to the fact that there was something wrong at NMC Health (NMC).

For all the chatter from certain City folks with degrees in Chemistry, and others, about how a new name and a new management team would transform the fortunes of the Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT), the belated release of the December 31 2019 factsheet shows what a diabolical mess the vehicle now known as the Schroders UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) is in. Is it beyond redemption? Have the City establishment stopped pretending yet?

No wonder Premier Miton has been so tardy in updating the market. It has emerged today that the Gervais Williams Smaller Companies Fund was deluged with redemptions in January on a scale which must beg the question of whether it will, Neil Woodford style, need to be gated.

I write by a candle. I have no power here in Wales and am using my mobile to access the internet and it is dying. So I must be brief, it is Neil Woodford and fraud on the agenda today.

The shadow of disgraced fund manager Neil Woodford still overhangs the Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT), now renamed Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP), as a line in the sand approaches fast. Of course, the same applies to Link which still seems to be the formal fund manager which appears to have been happy to sign off on any old rubbish to bolster the fund’s official NAV.

AIM-listed former Neil Woodford doggie favourite Eve Sleep (EVE) has offered up a trading statement. On the face of it the news appears favourable, with cashburn slashed by 51%, the EBITDA (bullshit earnings) loss heavily reduced by 43% and £7.8 million of cash in the bank at year-end. We are also told that the company reached break-even at an operating level in the last four months of the year. All good, but is there yet another fundraise around the corner?

Terry Smith's funds were not recommended to its clients by Hargreaves Lansdown (HL). Those of Neil Woodford were. Of course, that was noting to do with the fees Hargreaves received from the two forms. No, not at all. In his annual newsletter the great Smith has slated Woodford. There is nothing that should surprise ShareProphets readers but it is all good stuff. Smith opines:

In today's podcast I look at mini-bond scandal house Wellesley Finance and why it once again shames new Bank of England Governor Andrew "asleep at the wheel" bailey and the shitheads round at the FCA. I comment on another of its failings in light of today's Neil Woodford News. I comment on Big Dish (DISH), have a theory about Angloa African Oil & Gas (AAOG), comment on Optibiotix (OPTI), Versarien (VRS) and ask how long its Nomad will tolerate Neill Ricketts and finally on Aston Martin Lagonda (AML).

What does not stink in the annual accounts for Woodford Investment Management which surfaced at Companies House yesterday? The £14 million dividend paid to Neil and his business partner Craig Newman surely is top of the list but then there are the dates…. Let me explain.

This is quite possibly the most successful year for ShareProphets sccops and stories. Julie Meyer, Neil Woodford, those wacky wonderkids at Burford—didn't we all have a fun year? Here are the stories and Bearcasts that moved your fellow ShareProphets members. Of course some folks think it is not worth £5.99 to catch all these market moving articles and exposes...

Merry Christmas Neil Woodford. Having made c£100 million from Woodford Investment Management you are planning a new Chinese venture as those Brits who backed you lick their wounds and count their losses. You are a crook, a spiv and should be in jail and facing a lifetime ban from financial services. If folks were not angry enough already, at 11.41 AM on Christmas Eve came another £15 million kick in the gonads. Cheers Neil, seasons greetings to you, your wife and your array of show jumping ponies.

Almost entirely recovered from illness, this bonus Bearcast covers the latest shocking news in the great establishment cover up for disgraced Neil Woodford, The Sunday Times sucking PR (Bab) Cock as the man behind Boatman is revealed and the Miton Smaller Companies Fund of Gervais Williams. Its performance is dire and redemptions are vast, is it in really deep merde or just very serious trouble?

Andrew Bailey, head of the scandal-ridden FCA, has been named as the new Guv’nor of the Bank of England, replacing Mark Carney of ‘Project Fear’ infamy from next March. Apparently he is steady under fire, which I suppose is a good attribute although given that he has been steady under fire over at the FCA in the face of scandal after scandal essentially because the FCA was asleep at the wheel with regard to Neil Woodford, the mini-bond scandal and a host of other slippages (not to mention sloppages) it would perhaps be better to appointment someone who does not offer a history of self-inflicted wounds.

Following news that disgraced and shamed Neil Woodford, wants to open up a new business in fraud ridden China I invite you all to supply a suitable caption for the pic below in the comments section. The deadline for entries is midnight tonight.

FFS it is not Season's Greetings but Happy Christmas. Please do not wind me up with any more Godless messages. Thanks to Jim for flagging up what should be a parody, but sadly is not, Neil Woodford's next business venmture. The I look at Bidstack (BIDS), NMC Health (NMC) and Circassia (CIR), two of which are surely good bets for bankruptcy in 2020. 

This morning yet another AIM cancellation was announced: that of Neil Woodford uber-dog Verseon (VERS). Having failed to raise cash from a placing, failed in its bid to jump on the crypto-currency bandwagon and having failed with its fatally flawed proposal to do a sale-and-leaseback of its headquarters because that would have left the company with no cash, no income and no assets, shareholders voted through its AIM cancellation as from 7am this morning.

There is no doubt in my mind that disgraced Neil Woodford’s revolutionary pallet company RM2 (RM2) should never have got anywhere near the AIM Casino and through keep-the-lights-on refinancings (largely paid for by Neil Woodford with other peoples’ money) it should have been removed a long time ago. But Neil needed the listing as he tried (and failed) to keep within his 10% proportion of investments  unlisted limit so despite protestations from within, the AIM listing continued. Well, this morning it is all over bar the shouting.

Friday lunchtime is hardly a time to issue news for people to notice and doing it on election results day suggests that there is bad news being buried. And so Woodford Patient Capital (WPCT) announced it was changing its name to Schroder UK Public Private Trust (SUPP) as of Monday to reflect the appointment of Schroders at manager, replacing the disgraced Neil Woodford who is off to count his piles of cash from running the Woodford funds into the ground. The company also announced an extended banking facility – and it is here that the bad news lies.

Neil Woodford thought his investments into Allied Minds (ALM) would do wonders for his reputation…..it is just that the wonders weren’t quite in line with his expectations – they were more in line with ours! Yesterday morning Allied served up the departure of co-CEO Mike Turner as of March next year and the Chairman, Jeff Rohr, the following June. Rats, sinking ship anyone?...

It was reported at the weekend that Neil Woodford’s funds' previous holding in AIM-listed Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL) was sold at just 6p per share – as against the 70p suspension price. That should give a measure of the trouble Stobart is in, and also a measure of Woodford’s failure here. This morning DBAY updated on its proposals, presumably in response to noises from the competing Tinkler camp, as it tries to take control and rescue the outfit, and Tinkler has responded...

In today's bearcast I reflect on the start of Advent which I miss in Wales and on its start here in Kambos Greece. I look at pay at the big accountants and what it says about the sanctions against such folk when they screw up. Then it is onto Neil Woodford's biggest cheerleader in the press until recently, Jeff Prestridge of the Mail on Sunday and his demands for action against the guilty parties in this scandal. Jeff misses out two of the guilty parties and misses the point on the rest.

For all his past history at Stobart Group (STOB), having come second in a battle for its boardroom, Andrew Tinkler’s proposed refinancing of Stobart’s former subsidiary and now AIM-listed Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL) seems to be gathering momentum. Yesterday it was announced that he already seems to have the proposed £70 million rescue funds in the bag – although the board of Eddie Stobart seems a tad reticent...

Whatever next will the ever proactive FCA think of? Perhaps it might warn folks about the dangers of investing in Neil Woodford managed funds. I suppose better late than never. Very late in the day, the chocolate teapots are acting on mini-bonds.

Yesterday came bad news for shareholders in AIM-listed Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL) in that Wincanton pulled out of making a rescue offer. Today we learn that the former boss of Eddie Stobart Limited is offering an alternative rescue plan to the one from DBAY which would surely leave the existing equity almost worthless. Apparently the Tinkler deal is considerably more advantageous to ESL's shareholders and also its lenders and that his company, TVFB, believes that operating margins and growth as per the levels when Tinkler stepped down as CEO can be restored. So that’s alright then!

I have now arrived at the Greek Hovel, photos here. In today's podcast I discuss the pitiful way Sam Smith of FinnCrap (FCAP) blames Neil Woodford for the state of AIM. For once I defend the disgraced fund manager. I look at Eurasia Mining (EUA), I3 Energy (I3E) and also at Fastjet (FJET), a company that uses journalist smearing Citigate to polish its turds. The Eurasia podcast I refer to which should now be looked at by AIM Regulation is HERE

On my last bearcast before I flee to the Greek Hovel (cue calls from Bulletin Board Morons that I live in a hovel as I am a peasant and that I am evading justice for some crime or another), I discuss today's chapter of retail-aggedon (Clarkes), the Neil Woodford Rutherford International (RUTH) £32.5 million black hole and why Amigo (AMGO) is almost certainly not on a PE of 3 and almost certainly not cheap.

Or maybe I am just misreading the data?

It is quite clear that regulators in this white collar crime infested land are useless. Yesterday I flagged up a £12 million and increasing boiler room operation in the City of London that the authorities will do nothing about. So just for fun which of the following will happen first:

In today's podcast I must on another call from a spiv urging me to invest in medicinal cannabis. I look again at AFC Energy (AFC) and its joke valuation and at One Media (OMP), its strategic review and its CEO with his shocking views on gender and I discuss how Verseon (VERS) shows, again, the greed and folly of Neil Woodford.

Xeros Technology (XSG) has updated commencing; “Following completion today of the placing and open offer announced on 31 October 2019 in which certain members of the board participated at a price of 1p per ordinary share, the company provides the following update regarding the holdings of the directors:” – and the shares have currently responded higher, back above 1p…

`Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); `now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!' (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off). `Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now, dears? I'm sure I shan't be able! I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you: you must manage the best way you can; --but I must be kind to them,' thought Alice, `or perhaps they won't walk the way I want to go! Let me see: I'll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas.'

I want to get in there before my colleagues and flag up that the valuation of the ramp du jour AFC Energy (AFC) is absurd and that the company is drowning in red flags. Reading some of the Bulletin Board posts this smells just like Cloudtag although obviously it is not a Norfolk. Natch. I want to makle that clear.

In today's podcast I look at the British Journalism Awards and Neil Woodford ( no shocks here folks), Union Jack Oil (UJO) and that planned placing, Tissue Regenix (TRX) as the FD walks, FastForward Innovations (FFWD), and at Plutus Powergen (PPG) , dire news and surely looming insolvency and yet more evidence of not gviving a flying wotsit about stockmarket rules.

Having listed on AIM in March 2014 at 123p per share, Xeros Technology (XSG) recently announced it “proposes to raise approximately £5.0 million before fees and expenses by a placing... an open offer to raise up to £2 million before expenses… at an issue price of 1 pence per share”! As Nigel Somerville noted, it another rescue bailout fundraising for what had been styled as a ‘revolutionary’ (this time in the world of washing machines) – and thus, natch, Neil Woodford was a major investor. Now “Results of Open Offer”…

In today's podcast I look at Brady (BRY), Westminster Group (WSG) the dog run by disgraced former Tory MP Tony Baldry of 3DM infamy, Inspirit (INSP), Koovs (KOOV), Neil Woodford dog Verseon VERS) where it must surely be almost lights out time and at IQE (IQE).

Today’s AGM at Kier (KIE) will not be a jolly affair. There is no update on planned disposals. The ghost in the room is the absence of Mr Neil Woodford the expert catcher of falling knives and the shares now trade at less than 90p, down from 800p a year ago and 1400p three years ago.

In today's podcast I look at two utterly absurd proposals from Labour on broadband and on Inheritance Tax. Insanity. I also warn No Gold that he better get his £50 ready for me on December 13. Then I look at Angus Energy (ANGS), Optibiotix (OPTI), Neil Woodford disasters Kier (KIE), Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL) and Non-Standard Finance (NSF). Then at Veltyco (VLTY) which is clearly insolvent. 95p to 1.5p in two years, thank God it had a female CEO to demonstrate the benefits of boardroom diversity for some of that period. Incidentally that CEO Ms. Blau earned 220,000 Euro for just seven months work so did a great job of closing the #GenderPayGap.  Rejoice! Rejoice!

In August Nigel Somerville noted that Neil Woodford will be reading the half-year results of Non-Standard Finance (NSF) – which he put his weight behind in its takeover battle with the rather larger Provident Financial (PFG), which he also owns. But NSF lost that battle and this morning Neil learns that the whole exercise cost it £12.7 million. Those results at least though also emphasised “whilst macroeconomic uncertainties remain, the group remains resilient and well-placed to meet its objectives”. Today a “Trading Update”…

Eddie Stobart Holdings (ESL) still sees its shares suspended as the company can still not get its half year accounts bottomed out and published but a rescue plan today may well see the shares slung off AIM and the nature of the mega high interest loan injection makes it clear the equity is almost worthless. Well done Neil – this was a major holding in the Income Focus and Equity Income Funds.

Having as recently as June been sub 50p, shares in self-styled “a leader in the discovery, development and delivery of novel RNA therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases” Silence Therapeutics (SLN) spiked above 100p in July on the back of announcements of a collaboration with, and investment from, Mallinckrodt (NYSE - MNK). The shares have in the last month sparked significantly further – to a current near 400p, giving a more than £300 million market cap. However…

A media leak has forced Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL) to admit that it has received a tentative refinancing proposal and it is one that suggests an 80%+ wipeout for shareholders, notably lucky holders of funds formerly managed by disgraced Neil Woodford.

The Evening Standard has got hold of a shocking memo from the Financial Conduct Authority's chief operating officer Georgina Philippou in which she said she was “appalled about the incidents of bad behaviour towards our building and colleagues.” It gets better...