I don’t need a new computer at the moment but when I buy my next one I am pretty sure that I will use Currys (CURY). A couple of months ago, I shared why I thought it was smart to copy the move of Fraser Group (FRAS) and buy shares in Currys at the then just below 50p level. How is that getting along?

A year ago, I observed that there had been a “strong update from Lok’nStore (LOK) but, but, but…”.  I have never personally used a “self-storage company”, but lots of people regularly do. And I see that the group’s headline comment from today’s trading update is talking about “momentum continues”. Why is the share price down about 25% during the last year then?

I have been in a B&M European Value Retail (BME) store a couple of times. It is alright or, as Malcolm smartly put it a few months ago, “cheap and cheerful, whilst still selling goods of a reasonable quality…just like Woolworth’s used to do”. I hope Malcolm purchased a few shares in the grocery and non-grocery business because the stock is up 20% or so since and also pays a 3% dividend yield (plus some special dividends).  What do I think with the stock up 6% today to around a five quid share price (and a pleasingly akin circa £5 billion market cap)?

As I said five months ago, “Currys (CURY) is not AO World (AO.) (thankfully)” but, judging by its interim results today, the former still has a few worries to deal with.

Back in July I observed, not for the first time, that “the deep yawn continues at Vodafone (VOD)”. Since then, the multinational telecommunications company has continued to perform disappointingly. And today the current CEO has decided to exit (quite soon). Interesting.

Previously writing on ventilation systems and window and door hardware company Titon Holdings (TON), in July with the shares down to 75p I noted my prior caution justified; trading warning – concluding that uncertainties saw me continue to avoid. The shares last closed at 81p... but today another trading update.

Back in July I covered Pets at Home Group (PETS) as a buy based on my opinion that I expected the business to continue performing strongly, as we are a nation of pet-lovers and spending on them would be one of the last things that many people would cut back on. Since then the share price has seen some ups and downs, broadly in line with wider market sentiment, but yesterday it took a bit of a kicking and closed down over 5% at 289p, on a day where the FTSE actually performed reasonably well, after it released its results for H1 2023, up until October 13 2022 and covering a 28 week period. Having looked at the results I can’t really see what the market didn’t like, as they are in line with guidance in terms of full year pre-tax profit expectations on £131 million, with a range of £121-136 million.

As I noted most recently last week, I am a big personal fan of Whitbread plc (WTB) and its Premier Inn brand. I even contributed a few quid to its profitability numbers over recent months. How excited am I then about its “performance driven by our ‘investing to win’ strategy over the last two years”, “well-placed to capitalise on the strong market recovery in the UK and Germany”, and “adjusted profit before tax of £271.9m, including £24.9m losses in Germany”?

Previously writing on fishing retailer Angling Direct (ANG), in August with the shares down to 30p I concluded that the trajectory of trading saw me retain my cautious stance of most recently a 62p share price. The shares most recently closed at 32p but are currently below 30p on the back of half-year results.

Headlam Group (HEAD) has announced a “pleasing” half year performance and that it “remains on track to meet market expectations for the year”.

Hello Share Pickers. You don’t hear much about shareholder perks these days. But one company still handing out discounts to its investors is Whitbread (WTB). Staying at one of its Premier Inns, they and the family get a free breakfast. Which isn’t, of course, a good reason to buy the shares.

Capricorn Energy (CNE) has seen its share price weaken since it announced a tender offer as opposed to a special dividend, which many investors had been expecting, but remains one to hold.

IGas Energy (IGAS) has been performing well recently in terms of the share price, but following the latest trading and reserves update it has taken a bit of a hit and pulled back more than 14%.

Provider of fryer management and other services to commercial kitchens, Filta Group (FLTA) has announced a “trading update” including CEO Jason Sayers “delighted with the group’s performance in 2021 despite the ongoing challenges from Covid-19… significant growth in revenue, whilst managing these challenges”. So what of the shares, having currently responded up to 143.5p?…

I am trying to remember when I last went to a Hotel Chocolat (HOTC) store. I certainly bought a few Christmas presents in late 2019…and a couple of bargains in early 2020. Anyhow, whilst historically liking the products, I did pass on its 355p money raising in July last year…and that was a mistake given the share price has been at/above 500p for the last four months. So how do I feel after today’s trading update for the ‘13-week period (“Q2”) and the 26-week period (“H1”) ended 26 December 2021’?

When I last looked, Whitbread (WTB) shares were in the top ten of my personal pension fund positions. I have been a fan at various levels for years, having enjoyed the share price bump after Coca-Cola purchased the company’s Costa unit at a decent multiple to take a decent profit, and then invested it back into the share when the Premier Inn owner decided to raise some money back during the 2020 COVID-19 uncertainties. I may not have made it one of my formal two tips of the year during the Christmas holidays, but I am still hopeful of a return to a c. 40 quid share price as I discussed back in June last year. So what do I make of its Q3 update today?

Previously writing on payment software for business communications company PCI-PAL (PCIP), in September with the shares at 76p I noted announcement of patent lawsuits filed against it, to “defend itself robustly” but that the valuation looked to demand, at least, smooth delivery and that I continued to avoid. So what following patent case and trading updates, and the shares currently further lower below 70p?…

Previously writing on bathroom and kitchen products company Norcros (NXR), in February 2020 I noted a set-to-be-impacted year and avoided as the shares slid from 291p. They last closed at 290p but now a trading update sees them up to above 320p.

Previously writing on online electricals retailer AO World (AO.), in April with the shares at 323p I wrote a lockdown winner… but now to be a share price loser?, concluding with also demand concerns as lockdown measures are eased and economic realities start to bite, at anywhere around the current valuation I’d still sell. The shares last closed at 217.4p and today a “Trading Statement” – and the shares currently more than 20% further lower!

Hello, Share Mashers. This old punter avoids shares in companies which sell greetings cards in the old fashioned way. But I’m quite disposed to Moonpig Group (MOON), which sends them out digitally. My grown-up kids use the service regularly and, as more people become computer literate, custom is likely to increase.

Provider of fryer management and other services to commercial kitchens, Filta Group (FLTA) “is pleased to report that it continues to experience an increasing level of demand for its services in all of its operating territories”. What does this operationally and financially mean?…

Hello Share Jumpers. In this household we eschew a fitted kitchen. We have what’s known among people of taste as a farmhouse kitchen. We use old wooden tables instead of worktops and have free standing cupboards and a Belfast sink. But I have to acknowledge that persons of other discernment prefer a fitted kitchen. The biggest supplier of kitchen stuff in Blighty is Howden Joinery Group (HWDN). I’ve not commended this company for some time, but the future looks rosy.

Previously writing on security and surveillance systems company Synectics (SNX), with the shares at 150p earlier this month I questioned recovery potential?. The shares are currently 142.5p on the back of a “Business Update”. How’s latest performance and the outlook?…

It is good to see the UK market opening up again after the Easter break, including a pleasantly positive move by Central Asia Metals (CAML) which I positively wrote up yesterday HERE. Otherwise I have been following Tom’s comments on the comedy Deliveroo (ROO) float. I note this morning’s update that ‘Deliveroo Holdings plc will announce its trading update for the First Quarter of 2021, on Thursday 15th April’ as finally a bit of sensible news from this one. Look forward to writing that up then…and finally giving a view about whether the nearly 30% share price fall since last week’s float has made it close to being at an interesting share price…or not! Elsewhere I also see that HomeServe (HSV) is out with an update…

Just over a year ago I wrote an article mildly bizarrely titled ‘Only Oscar Wilde understands SIG plc’ HERE. You can read about what I trying to say, but suffice to say the (fortunately very few) shares I owned in SIG plc (SHI), the ‘leading European supplier of specialist building solutions to trade customers across the UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Benelux’, did not have a good 2020. However – in line with much of the market – the shares have at least doubled since eleven months ago. So do I move on or think about doubling up my holding?

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) seem to be the new buzz word in the UK markets at the moment, certainly amongst PIs on social media anyway, and it would also seem that a few AIM company directors are getting involved as well.

A “Trading Update” from ‘logistics, e-fulfilment and returns management services’ company Clipper Logistics (CLG) includes “November and December, revenues in its logistics business were 50.0% higher than in the corresponding period of the prior year, with strong growth in both e-commerce related activities and non e-fulfilment services”. What does a share price currently up to 600p discount?…

The gamesmanship is in full play between the UK and its former EU partners. Reading the runes, it looks as though no-deal is the front runner, but you never know what may happen at half a second to midnight so I’ll wait for the fat lady to warble her final aria before giving up hope that common sense might, in the end, prevail. But if the talks fail to see a deal signed sealed and delivered, my sense is that this will prove a great reason for keeping gold-exposure high.

Whenever a smaller oil company is drilling a well these days you pretty much have to expect the share price to get hammered unless they announce a substantial find that exceeded market expectations, and that is exactly what hammered to Union Jack Oil (UJO) this week.

In the wider scheme of things, no huge surprises in today’s first half numbers from Premier Inn owner Whitbread (WTB). You will recall my history with this one – I took big profits thanks to the largesse of Coca-Cola in buying Costa at a material premium (how’s that one working out I wonder?), but then backed the rights issue and even  last time  observed I would increase my stake even further at twenty quid a share. I did not get that opportunity but market moves and shifts might still give me that opportunity as pandemic angst continues. Today’s update builds on the bare bones of the trading update I wrote up a month or so ago at the link above…

The level of trust that you have in the management of a company can often play a big part in your willingness to invest.

Longboat Energy (LBE) is a company that I actually like and hope does well longer term but, having seen its share price double, I’m finding it hard to see where the value is up here and would be inclined to at least bank some profit...

Covid-19 has had a big impact on many companies and quite a number of them now look priced to pretty much completely fail and go bust.

Most of the shares I cover here are from a longer term investment perspective, or ones which I think will go a lot lower and are best avoided.

With the current state of the markets there isn’t a lot that I would exactly be rushing to buy at the moment, as I think that even the good companies that have strong enough balance sheets to survive relatively unscathed, could well go a fair bit lower yet.

Previously writing on ‘retail, promotional and brand experience’ company SpaceandPeople (SAL), last month I reviewed some trading & dividend growth… so why further share price decline? – that to 11.25p. The shares are currently sliding below 5p, following “Notice of Results Update & Dividend Cancellation” and “Appointment of Executive Director” announcements…

A “Statement re Current trading and COVID-19 update” from fashion retailer Superdry (SDRY) sees the shares currently more than 30% further lower on the back of it, below 70p…

Although my main focus is in the oil and mining sectors, I do also follow quite a few shares which don’t fall into this category, with Hostelworld (HSW) being one of them.

Oops...they did it again. Fortunately on gambling company GVC (GVC) I am talking about a profit upgrade. Now admittedly the Q3 trading update is talking about a 'pre-IFRS16 ebitda' but it is going up in terms of the full year guidance to £670-680 million from £650m-670 million, which sits nicely with the August upgrade…

I’ve always been a fan of Parkmead Group (PMG), but after the last couple of RNSs there have been for this company, I can’t help wondering if my faith in it to succeed may have been misplaced.

Research data and analytics company YouGov (YOU) is “pleased to report that the group's trading for the year ending 31 July 2019 is now expected to be comfortably ahead of expectations for the year”. Sounds good – but what are the expectations and how do they compare to a now more than 560p per share, approaching £600 million, valuation?…

Back in March I covered Highlands Natural Resources (HNR) and its announcement that it was diversifying into cannabis, as well as highlighting concerns over the high level of costs associated with running the business.

RockRose Energy (RRE) has been one of the real success stories amongst smaller oil and gas producing companies in recent times and has grown its business at an incredible rate via a number of acquisitions. It has come an awful long way since I first covered it as a buy here back in April 2018 at around the 350p level, and today it relisted following a deal which constituted a reverse takeover of the Marathon UK and Marathon West of Shetland assets for $140 million. Currently it is trading at around the 1,900p level with a market cap of circa £240 million, representing a profit of nearly 450% for anyone who followed my original buy recommendation...

The angling market is a sector that I know very well as I also work in marketing for the UK’s largest tackle manufacturer, and in the past I haven’t been convinced that the shares in Angling Direct (ANG) have offered any value for investors...

As is so often the case with oil and gas drills amongst the smaller companies, private investors built expectations around West Newton up to such a level that the actual results were never likely to live up to that.

The past couple of years haven’t been great for FTSE100 stock Centrica (CNA), including the share price having halved during that time, but it could have recovery prospects from the current share price...

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

Whilst InfraStrata (INFA) is considered to operate in the oil and gas sector it is very different to most other companies, as rather than looking to extract hydrocarbons, it is intent on putting them back into the ground.

I’m always very wary of investing in small mining companies, as even when the management team and the assets look decent, it is still a bit of a lottery as to whether the company will actually make it to a stage where it is making a profit and returning money to shareholders via dividends.

Bathroom and kitchen products company Norcros (NXR) has announced results for its half-year ended 30^th September 2018 and that it “remains confident…to make further progress in line with its expectations for the year to 31 March 2019”…

When investing in a company long term it is all about getting in at a good price, rather than having to buy right at the bottom of any temporary dips along the way, as long as things go to plan for the business.

With oil prices remaining buoyant and this trend looking likely to continue going forwards, there are still plenty of opportunities to invest in companies in this sector.

I’m a big fan of Aston Martin cars and it is one of the most famous brands from the UK, but I can’t see myself rushing to buy shares when the IPO takes place in early October. More details on exactly how the floatation will be structured should become available when the car maker publishes a prospectus around September 20, but it is expected that it will be seeking a valuation of around £5 billion.

All of the focus has been on Hurricane Energy’s (HUR) Lancaster licence, and although its other assets looked very good I wasn’t expecting further progress quite so quickly.

Regular readers of ShareProphets will know that I am usually very wary of any natural resources company that isn’t actually producing anything, especially if they are valued in the hundreds of millions.

A couple of months back I wrote an article HERE suggesting that investors steer well clear of failing AIM company The People’s Operator (TPOP), and there have been a number of developments since then.

The People’s Operator (TPOP) is one of a number of AIM companies where you have to wonder whether there is really any point in it continuing to stay in business, other than generating fees for its brokers.

Whenever a company doubles in share price in a short space of time it tends to get my attention, and I look for reasons that justify such a sudden increase.

When it comes to anything on the operational front amongst smaller companies in the oil sector you tend to pretty much expect some delays and the directors are often over optimistic when it comes to timelines for delivering certain milestones.

Jersey Oil and Gas (JOG) hasn’t had much luck in the past, having managed to get a decent sized field into production it was subsequently hammered by the collapse in the oil price.

Nu-Oil and Gas (NUOG) seems to be one of those AIM shares which periodically finds favour with private investors, despite never actually having achieved anything of note other than burning through investors cash over the years.

The People’s Operator (TPOP) is one of those AIM companies where it is hard to see how it will survive in the longer term, and unless things somehow alter dramatically, the recent changes will only delay the inevitable.

It isn’t hard to see why shopping delivery firm Ocado (OCDO) is one of the most shorted shares on the market, given its current valuation.

Cairn Energy (CNE) is one of a number of oil producers which look to be unloved by the market currently, but I would expect that to change in the future. In recent years the company has had impressive amounts of reserves on its book, but has now moved to the stage where it is producing from several of those fields, and with more to come in the near future.

TalkTalk Telecom Group (TALK) has been having a torrid time recently and has pretty much seen its share price halved since the start of November. It has posted some disappointing results, and given that the slide in share price started just prior to the release of the interims around three months ago, it would seem that such figures weren’t entirely unexpected.

Lithium has been all the rage amongst AIM investors over the past few years, but the reality is that many of the projects which people have been getting excited about will fail to ever actually produce anything.

I can understand why longer term investors in Parkmead Group (PMG) may be somewhat unimpressed with the performance of the share price recently, but the company itself is continuing to make good progress. I hold shares in the company myself, and whilst the share price has generally been trading in the mid-30p to low-40p range, in spite of the strength that the oil price has been showing in recent months, I’m happy to remain invested and see how things unfold in the coming months and years.

Looking at all bull markets in the S&P since the year 1900, and then examined what happened in the very first year after each of those bull markets ended is interesting. In the first year of the bear market after the last full year of the bull market the numbers were striking and could be useful if 2017 ends up being the peak of the bull market.

Sometimes investing takes a lot of patience, but if you are in at a fairly early stage and are prepared to hold long term, then you can reap the rewards whilst others are left wondering why they never bought any shares whilst the price was still relatively cheap.

No matter how long you have been around the AIM market, there are often moves which seem to make little or no sense, especially amongst the smaller companies.

Given that I have closely followed the Serica Energy (SQZ) story here closely over the last few years, and in light of the news this week, I felt that I should give my current thoughts on it.

Often the valuation of resource companies on the AIM market seems to revolve more around how popular they are amongst private investors, than having much to do with the progress that they have made, and how well they are likely to do in the future.

When it comes to the AIM resources sector, any sort of delay or news which is perceived to be negative can have a negative effect on the share price which is far from justified. Of course there is a lot of junk on the market and when bad news comes and it inevitably crashes, it is of no real surprise, but there are other companies where a temporary hit to the share price can present a great buying opportunity.

Usually it takes far longer for companies to move forwards operationally than the majority of investors expect, and it is at times when most people have become bored and moved on elsewhere, that opportunities can present themselves.

I haven’t looked at UK Oil and Gas (UKOG), and more specifically the Horse Hill oil field, for quite a while and a lot has changed in the meantime, so I thought it about time that I revisited it.

Hurricane Energy (HUR) is a company that I have followed closely, and have been invested in at various times, since it first floated on the AIM market, and it has come a long way since then.

Shares in staffing business SThree (STHR) are currently trading higher, above 300p, on the back of a half-year trading update. However, they are still lower than the more than 330p reach earlier this year, so what’s the current story here?...

The People’s Operator (TPOP) was once a favourite with private investors but its share price has taken a tumble since the latter part of 2016. However, I believe that it is still well over-priced at its current level.

Fevertree Drinks (FEVR) is a company that I have admittedly been wrong about in the past – I like the product and way the business has grown, but thought the valuation was crazy!

The market doesn’t like uncertainty, and that is why Premier Oil (PMO) has been continuing to under-perform in comparison to some of its peers in the oil and gas producing sector in terms of the share price.

Usually when shares in a small AIM company has risen by nearly 300% from the level where I recommended it as a buy, I would be advising to take your profits before the almost inevitable retrace that so many suffer from.

So far I have been wrong about Purplebricks (PURP), but despite that I still view it as over-valued at the moment.

Following an August pre-close trading update which saw its shares lower to sub 70p, I now update on GAME Digital (GMD) with the shares falling to 67p on the back of its full-year results announcement…

As one of those terrible foreigners who have come to steal jobs from hard done by Brits, I'm already subject to a fingerprint check every time that I cross the border. Also, I have to use the terrible foreigner line-up instead of the whizzy EU/UK passport line.

Provider of interactive applications and services to mobile devices, zamano (ZMNO) “is pleased to issue an Interim Management Statement in conjunction with its Annual General Meeting”. “Pleased to issue” - should be good then, wait, what? The shares are currently down approaching 17%, to 10p, on the back of it? Hmmm…

A “Pre-Close Trading Update” announcement from GAME Digital (GMD) includes that it “expects to report an Adjusted EBITDA for the 53 weeks ended 30 July 2016 within the range of current market expectations”, though the shares are currently approaching 5% lower, at sub 70p, in response. Hmmm, let’s take a look...

Estate agents and housebuilders plummeted after Britain voted to leave the EU, as the chances of a slump in the property market were seen by some as having increased as a result of that outcome. I have no doubt that some companies in these sectors will be badly hit, especially those whose business is focussed around higher end properties in London, such as Foxtons, but for others I see the recent drops in share price as presenting a buying opportunity, especially when taking a longer term view.

Having long been bearish, I note shares in online electrical retailer AO World (AO.) are currently more than 10% higher today, at 148p, on the back of an AGM (and first quarter) trading statement. Let’s take a look…

At its 13th May AGM industrial maintenance, repair and overhaul products distributor Brammer (BRAM) announced that “whilst there will be an increased weighting of the group's financial results towards the second half, our expectations for the full year, assuming our key plans for improvement in the UK and Nordics are achieved, remain unchanged”. We are now though told of a “reduced level of profitability”, seeing that “the group will be close to its net debt/EBITDA bank covenant at the period end”…

The procedure for notifying the market about holdings above a certain level in a company is supposed to make everything more transparent, but at times the opposite would appear to be true.

MS International (MSI) is a good solid AIM industrial company, with specialisations in defence equipment, fork-arms and petrol station superstructures. It’s the type of business which will probably never light up the bulletin boards, but it should! And today’s results show that performance continues to power ahead.

Begbies Traynor (BEG) is a fine example of a counter-cyclical stock. As the UK’s leading independent insolvency practitioners, they see a great deal of business when other firms are failing. It has been an unexciting value stock for the past several years, but this morning’s acquisition news shows there is still plenty of potential here.

Construction and engineering consultancy group Driver (DRV) has updated that “March and April revenues were strong and the current workload / pipeline indicates that the group will deliver revenues for the year ending 30 September 2016 at least in line with current market expectations. However… believes that profit for the current year will be significantly short of market expectations”. Uh oh…

Online fashion retailer Boohoo (BOO) has undergone a steady recovery over the past 15 months or so, but I would question how much further this run of upwards momentum can extend.

Thanks entirely to the courageous investigative journalism of the snot gobbler Dan “microscopic cojones” McCrum at the FT, ex Globo (GBO) boss Costis Papadimitrakopoulos is now formally in the soup – the company has reported him for fraud to “the appropriate law enforcement agencies in the UK, Greece and Cyprus.”

Think Stoke Newington in London. Edgy, lefty but with a stack of affluent middle class Guardian readers among the poor. That’s the sort of neighbourhood of Athens in which I am staying. Everywhere there are Oxi posters – this area is voting No heavily in the referendum on Sunday. Even the businesses display posters – they are not afraid of losing customers because this area is heavily Oxi. One poster (see below) says nothing but says it all.

Hello Share Winners. There is a lot of worry about immigrants coming to Britain. It's helping UKIP to do well in by-elections and in the polls.

Hello Share Smiths. There are a lot of dark predictions going around. Everybody seems to expect share prices to tumble. Our Uncle Tom Winnifrith is among the gloomy brigade. He thinks shares are overvalued. But I think all these dire expectations are being overdone.