I start with Muddy Waters, Pete and Pantheon Resources (PANR). Then on to ouzo man and his bear calls on Boohoo.com (BOO) and AO World (AO). Finally onto the blow up of FTX and Almeda Research and what that tell us about crypto and NFT hype which is now bursting.

What day is it when the City is about to depart on its summer holidays, the first day of the Commonwealth Games and England’s Lionesses are about to contest a final against Germany? It is, of course, a good day to bury bad news. And so, just as the Stock Market was opening and traders not on holiday had their eyes on the market, it was announced that fully-listed Finablr (FIN) was being consigned to the dustbin from the London Stock Exchange, with immediate effect. Blink, and you missed it.

This will take your breath away, a quite stunning video from Carson on Euronext listed Solutions 30. If Carson wakes up tomorrow next to the head of a dead horse, I would not be surprised. Enjoy.

There were 190 IPOs of Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) in the USA last year, none in Britain. But like other ghastly Americanisms including Trick or Treat, rap music and Meghan Markle, eventually all the rubbish ends up here too. But fear not, the FCA has plans to regulate SPACs so that they can list on the London Stock Exchange and has today launched a consultation exercise. My submission, if there was any point, would be to just say No!

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:

Bulletin Board Morons are getting a bit excited about this but I am afraid it is fake news. My pal Carson Block slated the accounts of Manolete (MANO) rival Burford (BUR) and so his endorsement of Manolete’s accounts would be a coup. And that is what the IC claims today, stating:

This work is not mine. The author craves anonymity but the dossier below is excelllent, detailed and makes a compelling bear case for a darling of the AIM Casino. The author wants the work to see the light of day and so wishes it to go out in my name. If the company has any objections or wishes to get bully boy lawyers involved, it can direct them to me. We will see the bitchez in court! Enjoy. This is devestating.

It has been obvious for a while that shareholders in Finablr (FIN) would lose everything following the fraud exposed at NMC initially by Muddy Waters, and mirrored at Finablr. And whilst the company at first denied that there was anything wrong – more fool it – it is now clear that there were monumental problems.

I have been having a fascinating discussion on the comments boards with Pierotlunaire on the subject of the suits at ShareSoc, the body that grandstands to MPs, the FCA and the deadwood press claiming to represent UK private investors. A number of critical matters emerge which blow that claim apart.

At the ShareProphers shares show this weekend carson was a star happily explaining why Burford (BUR) could be a zero. If you have not watched the great man in flying form do so here. at the same event Matt Earl, the Dark Destroyer, also weighed in. Now Carson has savaged Burford in a new dossier which I publish in full below. Explicity he accuses the company of misleading investors, noting:

The great show is almost upon us. You can still book tickets HERE and we will be upo all night processing. If you have booked but not received a ticket pester Darren on editorial@shareProphets.com . The videos interviews of 30 CEOs with me, six share tips from each of our writers and two dozen book reviews are up all day. But on the main stages and in the experts room speakers come on one by one so to plan your day, here is the quite amazing schedule. You really want to book a seat if you have not already. Remember all content will be up until Christmas but the chat rooms to engage with speakers are up just for the show itself. so BOOK HERE

If you have not bought a ticket for the greatest ever investor show held in Britain I suppose the answer is yes. Congratulations! You are a genius

I have been organising investor shows for almost two decade but on Saturday May 9, I have assembled the most amazing line-up of my career and am bringing them direct to you in your living room. Some of the stars will do a formal presentation, most will face me in two way interview. 

The Coronavirus lockdown has meant the two big investor conferences have been postponed. But as a one-off alternative I have assembled the greatest ever speaker line-up for British Investor Show – welcome to the ShareProphets Shares Conference, a true online extravaganza on May 9. From both the UK and US some of the biggest names in investment will be telling you what they are buying, selling, shorting or avoiding. There are so many stars we need two main stages where you can hear:

After all that has gone on at (now former) FTSE100 play NMC Health (NMC), which is now in administration and where shareholders face a potential 100% loss, and Finablr (FIN) which is also suspended and shareholders face wipe-out as well, Dr Shetty – the man apparently at the centre of the shambles – has finally spoken out in a co-Chairman’s statement from Finablr issued at 10.50am this morning. If we are to believe Dr Shetty, he is not so much the perpetrator of fraud against both companies but the victim. Heck let's set all up a vrowd funding site for him.

I start with my excitement about the video I have just recorded with Carson Block of Muddy Waters for the Shareprophets shares show. Lawyers alert!. It was brilliant stuff. I end by saying I recorded a PLC video for the show earlier.  I am incredibly tempted to buy the shares heavily. Anyhow both videos and 70 others will go live on May 9 so book your ticket HERE. In today's podcast I look at Novacyt (NCYT), Avacta (AVCT) fake news in the Mail on Sunday, Urban Exposure (UEX) and in very real detail that old Thirsty Paul Scott fave TrakM8 (TRAK) where today's numbers ring massive alarm bells.

I have flagged up the corrupt nature of the deadwood press, and the Sunday Times in particular, numerous times on this website. The way it blew off Neil Woodford in return for “scoops" and again and again backs boards, who by dint of underperformance, are quite rightly under fire with dirty attacks on their critics is shameful. Babcock (BAB) is a case in point. Today the paper shows its true colours again with its coverage of NMC Health (NMC) and more especially, and shamefully, of EasyJet (EZJ).

I start with a few comments on Coronavirus as more evidence emerges HERE of why the economy wrecking Government lockdown is such complete madness. It reminds me of an incident around 2000 years ago today when the mob persuaded a leader to adopt a policy not backed up by the facts. I then look at why Roger Lawson is so utterly wrong about Carson Block of Muddy Waters and should apologise. Finally I discuss the behaviour of folks like Alison Rose of NatWest in this crisis. Shocking and unethical maybe but would you not do the same?

NMC Health (NMC) announced late yesterday that it was “not in a position” to oppose successfully the court application by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank to have the company placed into administration at today’s hearing. In other words it is game over...

Hat tip to reader RT with this link, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) which has a reported $981 million exposure to NMC Health (NMC) has applied to court to have NMC placed in administration, apparently to safeguard the future of the company, according to Reuters. Well, whatever – but it looks like game set and match to bear raider Muddy Waters.

I swear i am not joking. I discuss my life with Evil (no, Mt BBM we are not gay lovers, stop sniggering at the back) and his remarkable macro view.  I also reveal I have a treat for you all, keep May 8 in your diaries! In terms of stocks I look at the scandalous flouting of almost every rule by AIM Casino posterboy Conroy Gold & Natural Resources (CGNR) and the wider issue that the Oxymorons at AIM Regulation will do SFA about. I look at Burford (BUR) and more vindication for my pal Carson Block of Muddy Waters, at Carnival (CCL) - sorry Three Brains -  and at Coro Energy (CORO) where the curse of James "Dracula" Parsons strikes again.

Oh dear, oh dear – it is going from dreadful to even more dreadful at NMC Health (NMC), which was suspended in the wake of Dr Shetty’s unreported dealings and a whole load of undisclosed debt coming to light – placing the viability of the company under heavy question. Yesterday we learnt that the debt position has increased from the estimated $5 billion to reach $6.6 billion. The whole outfit is surely toast...

I start with a few personal thoughts on phoning my elderly relatives in the era of Coronavirus. Then I look at Versarien (VRS), Open Orphan (ORPH), Tasty (TAST), Burford (BUR) and Carson Block of Muddy Waters and N Brown (BWNG) which prompts me to ask when the taxpayer will have to bail out the banks?

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!

You cannot say that myself and Nigel Somerville have not warned you repeatedly and so anyone still owning shares in Finablr (FIN) has only themselves – and folks like ShareSoc and the members of the deadwood press who effectively batted for this company by attacking & smearing bear raider Carson Block – for their losses. The IPO in May 2019 was at 175p. Today after a partial ‘fess up the shares are 9.97p. Ouch.

Even the journalist smearing PR mothers at FTI consulting could not polish the steaming turd that was today’s 4.11 PM update from the, until recently, FTSE 100 member NMC Health (NMC). The level of fraud is staggering.

Excluding ShareProphets Radio 26, the most read non-Tom article this week is Is it Better To be Short A Stock Promotion Or A Total Fraud? by, um,  TweetingCEO. No, I don't know who that is, either. He or she is in 7th place, or number 15 if you include Bearcasts.

Good news for shareholders in now suspended NMC Health (NMC), the establishment suits at ShareSoc have launched the NMC Action Group (NAG) to help realise value for sghareholders. The release is below:

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).

Withshares in NMC health (NMC) – a soon-to-be-retired member of the illustrious FTSE100 – now suspended in the wake of a string of revelations over founder and now ex-co-chairman’s share dealing shenanigans, dodgy related party share guarantees which one assumes will haunt the company’s bank balance in due course and apparent discrepancies at the bank, Muddy Waters must be celebrating a seemingly total win. But what of fellow main-market play Finablr (FIN), where the warning signs are surely flashing red for similar revelations regarding the same people but as yet the company is remaining tight-lipped. That surely is a giant-sized Red Flag…

Yesterday (natch, after hours, at no-one is watching o’clock) came the bad news from NMC Health (NMC) which saw it Game Set and (almost) match to Muddy Waters. Now shares in NMC have been suspended. Has Muddy Waters moved from 5-0 up in the third set to match point?...

Natch the bad news came after hours, at no-one is watching O’clock. With journalist smearing FTI Consulting doing the PR turd polishing what else would you expect?  My pal Carson Block of Muddy Waters whose dossier first exposed the cesspit at NMC on 17 December 2019 HERE noted “At this point, the company’s announcements speak for themselves and seem to be even more damning than our initial report was.” Indeed. Well let’s start with the apologies

NMC Health has updated once again over the shareholdings fiasco surrounding former chairman and founder, the good Dr Shetty, Mr Khaleefa Butti Omair Al Muhairi ("Khaleefa Bin Butti") and His Excellency Mr Saeed Mohamed Butti Mohamed Khalfan Al Qebaisi ("H.E. Saeed Bin Butti"). Today’s disclosures are again shocking and continue to show that TR-1s are for little people.

Shamed Dr Shetty outfit NMC Holdings (NMC), whose days in the FTSE100 are surely numbered, has updated on the latest apparent news from the good doctor, who waked the plank over the weekend. This is in relation to his holdings in NMC and those of Khalifa Bin Butti and H.E. Saeed Bin Butti held via BRS International Holding Limited.

Of course it is! Muddy Waters may be laughing all the way to the bank with reference to NMC Health (NMC), but it must be kicking itself in San Francisco for having missed out on fellow good Dr Shetty outfit Finablr (FIN). The last we heard from Finablr was a week ago when the company announced that, like NMC – which has now ‘fessed up at least in part – The Company has very recently been made aware of purported arrangements between Dr BR Shetty, His Excellency Saeed Mohamed Butti Mohamed Al Qebaisi and Khaleefa Butti Omair Yousif Al Muhairi which may be relevant to their respective interests in the Company's shares. With at least 56% of the company’s shares pledged and perhaps more if similar undisclosed arrangements to the ones at NMC have been made, there is surely an urgency for the board of Finablr to get to the bottom of this.

Muddy Waters must be laughing all the way to the bank right now – or it would be if Carson Block and his team were not in bed. Fully-listed NMC Health (NMC) – and a member of our elite FTSE100 (at least for now) – has announced the departure of its co-chairman and founder, the good Dr Shetty, along with two placemen appointed by principal shareholders Dr Shetty, His Excellency Mr Saeed Mohamed Butti Mohamed Khalfan Al Qebaisi and Mr Khaleefa Butti Omair Yousif Ahmed Al Muhairi. This is in addition to the departure last Friday (again with immediate effect) of the abovementioned Mr Khalifa Butti Omeir Bin Yousef as the scandal of undisclosed share pledges, sales and transfers has become marginally (but only marginally) less murky.

Fully-listed NMC Health (NMC), under a short attack by Muddy Waters, has updated on the shenanigans of the holdings of founder Dr Shetty and those of Khalifa Bin Butti and His Excellency Saeed Bin Butti and associated companies. It seems that a stack of shares were indeed pledged and have been sold as enforcement of security. Oh dear, oh dear – I wonder what the chocolate teapots round at the FCA will make of this, especially as it sounds as though the Bin Buttis has their shares pledged and sold without their knowledge. And then there is the read-across to Finablr (FIN) which appears to be grappling with the same issues.

I see that my pal Richard Jennings of Align is tweeting like a Bulletin Board Moron, welcoming a falling share price in NMC Health (NMC) as an opportinity to buy more shares. Whatever. I think on this one I  remain firmly with Carson Block of Muddy Waters and view this as an accident that is already happening but will get far worse. Today Carson has compared NMC to Enron.

NMC Health (NMC) has announced highly preliminary approaches from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and GK Investment Holding (GKI) regarding possible offers for the company. But in tandem, a second RNS from NMC suggests that Dr Shetty’s holdings and others’ may not be all they appeared to be. This was accompanied by an RNS from Finablr (FIN) suggesting similar shenanigans may be on the cards regarding the same people. Both companies are trying to get to the bottom of it, but from my perspective it all stinks and I would not be hanging around to find out what the true position actually is with either.

My pal Carson Block of Muddy Waters has savaged Burford (BUR) this moring with a savage report on recent results. His golden prose is below.

In today's podcast I look at Victoria Oil & Gas (VOG), NMC Health (NMC) & Muddy Waters, Versarien (VRS), i3 Energy (i3E) & G3 Exploration (G3E). Have a good weekend and give a few quid to a good cause HERE!

The Times suggests that Muddy Waters may be kicking itself for not shorting both London-listed stocks from the stable of Dr Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty. Whist its short on NMC Health (NMC) may be doing well enough, Shetty’s other vehicle – Finablr (FIN) has been having a torrid time, with the shares halving since December. Finablr has only been on the market since last May, but scratch the surface and there are many questions which look like Red Flags to me jumping out.

First things first. It is 6 months and 1 day to the 3 Rogue Bloggers for Woodlarks walk. I did a short train yesterday at Moel Famau of which more later. Anhow, if you enjoy bearcast please show so by donating HERE.  Thanks in advance for your support and also for the birthday wishes. As you can see in the comments section HERE there is a poster on ADVFN who seems to think he can save Versarien (VRS) by suggesting, falsely, that I am a paedophile. Normally I'd ignore such pond life but I am almost tempted to teach him a very expensive legal lesson in libel law. What do you think?  Then it is onto a story dictated by NMC Health's (NMC) PR team to yellow journalists at the Mail on Sunday. The real import of threats against Caron Block & Muddy Waters is very negative for NMC. Finally I have a bombshell for AIM Cesspit followers tomorrow. Watch this space! 

Last week NMC Health (NMC) attenpted to "refute" Carson Block of Muddy Waters bear dossier with a long RNS. But its shares kept sliding. So today we got another round.

I see that some plonker at the Evening Standard has just dismissed Carson Block of Muddy Waters as a "ridiculous, conspiracy theorist". Au contraire Carson is a serious bear raider who is almost always right with his bear calls. Today he has announced that he is short of NMC Health (NMC). Carson writes:

Roger Lawson of ShareSoc sent me a present the other day. Nope, not another lawyer’s letter but a copy of his new book “Business Perspective Investing… And why financial numbers are not important when picking shares.” A snappy title if ever there was one. I do think numbers matter but it is not a bad read. To demonstrate what he means, Mr Lawson has listed 17 reasons why he does NOT want to own or buy shares in Burford (BUR) and it is nothing to do with the Muddy Waters affair. The 17 reasons Neil Woodford ignored are:

I have long been a bull for autonomous vehicles and news earlier this month that the UK was creating new highway standards for self-driving cars.  

And so the battle continues. On Monday Burford (BUR) published a new 45 page report defending its uber agggressive accounting policies from attacks led by Carson Block of Muddy Waters. Natch it was on its own website rather than via RNS so there was no need for Nomad sign off. Now Muddy Waters has hit back. It responds.

In this ninth edition of the ShareProphets Radio podcast, sponsored by Yorkville Advisors, in order I  chat to Antony Laiker,a friend despite being my stockbroker, a dinosaur like myself and the boss of AIM listed Vela (VELA). You may need to turn up the violume on his ansswers. Then it is onto Carson Block of Muddy Waters discussing Burford (BUR) and much else in great detail. Carson does not pull his punches and, to my mind, explains convincingly why his latest target will crater.If you like this and can't wait seven days for more of the same you should listen to my Bearcast every day.

The latest edition of ShareProphets Radio features an hour long interview with Carson Block of Muddy Waters discussing Burford (BUR) in great detail. In the interests of balance, an investor with a long position, Caro-Kann Capital, has published its detailed rebuttal of Muddy Waters and you can read that report below. On balance I agree with Muddy Waters.

Fake Sheriff of AIM Marcus Stuttard and colleagues what a shit-showeryou preside over. Thanks to Adept Technology (ADT) we have a stat that damns you. I discuss this, the comedy/tragedy that is Providence Resources (PVR)/ Lansdowne Oil & Gas (LOGP) and their Chinese pals. I look at IP Group (IPO), its results, its balance sheet and its association with the stench of Neil Woodford. Apologies to the fragrant Lizard for my words. And I chat about chatting to Carson Block of Muddy Waters about Burford (BUR) and other matters.To get the Carson Block podcast downloaded to your phone register HERE

Bear raider Muddy waters credited ShareProphets reader Drunken Sailor for his work in discovering the Glenmark case fought by Napo and funded by Burford (BUR). Yesterday Burford released a report which tried to explain the seemingly bogus profits booked on Napo in 2013. I tore that release to shreds in a special Tom Winnifrith bearcast HERE. Now Drunken Sailor has posted his response which is devastating. The great man writes:

Sure, this column is merely about the 10 most read articles and listened-to Bearcasts, but when I can squeeze in something sexy, like Bitcoin or graphene or Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice futures, I get all the page views. This week, I have the big dogL Warren Buffett in graphic form. Look to me on top next week.

As I revealed yesterday, the FCA and FRC are both investigating Burford (BUR) following a letter I sent requesting an investigation on August 8. But Burford is Guernsey Registered so there is another regulator which needs to have a butchers. As such I have today written to the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (the tax dodger’s equivalent of the FCA) asking it to launch an enquiry. The letter is below::

PR spinners for Burford (BUR) have responded to the Muddy Waters dossier by getting their poodles in the deadwood press to suggest that the bear raider was up to no good and was being investigated by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic. Oh dear..I have shocking and bad news for Burford...

The wall of bad news for Neil Woodford shows no sign of abating. Last week saw Eddie Stobart (ESL) suspended, his investment into laws of physics-bending Industrial Heat heavily marked down in a revaluation and two further biotech outfits written down to near zero. Yesterday the FD at Rutherford Health (RUTH) - the former Proton Partners - exited stage left on the eve of his reappointment at the AGM which kind of suggests to me there is a problem, Muddy Waters continued its attack on Burford (BUR) thanks at least in part to the excellent work of Drunken Sailor. And on Friday (no doubt after-hours) we will see the delayed Q2 results from Oslobors-listed Thin Film (THIN) which has been trying (and failing) to raise money, and is running out of cash fast. Where will the next shoe drop?

The Evening Standard man is not very bright and still does not understand the import of today's Muddy Waters Burford (BUR). Look at the tweet exchange below. Would you believe I wasted 20 minutes of my life answering questions about the dossier from this ungrateful knobhead today?. It is not the first time I've helped him but with no grace to credit, it will be the last.  I also look at First Derivatives (FDP), discuss the very low grade lawyer's letter I received today, look at ADM Energy (ADME) and at the comedy show that is Providence Resources (PVR)

To his credit, Carson Block has credited us fully in his new dossier covering the Napo scandal. The contents will be familiar to our readers having been published here 2 weeks ago. But it has aroused the deadwood press. I have already had one hack on the trombone seeking further clarification. The citical point is that without a Napo win fee, Burford (BUR) would have reported a 2013 loss, not a profit, shortly before getting away a big bond issue. As I noted in a letter to the Nomad Johnny Allison ten days ago "name that case!"  Burford's failure to do so is telling. The new Muddy Waters dossier is below:  

In the wake of the Muddy waters attack on Burford (BUR) Roger Lawson of ShareSoc has published a detailed set of proposals to tackle what he sees as a big problem as you can see HERE. He makes a couple of suggestions which we can agree on as being utterly sensible. But he fails to grasp that existing laws can deal with other issues, the problem is that they are never implemented. He goes on to make a number of proposals which are naive and would gag websites like this in the extremis making London markets, already a great place for fraudsters and shameless promoters to do business, even more friendly for such folks. They would be a disaster as I explain in detail.

The story that I have been returning to this week is this one, about the US IPO of coworking company, We Work. It is completely bonkers.

Burford (BUR) does not have to prove it is innocent of the Muddy Waters allegations but the longer it opts NOT to give full disclosure the more suspicions will grow. And perhaps the Oxymorons at AIM Regulation or my friends at the FRC, who I have asked to look at the accounts, may force its hand. In that vein I have written to the Nomad, Jonny Allison at Macquarie asking him to force Burford to come clean. I have cc’d in the Oxymorons and the FRC. The letter is below

Bear raider Muddy Waters has issued a new dossier on Burford (BUR) which we publish in full below. It is a bit different. It is a report by ex CIA spooks QVerity Inc analysis the response of Burford to the original dossier and it concludes that the response was designed to mislead investors. Enjoy.

AIM-listed Burford (BUR) has acted apparently with undue haste to the accusation from Muddy Waters, which is short, that Burford’s Corporate Governance is a joke. Of course, Burford dismissed the claims but seems to have acted anyway. No accusation of panic, then…..

Have you lost money being long and wrong on litigation funder Burford (BUR). Fear not, how about joining a class action with other victims to sue the company? US sharks, sorry lawyers, Schall Law is hear to help.

A cornerstone of the Muddy Waters attack on Burford (BUR) is that it booked 2013 profits on a case its client Napo lost and, as we showed here lost before the accounts were finalised. Burford’s defence is that this refers to a different Napo case but it failed to say which one. Well, reader Drunken Sailor has – I think found it. Sadly this second case fails to substantiate the Burford rebuttal at all, it makes it look even weaker. Over to Drunken who posts…

A critical matter in the Muddy Waters Burford dossier is the way that Burford (BUR) booked profits in 2013 on a case which had yet to conclude but which it in fact lost, Napo. Burford has come up with a barely plausible explanation of this but what Carson Block and his team failed to provide is an exact timeline and this is critical. So here goes:

Last week’s saga of Burford Capital (BUR) illustrates well the febrile state of the markets right now and shows how easily ruffled both retail and institutional investors can be in the scandal-prone junior market...

In today's bearcast I look at shitty little gold plays like Conroy (CGNR) and Condor (CNR) at their relationship to the gold price. I cover Burford (BUR) noting today's interventions from two giants of the investment world: Carson Block of Muddy Waters and Roger Lawson of ShareSoc. I look at Providence Resources (PVR) a comedy set to end in tears, at Diversified Gas & Oil (DGOC) a tragedy set to end in tears and also at Neil Woodford and that Cenkos (CNKS) profits warning.

Bear raider Carson Block and his Muddy Waters outfit have hit back hard at the Burford (BUR) rebuttal of his original dossier. Carsons says allegations of market abuse are a smear and part of the nornmal target company playbook and he'd be delighted to assist the FCA. On the substantive points in the original dossier Carson says the Burford rebuttals don't wash. This is a very good response by Block and appears pretty compelling to me. The full rebuttal of the rebuttal is below:

Wow. if one excludes ShareProphets radio, Seven out of the top 10 stories were Burford, including the top four. If this stories isn't worth your monthly subscription fee, I don't know what is.  Our number 2 story was a Friday scoop for Tom. The Sunday Times today reports it as big "news"....only two days off the pace at the deadwood press..

I start with the threat of a UK recession, piffle tweeted by the lunatic David Lammy MP, the link to Brexit (minimal) and the stockmarket implications. Then onto Burford (BUR) where events move apace but the company seems to think bear raider Carson Block of Muddy Waters is in legal hot water. Instinctively I side with Block, however if today's Mail is correct and he has closed much of his short while still issuing bearish tweets then is he any better than Chris Oil on Sefton or shamed broker SP Angel on Blue Jay (JAY). On that basis....

The Woodford Equity Income Fund put on an impressive 1.61% in NAV per unit yesterday, according to Morningstar, as it benefitted from the bounce by AIM-listed Burford (BUR) in the wake of its defence against the bear attack by Muddy Waters,  but with another bear outfit – Daniel Yu’s Gotham City – due to join the party over the weekend one has to fear for the shares on Monday.

Welcome to the party Daniel Yu and Gotham City, such valuable allies in our takedown of the Quindell (QPP) fraud.

Neil Woodford’s funds saw yet more losses yesterday: Income Focus (WIFF) saw losses and redemptions, Equity Income (WEIF) dropped again despite reassurances from AIM-listed Burford (BUR) which had a fair old bounce after the collapse induced by Muddy Waters. Woodford Patient Capital reported yet another loss in NAV. Apart from all that it was a good day….. if you ignore the bad bits.

As you know the Financial Reporting Council are big admirers of my work most recently thanking me for nailing First Derivates (FDP) HERE but inter alia, commending me for my work in exposing the Quindell (QPP) fraud HERE. As such I have been in touch asking that the FRC open a full investigation into the accounts of Burford (BUR) which, I believe, require a material restatement.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. So the Muddy Waters report was indeed about AIM-listed Burford Capital which duly crashed by 46% yesterday, to add to the 19% drop on Tuesday, and Neil Woodford’s second biggest stock pick is…er….no longer his second biggest investment. I rather doubt it is in his top ten now. The press, as predicted, has been baying for blood and the queues of gated Woodford Equity Income Fund investors looking to get their money back before any more of it just disappears into thin air will be lengthening. So let’s take a look at the effect of the Burford collapse on the Woodford empire.

Burford Capital  (BUR) may claim that the Muddy Waters research report is hogwash. I disagree and regard it as a damning indictment which makes the shares univestable. Now senior figures in the industry are speaking out and they too slate Burford.

Burford Capital has responded briefly to the damning report on it by Muddy Waters (aka Carson Block) by saying it will get back to us. Ho-hum – I don’t suppose that is quite what Nervous Neil Woodford wanted to hear as his second largest investment crashes by 63%, to add to yesterday’s 19% drop. His nails must be chewed to the bone – if he’s got any fingers left from catching all those falling knives. And as if things could not get any worse…..

The report on Neil Woodford's second biggest holding, AIM Casino cdarling Burford (BUR) from Muddy Waters is - as you can see here - damning. Now here is a video where Carson Block explains the accounting tomfoolery that is at play. Enjoy.

We warned our readers yesterday that Muddy Waters was on the case. In fact we've been warning about Burford (BUR) for months on this website. The company responded with a pathetic RNS this morning which caused the shares to spike. Now they are tumbling as the Carson Block report is out and its damning. Carson opines:

This morning’s data from Morningstar is bad news for Neil Woodford, but perhaps not as bad as THIS if it turns out to refer to Burford Capital which is his second biggest holding in the gated Equity Income Fund (WEIF) – we shall find out at 8am. Yesterday saw his Income Focus Fund (WIFF) lose 0.4% in NAV per unit and WEIF dropped 0.54%.

Legendary bear raider Carson Block, aka Muddy Waters Research, is set to publish a bombshell dossier tomorrow at 8 AM GMT. Given the tweet below there is fevered speculation that it is a London listed company and speculation is centring on Neil Woodford dog Burford (BUR) shares in which are off by 15% as I write. Two things to note:

IQE (IQE) the manufacturer of wafers which pretends that it is the next ARM and is the darling of Bulletin Board Morons, brokers looking to earn 5% on the next placing so writing ramptastic research reports today, avid broker report reader Paul Scott and our own Malcolm Stacey, has served up results for calendar 2017 which will please everybody.

I took a lot of abuse on twitter recently. My crime, it appears, was forwarding a negative report on IQE plc (IQE) which seemed to me to raise some important questions about the company’s accounting treatment of two joint ventures it had established.

In today's podcast I start with a follow up on Steve's excellent piece on Gattaca (GATC) where the COO is surely an insider dealer like Yosi Fait but as with Yosi nothing will happen as London regulation is a joke.  Then I look at IQE after today's bombshell from Muddy Waters (see HERE). Those who lost cash deserved to for ignoring so many prior warnings. I only celebrate the losses suffered by some of them. 

Legendary US bear raiding outfit Muddy Waters has announced that it is short of IQE (IQE). It dismisses Matt Earl's Shadowfall dossier of last week as only partially getting there and has published its own devastating report slating IQE as an "egregious accounting manipulator". Don't mess with Muddy Waters, anyone out there still owning this stock should sell NOW!. Muddy notes:

Tomorrow I will be calling rock stars from across the bear community as we need to think of those less fortunate than ourselves. It is time to record our charity single… Feed the Morons. The message has gone out to Gotham City, Evil Knievil, Paul Scott, Lucian Miers, Paddington Bear, Matt Earl, John Hempton of Bronte, Sam Antar, Muddy Waters, Citron Research, Nigel Somerville, A Huntsman, Dan McCrum, Paul Murphy, Pizza hardman Darren Atwater, Cockney Rebel and Kevin Ashton. We gather tomorrow in Clerkenwell to raise money for those facing a bleak Christmas, Quindell staff and shareholders as we record Feed the Morons, Do they know it’s Christmas?.

As the stench of death gets ever more ghastly at Quenron (QPP) it seems that every new day this corpse in waiting attracts the attention of a new celebrity bear raider. A couple of weeks ago Muddy Waters chipped in. Today it is the legendary John Hempton of Bronte Capital who has been tweeting words of “encouragement” to the morons. That is before he warns that the shares are going to 0p.

Quindell (QPP) took on the bears and Quenron is losing. I first cited red flags about this fraud in April 2013. A year later Gotham City Research took it apart and now the shorters are upping the ante. The smell of Death is clear and now the best known US Bear Muddy Waters has also chipped in via twitter.