Notes from Underground – Most read articles for the week ending 12 August

The most read non-Quiz, non-Tom article last week is by Chris Bailey, Is hotel love peaking? And elsewhere, I still like the not particularly understood distribution and more world of SIG, at No 23 or No 23 including Bearcasts.

The most read ShareProphets stories this week were:

1. BREAKING BOMBSHELL - White & Case has not acted for Tingo for more than a month
   On June 8 2023 Chris Cleverly’s fraud Tingo (TIO) announced that it had engaged top law firm White & Case to review the allegations made by short seller Hindenburg Research stating: “The Company strongly believes it is in shareholders’ best interests to allow White & Case’s independent review to be carried out unhindered and it is committed to protecting its integrity. As such, the Company intends to make no further comment on Hindenburg’s allegations until the review has been completed.”
   
   
2. The greed of Roland Fatty Cornish – annual accounts out from London's worst Nomad
   London’s worst Nomad, Beaumont Cornish acts for dreadful small cap stocks that nobody would miss if they went bust. The frauds it has given a clean pass to are manifest, Johnny Hon’s Global Group to New World Oil & Gas, Daniel Stewart the list goes on and on. Its report for calendar 2022 is out and the word that screams out at you is GREED. This is more shocking than the penury of Turner Pope exposed here.
   
   
3. UPDATED: Footnotes: Big Sofa and Skinbiotherapeutics
   A busy day dropping off Olaf’s godmother at Crewe Station and on other matters looms so, pro tem, just a couple of footnotes on things I might have overlooked yesterday.
   
   
4. Turning £1.1 million to 1 Euro in 17 months: the magic of Gerry the arse Brandon
   The wind-down of the POS that is Deepverge (DVRG) continues with its 1 remaining employee clearly working hard. Today we discover that Glanaco, bought for £1.1 million in March 2022 under the stewardship of disgraced Gerry Brandon, has been sold back to its original management team for just 1 Euro. Actually, it was worse than that.
   
   
5. Altcast: No 1: the world of small caps with Tom Winnifrith
   Thanks to the sponsorship of Sure Valley, Riverfort Global & Pires Investments (PIRI) we are expanding the number and quality of speakers and are able to offer up more fun and games at Sharestock this year - as you can see HERE. In this first episode looking at small caps and AIM I chat to Brian Kinane and Liam Bulmer of Riverfort about why AIM and small caps had such a dreadful H1 2023 and why that might change. Enjoy.

6. The ShareProphets Sunday Pub Quiz #200
   If you can believe it, it’s the 200 edition of the ShareProphets Sunday Quiz. But we don’t take on airs over the anniversary: There are no still prizes! And remember, no Googling!
   
   
7. Is Ocado a screaming short?
   Ocado (OCDO) has been the most shorted stock in the FTSE 100 over the past few years and the bears have been roasted. Is there still a bear case?
   
   
8. Vast Resources should be doing a show at the Edinburgh Festival
   The last comedy set I saw at the Festival was almost 30 years ago: the rapping rabbi. It was so offensive that the small audience was rapidly depleted by walkouts and pretty soon I was about the only person still there. I think of this as my daughter Olaf performs in a play which even she admits is woke nonsense.
   
   
9. BREAKING: Rumours of Versarien smash and grab raid by Neill Ricketts
   Such is the cash crisis at Versarien (VRS) that it is not just the non-core operations that are up for sale. The reality is that anything can go whether it is nailed down or not. The cash runs out in early October, at the latest, and the rumours from those close to the struggling operation is that disgraced ex CEO Neil Ricketts (still costing the company £21,000 a month until next Spring) is on manoeuvres.
   
   
10. Tintra– a growing list of red flags
    I recently commented on the poor optics of two director resignations at Symphony Environmental (SYM). Tintra (TNT) has also had two non-executive Directors resign from the Tintra Plc Board after only a short period of time, to take up non-board roles in the wider Tintra organisation. On 9 March 2023, Tintra announced:

The most-listened to Bearcasts this week were:

1. Tom Winnifrith Bearcast: Optibiotix vs Versarien, with small caps flying which will double first?
   In today's podcast I look at interest rates, unemployment, a prescient Bearcast on Wilko last November, and flying small caps, what next and what should you do?
   
   
2. Tom Winnifrith Bearcast - has Big Sofa gone bust?
   In today's Bearcast I discuss a family lunch and a project for retirement, Big Sofa, MyHealthChecked (MHC), Mode Global (MODE), Wildcat Petroleum (WCAT), Skinbiotherapeutics (SBTX) and Atlantic Lithium (ALL).
   
   
3. Tom Winnifrith Bearcast: By Jove, Lucian Miers is bang on the money
   In today's podcast I discuss Alien Metals (UFO), Hydrogen Utopia (HUI), Optibiotix (OPTI) and an email exchange with Steve O'Hara, inflation, Iconic (ICON), Futura Medical (FUM), Haleon (HLN) and Lucian's research into curing erectile disfunction among men of his age. 
   
   
4. Tom Winnifrith Bearcast: How long do you need to sign a death spiral FFS? Is there a problem
   In today's podcast I discuss Skinbiotherapeutics (SBTX) and Darren, Kefi Gold & Copper (KEFI), Versarien (VRS) and companies on the brink and Bidstack (BIDS) and its death spiral. or not.
   
   
5. Tom Winnifrith Bearcast: I can't name my source but that does not invalidate the thesis
   In today's Bearcast I discuss the Tingo (TIO) fraud and my bombshell expose of late last night, contrarian investing with the fraud loving Tom Dobell and Mosman Oil & Gas (MSMN), the definition of a bad asset. There are now just 15 tickets left for ShareStock on September 23. So if you want one book fast HERE. Be warned, Matthew's Dog and Catriona will love this podcast.

6. Tom Winnifrith Bearcast: Gotcha Alien Metals!
   I start with Code First Girls, the BBC and why birds don't do computing. Then it is on to Alien Metals (UFO) , insider dealing, a Gotcha moment for me and another cash crisis just after Christmas, Tern (TERN) Jim Nominees (JIM), Eden Research (EDEN) and how Jo Hart at Midas should apologise for being played and Wilko and its demise 
   
   
7. Tom Winnifrith Bearcast: I shall be sacking Gary Newman in the morningI'm kidding of course. I discuss free speech on this website and why Gary is so, so utterly wrong on Obtibiotix (OPTI) and SkinBiotherapeutics (SBTX). If he watches the videos HERE he might repent of his sins. I also mention Sharestock were there are now fewer than 15 seats left. Book HERE