An End of Week Dip
It was perhaps somewhat disappointing, but totally understandable that the stock market ended the week on a sour note. That said, while the journalists writing about the market are usually baying for a crash, horror, people losing their shirts, the upshot of November so far is that the FTSE 100 is basically where it started the month, near 9,700. Indeed, one could argue that so close to disaster time, the Budget on November 26, it was a miracle that we hit a 9,930 record intraday high. To be anywhere near the psychological 10,000 level given the lay of the land has to be regarded as some miracle. In fact, for the market to keep on trucking after Sir Keir Starmer took the credit for it was even more of a show of strength.
In terms of the reasons for the pullback on Friday, we have a couple of concerns. The first is the ongoing one that the AI boom especially in the United States. However, anxiety regarding this could be cured this week when Nvidia’s (NVDA) latest results are released. While the rating is sky high, controversially so, guidance regarding future prospects and current revenues could actually mean that recent $180 support can still be maintained.
Closer to home and while the FTSE 100 made a new high, there has been quite a divergence with the small caps. Indeed, the small caps do have a rather weak look to them in the shape of the AIM All Share. It is back near 750, and just near the 200 day moving average. What will be interesting to see if whether as we head towards the pre-Christmas fundraising season is whether this provides a further drag on the asset class.
Stocks Rising On News
The dark horse riser of the week was certainly Empyrean Energy (EME). On Tuesday the operator of the Mako Gas Field placed its securities in trading halt on the ASX pending an announcement to the market in relation to the completion of the proposed farm down of their 75% interest of the Duyung PSC, in which Empyrean holds an 8.5% interest. The share remained near their near term highs to the end of the week. This is unusual historically in the sense that the usual form is a day or two of rises and then back down to earth with a bump.
Speaking of dark horses, after recently being involved in a deal making fiasco, WH Ireland (WHI) was redeemed, at least in share price terms. This was interesting for a couple of reasons. The first was that after the Capital Markets Division deal fell over, the shares did appear to be a charting buy. This seemed a strange state of affairs as companies in such positions tend to be binary and very much fundamentals biased. But courtesy of Team’s (TEAM) all share bid, a very good synergistic deal, WHI did fulfil the charting prophecy.
On the Aquis market the main / only winner this week was Incanthera plc (AQSE:INC), a company focused on innovative technologies in dermatology and oncology. On Monday the company said that following its AGM on Friday 7 November 2025, a recording of the meeting was live on the Company’s website, alongside the presentation given at the AGM. https://www.incanthera.com/investors/results-reports-and-presentations/
Incanthera is a company I keep an eye on, as much as anything else on the basis that it seems to be a company where given recent newsflow and the share price, the risk/reward. This is clear even to those who are not prepared to sit it out for an hour watching the AGM meeting.
Stocks Rising On No New News
Indus Gas (INDI) is not exactly the stock market’s most famous name. In fact, the cause has not exactly been helped by the relative lack of news. Apart from Results for the year to March reveals in September, and a corporate update in March itself this company has been as off the radar as Marlene Dietrich. Therefore, the 50% share price rise this week is all the more of a standout. With the shares at 13.5p and year highs at 21p, one would anticipate that there could be further on the upside, at least until some news is finally delivered.
Jangada Mines (JAN) was a standout this week as well, given that we have been keeping a close eye on the company in the wake of the announcement in September that it was selling the rest of its stake in Blencowe (BRES). At the time JAN said it was selling the shares to allow it to focus on its Paranaita Gold Project in Brazil. This may well have been the case, and for BRES, the shares have risen by a quarter, something which perhaps was aided by the JAN overhang being out of the equation.
GS Chain (GSC) is one of a rare breed of main board acquisition vehicles whose shares were up 27% on the week. Being such a rare breed, there will be some in the market who will be looking on the company as a one plus one equals three situation. This might explain the latest share price rise, some 2 weeks after the audited results for the period ending June this year.
Stocks In Focus:
Amazing AI (AQSE:AAI)
Shares of lending to crypto derivative investor Amazing AI got off to a good start hitting 2p in September on its Treasury 3.0 strategy, it has seemed that the powers that be in the market made a concerted effort to ensure that such a market cap would be a high water mark for the stock. A combination of regulatory goalpost changing, a change in sentiment towards crypto, and a lack of understanding of the company’s strategy all took their toll. The final gut punch to the share price was the reaction to the announcement this week that AAI will hive off 80% of its Mauritius digital asset subsidiary to existing shareholders while retaining a 19% passive stake for nil consideration. This should have been taken well. But it was not as the market is not aware, and the BTC treasury brigade have understandably not made it clear how at least from a regulatory perspective they are dinosaurs at the end of the Jurassic. AAI is moving to avoid such a fate. This is especially the case as far as the stipulation that a company has to have a proportionate real business. The latest move from AAI means that it is fully compliant with this draconian move. Rather than being slammed on the share price front the company should actually be praised.
Energy Pathways (EPP):
There is a certain degree of irony in that it is Sunday morning when I do as much work as I do at any other time of the week. That said, this week I have a helping hand in terms of content production, as I am delighted to publish Thom Hudson’s article on Energy Pathways (EPP). He is otherwise on X as the Reddit Investor (@Redditdeluxe). His content has always impressed me, and one can tell by his postings he is a decent chap. I am delighted to have published his article on Zaks Traders Café. May there be many more, especially on companies that need de-mystifying like EPP. Happy to publish other articles if there is interest. The link to Thom’s article LINK HERE.
Disclaimer & Declaration of Interest:
The information, investment views, and recommendations in this Zaks Traders Cafe interview are provided for general information purposes only. Nothing in this interview should be construed as a promotion or solicitation to buy or sell any financial product relating to any companies under discussion or referred to or to engage in or refrain from doing so or engage in any other transaction. Any opinions or comments are made to the best of the knowledge and belief of the commentator but no responsibility is accepted for actions based on such opinions or comments. The commentators may or may not hold investments in the companies under discussion.
