Trade environment deteriorating in Europe, USA and JapanPublished: Wed, 07 Mar 12 In a recent statement released by the International Credit Insurance & Surety Association (ICISA) members are concerned about a possible further deterioration of the business environment brought on by sovereign debt, in particular in the European Union, the USA and Japan, and a lack of adequate financing by banks ...
Read More » |
|
Investment opportunities to be found in offshore volatilityPublished: Wed, 07 Mar 12 With the long term outlook for global equity markets still uncertain, South African investors should instead be looking offshore to profit from the expected volatility and mispricing in several regions and asset classes.
This is according to Kevin Ewer, portfolio manager at Blue Ink Investments, who says that ...
Read More » |
|
From redistribution to wealth creationPublished: Tue, 06 Mar 12
Jac Laubscher Group Economist
Sanlam
It is generally accepted that the state has a role to play in the distribution of income in order to promote social stability, or to ensure a more equitable society. What is regarded as equitable ...
Read More » |
|
MMI puts solid platform in place for future growthPublished: Tue, 06 Mar 12 MMI Holdings Limited (MMI), the diversified financial services group that includes Metropolitan and Momentum, today released a solid set of half-year results to December 2011, with core headline earnings increasing by 4% to R1 294 million as compared to the previous half-year to December 2010, under tough operating ...
Read More » |
|
SA ATM cash withdrawal values regain momentum and record four-year highPublished: Tue, 06 Mar 12 Latest February statistics released by Spark ATM Systems, South Africa’s premier independent ATM deployer, indicate that consumer spending and trading conditions are gradually stabilising, following a significant drop-off in withdrawal values from December 2011 to January 2012.
The Spark Cash Index (SCI)*, ...
Read More » |
|
Inflation-proofing your portfolioPublished: Tue, 06 Mar 12 In 2011 South African equities delivered below-inflation returns. Local equities also underperformed inflation in 2002 and 2008.
None of this unusual.
Investors need to understand that over the short-term the local inflation cycle can peak in parallel with falling equity markets causing occasional ...
Read More » |
|
Investing, Retiring and the BudgetPublished: Fri, 02 Mar 12 By Chris Hart
Chief Strategist, Investment Solutions
The challenge Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan faced in his 2012/13 Budget was how to narrow the budget deficit, meet social spending demands and maintain infrastructure investment. Tax and tax policy are important considerations in most individuals’ ...
Read More » |
|
Resources, Africa drive increase in M&A activityPublished: Thu, 01 Mar 12 According to figures released today by “Dealmakers”, M&A activity in South Africa increased during 2011, with the total value of deals rising from R588 billion in 2010 to R602 billion last year.
During this period, ENS advised on a total of 44 M&A deals totalling a value of approximately ...
Read More » |
|
|
RMB Holdings releases half year results to 31 December 2011Published: Thu, 01 Mar 12 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The RMBH Group continued to build on the strong base of the previous year and produced excellent results for the six months to 31 December 2011, achieving normalised earnings per share from continuing operations of 134.
This outcome was driven by excellent results ...
Read More » |
|
South African asset managers in good healthPublished: Tue, 28 Feb 12 During a visit to over 15 of the larger Cape-based asset managers, Glenn Silverman, Chief Investment Officer of Investment Solutions, discovered an industry in good health - brimming with ideas, confidence and growth plans.
Though Silverman and his team are still to meet with the Johannesburg-based managers, ...
Read More » |
|
|
Firstrand’s first half normalised earnings up 26%Published: Tue, 28 Feb 12 FirstRand Limited (FirstRand) today reported results for the year to six months to December 2011. Against a mixed macro background, FirstRand’s diverse financial services portfolio produced a strong performance.
HIGHLIGHTS
· Normalised earnings ...
Read More » |
|
Audit of asset manager merger safeguards investorsPublished: Tue, 28 Feb 12 One of the largest mergers in the history of the South African asset management industry has been audited and independently verified as having been carried out cost effectively and with a minimal impact on investment performance.
The merger of RMB Asset Management (RMBAM) and Metropolitan Asset Managers (MetAm) ...
Read More » |
|
Comment on liquidation statisticsPublished: Tue, 28 Feb 12 By Luke Doig, Senior Economist,
Credit Guarantee Insurance Corporation
The reported 36. 1% year-on-year fall in official closures of companies and CCs in January 2012 must be seen in the context of a normal slow administrative start to the year. We see this occurrence regularly as the courts take time to ...
Read More » |
|
Beneficiary fund industry lobbies for majority age exemptionPublished: Tue, 28 Feb 12 A key player in the beneficiary fund industry has called on government to reverse the age of majority from 18 back to 21 as an exemption for this fast-growing financial services sector. The age of majority was changed to 18 by the Children’s Act of 2007.
Talking at a conference of the Pensions Lawyers ...
Read More » |
|
|
Investors should proceed with cautionPublished: Thu, 23 Feb 12 To say that investors have been content with where markets have been heading over the past few weeks is an understatement, says Paul Stewart, managing director of the Plexus Group.
“Volatility, as measured by the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX), has fallen by 60% since October 2011 ...
Read More » |
|
Budget Speech Commentary 2012Published: Thu, 23 Feb 12 By: Rowan Burger, Head of Investments Strategy from Liberty Retail SA
As expected, there was not a great deal impacting directly on retirement savings, with certain minor exceptions which are discussed below, in this budget speech. However there are a number of cues which give us a sense of the continuation ...
Read More » |
|
|
