Oil prices were given a lift yesterday, with Reuters attributing a more than 3% rise to supply disruptions in the US as Hurricane Delta approached the Gulf of Mexico and an oil worker strike in Norway.

Resources giant BHP will be watching the oil price - and Hurricane Delta - keenly. It's just bought an additional 28% stake in an oil and gas development in the Gulf so it can take advantage of an expected improvement in energy prices. At more than $42 a barrel, Brent crude has more than doubled from this year's low point in April when the market went into freefall. BHP expects the fundamentals for oil to be attractive for at least the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, Renergen is going for a cleaner energy option. It's struck a deal with Logico Logistics to supply liquefied natural gas from its Virginia Gas Project in the Free state to Total fuel stations along the N3 between Johannesburg and Durban. The LNG will be a cheaper substitute for diesel, with the additional benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Also in your newsletter today, investment company Value Capital Partners has continued to mop up shares in fintech and payments group Net1 and Newpark, which owns the JSE building in Sandton, will report a decline in distributable earnings when it releases results today.

Also, all the latest from Ingham Analytics. Details are down below and you can also find out more about their introductory special offer by following this link.

I hope you have a good day.

Stephen Gunnion

Managing Editor, InceConnect

The latest from Ingham Analytics

In "Fuhgeddaboudit!" top trader Andrew Kinsey looks at latest data in the US and Europe - and it does not bode well for that much vaunted V-shaped recovery that some speak of. Investors would be well advised to take stock of labour force, consumption and savings patterns when tailoring their investment strategies.

The disconnect between the real world and certain stock market performances is also discussed in recent notes "Outsized Big Five", "Uh-ho!" and "Ant(icipating) a listing", whilst gold bugs seeking a haven will get further colour in "All that glitters?"