I know you're busy. That's exactly why I designed the Ghost Wrap podcast to give you a whirlwind update on local company news. Thanks to Mazars, you need just a few minutes to get the latest on Spur, Adcock Ingram, Bidvest, Bidcorp, NEPI Rockcastle, DRDGOLD, Harmony Gold, BHP and Sasol. Find it here>>>

You need to move quickly for this one. Moving off the grid? Jaltech is hosting a webinar aimed at estates, complexes, farmers and other corporates who are looking to move to solar. If your building, estate or company is looking at solar, register for this webinarwhere solar industry experts share insights into moving away from Eskom as well as the available funding options. A webinar is scheduled for 3pm today. If you can't make that one, then there are also webinars on 7th and 14th September. Attendance is free but you must register here>>>

Speaking of webinars...

For entrepreneurs, Tony Cotrupe from the US is joining a bizval webinar at 2pm on Thursday to talk about the importance of strategic planning. With extensive experience in helping business owners raise capital or sell their businesses, Tony has plenty of insights to share. You need to register here to attend>>>

For investors, Curro is joining the Unlock the Stock platform at midday on Thursday. As you know by now, this is an excellent opportunity to ask questions to management. Brought to you by A2X, you can register here>>>

Something fun - but with a serious underpin

In the latest Ghost Global article, Dominique Olivier looked at Barbie's box office performance and what this means for Mattel, the owners of the Barbie brand. Of course, this was also a great excuse to consider Hasbro and what that group might do with its intellectual property. You can read it here>>>

Disney: not yummy

It is so important for you to build an awareness of global investment opportunities. This is exactly why Magic Markets exists, with the latest free show covering insights from Disney (in a horrible spot right now) and Yum! Brands, which is doing a great job of keeping it simple and executing on a tried and tested strategy.

Broaden your horizons with Magic Markets and listen to the show>>>

The bold, the beautiful and the downright ugly

Let's start with the ugly. Back in 2018 / 2019, Murray & Roberts was fending off a takeover bid by German group ATON that eventually went as high as R17 per share. It seems almost unbelievable that the board turned it down, with the share price now languishing at 66 cents. Hindsight is perfect of course, but this really has been a tale of massive shareholder value destruction. The pandemic was a big part of why that happened. The latest earnings suggest that the pain probably isn't over.

The news improves from here, thankfully. I must highlight ADvTECH and CA Sales Holdings as two local groups that ar e demonstrating the value of stock picking. Both companies are growing strongly and rewarding shareholders for believing in them. Whether selling education or FMCG-related services to help businesses reach new markets, there are ways to make money in this environment.

We also saw updates come in from Italtile (a casualty of an extremely tough environment) and Cognition Holdings. There is an important assortment of Little Bites as well. Get everything you need with a single click in Ghost Bites this morning>>>

A steady day for the dollar

TreasuryONE has highlighted a cautious atmosphere in the markets, with investors thinking twice about betting against the Fed's current stance. A somewhat hawkish speech by Fed Chair Jerome Powell at the Jackson Hole Symposium has set the mood, with the market pricing in an 80% likelihood that the Fed will keep rates unchanged next month. Importantly, the probability of a 25 basis points hike in November has risen to 48%, up from 33% just a week ago.

The rand weakened sharply in morning trade, but drifted back to reach opening levels again.

Interestingly and despite the hawkish remarks in the US, the gold price has strengthened. Platinum and palladium prices surged on news of China considering stimulus measures for the economy. Oil markets maintained their gains from Friday, supported by declining US stockpiles.

In the latest weekly market review video, TreasuryONE discusses the conclusion of th e BRICS summit and other market-moving news items. Watch it here>>>

Have an excellent Tuesday!