The latest episode of Ghost Wrap is here! This podcast is growing in popularity at a frenetic pace - almost as quickly as the rate at which insights are delivered to you on a weekly basis. For the latest on Spar, Equites, Absa, Italtile, Fortress, Sanlam, Thungela, Kumba and Gemfields in less than eight minutes, make yourself a coffee and enjoy the show>>>

Ghost Bites:

• Anglo looks to the future
• Anglo American Platinum faces operational pres sures
• ARC gives an update on its investments
• Rubies are red, Gemfields is green
• Italtile hints at its performance
• Kumba updates production guidance
• Spar responds to media allegations

As you can see, it was a busy day of news on the markets! Get these stories and more in Ghost Bites>>>

Consumers craving credit?

Trying to figure out the state of the South African consumer is tricky. At face value, it's hard to believe that people are spend ing money. Interest rates are high, inflation is problematic, and we now have level 419b loadshedding as an added bonus.

And yet, most merchants you speak to will tell you that Black Friday was pretty good!

When reading about the struggles of Italtile and comparing this to news from retailers of non-durable product categories, it seems like the durable vs. non-durable distinction might be making the difference. Buying clothes and doing a home renovation clearly aren't the same thing.

As Chris Gilmour explores in his latest article, perhaps consumers have more room to borrow than we tend to give them credit for (sorry). Read it here>>>

Data to lead out the year

During 2022, the FOMC and US inflation have been at the top of the pecking order in terms of factors that influenced the market. TreasuryONE notes that this week is no different, with November CPI due on Tuesday. Although headline inflation seems to have peaked over the last few prints, the Fed will look deeper into the numbers and focus on Core CPI.

For example, Core Services inflation has been grinding higher in recent months and Core Goods has followed the same trend as headline inflation. US Core inflation is expected to come in at 6.3% year-on-year vs. a 7.7% estimate for headline inflation.

For a sense of the macroeconomic environment (and the risk of recession) as we head into 2023, listen to the recent webinar delivered by the team at TreasuryONE>>>

Podcasts for a Monday

Other than the latest episode of Ghost Wrap that you should absolutely make time for, the latest episode of Magic Markets is a solid recap of some of the major themes that played out in the markets this year. We talked about topics like energy, inflation, banking and more. Petri Redelinghuys of Herenya joined us for the discussion that you can enjoy here>>>

Finally, make the most of you r December and become a Magic Markets Premium subscriber. Our latest show is on Warner Music Group, a powerful company in a fascinating industry. There are now nearly 60 podcasts and reports in the library, so this could be the most insightful December of your life if you become a subscriber. At just R99/month or R990/year, it's the best investment you could make. Subscribe here>>>

Have a lovely Monday!