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Good morning Voornaam,

Life is busy. We all know that. I try to make it easier for you to stay on top of local company news by giving you at least one Ghost Wrap podcast every week. Brought to you by Mazars, it covers the most interesting local stories and includes a layer of my opinions on what I'm seeing out there. Best of all, you can listen to it during a coffee break! You can find it here>>>

Speaking of what I'm seeing out there, have you seen the fuel price? I have no exposure to local retailers and I have no plans to change that situation. It's looking pretty bleak out there for consumers as we head towards Christmas. Be cautious with your sector allocations.

I have a great day ahead and I hope that you do as well.

NEW: Ghost Wrap podcast (Rex Trueform \| Barloworld \| Spar \| Capitec \| Vukile + Attacq)

The Ghost Wrap podcast is a great way to stay on top of local company news. I went into more detail than usual on these stories, covering an acquisition by Rex Trueform, results from Barloworld and Spar, important trends at Capitec and the outlook at Vukile and Attacq. Ghost Wrap is brought to you by Mazars.

Listen to the Ghost Wrap podcast here (7 minutes long)

Magic Markets podcast

Banking has been an area of great interest this year. With that awful pun out the way, you can learn about the relative performance and strategic outlook of global giant JP Morgan and local stalwart Standard Bank. Join us in Episode 144 of Magic Markets, brought to you by B2IT.

Listen to Magic Markets Episode 144 here (24 minutes long)

The lessons dished out by the markets this year have been all about how companies cope in inflationary conditions. The winners have one thing in common: pricing power.

Learn about pricing power in this piece I wrote for EasyEquities

Ghost Stories podcast

How have ETFs done thus far in 2023 and where was the right place to put your money? Find out in Ghost Stories with Siyabulela Nomoyi of Satrix.

Listen to Ghost Stories with Siya

For founders: the bizval podcast

Designing a business through critical thinking is a major ingredient for success. Hugh Stafford-Smith from the UK spoke to me about this topic on the bizval podcast.

Learn business design

Satrix INDI is an ETF with a Proudly South African flavour. Learn more here.

NEW: CA Sales Holdings is a really strong example of how locally listed companies can deliver great returns. The management team returned to Unlock the Stock to unpack the recent performance and answer questions about the strategy and business model. Don't miss it! Unlock the Stock is brought to you by A2X.

Watch Unlock the Stock

TreasuryONE Market Update

The rand moved above R19.40 to the dollar yesterday. On a scale of lekker to Australian rugby, that's firmly in the latter camp. Although it dipped to R19.18, we are back at R19.30 this morning.

The breather yesterday came from the release of the US private payroll numbers (ADP Jobs Report), which missed market expectations. ISM Services PMI was as expected. The jobs number caused US Treasuries to fall away from overnight levels, with the 2-year at 5.10% and the 10-year at 4.78%.

All eyes will be on the non-farm payroll number scheduled for release this Friday.

For more information, you can watch the TreasuryONE weekly market review below or on the YouTube channel at this link.

NEW: Ghost Bites

Get the latest on Ascendis, Finbond, FirstRand, Kibo Energy, Mondi, Murray & Roberts and Stefanutti Stocks. It's all available with a single click in Ghost Bites.

Read Ghost Bites at this link to stay updated on local company news

Do sanctions work over the long term?

Mondi has finally gotten out of Russia. It took a lot of blood, sweat and vodka. The Syktyvkar asset was as difficult to sell as it is to pronounce. Russian buyers have swooped in and bought it from Mondi at what looks to me like a bargain price.

This is exactly the challenge with sanctions. Perhaps they work in some respects, but one of the unhappy outcomes is that international companies basically lose their assets to locals. In other words, the wrong parties are being punished economically.

In case you've forgotten when the invasion was, here's a Mondi share price chart to help you spot when it happened:

In local news, the extensive management changes at FirstRand got the market talking yesterday. The succession plan seems to have worked out as intended, with the exciting news for South Africa of a black female CEO of a large banking institution!

News came in from Ascendis regarding the successful business rescue of Surgical Innovations, so it's nice to see that process working as intended. Finbond has narrowed its losses. Kibo Energy has exited the Botswana coal asset - sort of, at least. In construction news, Murray & Roberts is trying to rebuild in Australia (no, that's not a joke) and Stefanutti Stocks is a step closer to the arbitration award in Zambia.

I'll see you in Ghost Bites>>>

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Disclaimer

Our content is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. You must do your own analysis before executing any investments or strategic decisions, based on your own circumstances. We do not provide personalised recommendations or views as to whether an investment approach or corporate strategy is suited to the needs of a specific individual or entity. You should take independent financial advice from a suitably qualified individual who gives due regard to your personal circumstances.

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