Welcome to the last payday week before silly season truly kicks off. Then you get another one in mid-December, followed by a long wait until the 912th of January to be paid again.
Or, if you're a business owner, you need to frantically manage working capital while ensuring you have enough for year-end bonuses for staff. Aah yes, such a relaxing time of year for so many people!
One of the ways to take stress out your life is to invest in ETFs. They are low-cost ways to get broad market exposure and build wealth over time. Satrix's Global Balanced Fund of Funds ETF looks so helpful to me that I'm going to be investing in it myself. Why do I like it so much? Find out in a podcast discussion with Nico Katzke of Satrix about the concept of a balanced fund, the strategic asset allocation and the plumbing behind this product.
Another way to be less stressed is to practise trading in a demo account before moving into the real thing with your actual hard-earned money. In the latest episode of The Trader's Handbook with IG Markets South Africa, we talked about why demo accounts are key to a smarter trading journey. Find it here>>>
Right, I can't give you any more stress reduction techniques. We now have to get to the bad news: Murray & Roberts. The company is in business rescue and the share is suspended from trading. Yes, it's that bad. This is what happens when a company is right on the edge and then more things go wrong for them. It's quite amazing that lab-grown diamonds have played a huge role in this.
In happier news, Novus is managing to extract strong profits from its printing business and Remgro is enjoying unusually high earnings growth at Mediclinic. See? It's not all bad.
There's also never a dull moment at Accelerate, where the property management deal for Fourways Mall didn't meet conditions in time and now has to be renegotiated.
These stories and the Nibbles are all available in Ghost Bites here>>>
For ghosts of a different kind, Dominique Olivier's latest column is on humanity's fascination with communication beyond the grave. From the Victoria Era to today's AI technology, people have tried to find ways to speak to those who have moved on. Of course, the history of trying to talk to the deceased makes for a great bit of storytelling. Light the candles and get ready for a seance here>>>
I'm worried that there are a few companies in the automotive sector that are well on their way to being deceased. The latest Magic Markets podcast is a whirlwind overview of the sector, focusing on recent performance at the big names in America, Europe and Japan. This episode is brought to you by Investec's The Current podcast series, bringing you insights into electric vehicle adoption along with other important energy topics. You'll find Episode 202 of Magic Markets at this link>>>
Have a great day! |
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THE TRADER'S HANDBOOK: Why demo accounts are key to a smarter trading journey |
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| | In this episode of The Trader’s Handbook, Shaun Murison from IG Markets South Africa joined me to dive into the value of demo accounts for traders. A demo account provides a risk-free environment, allowing you to practice, learn, and test strategies without the pressure of real money on the line.
We discussed how to approach your demo account with discipline, treating it as if it were real money. Expect to experience losses, but understand that they’re part of the learning process – not a barrier to success. By being realistic about your demo experience, you can better prepare yourself for live trading.
The podcast and detailed transcript are available here>>> |
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SATRIX: Get to know the Satrix Global Balanced Fund of Funds ETF |
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| | The Satrix Global Balanced Fund of Funds ETF aims to provide local investors with optimally diversified exposure to a global basket of indices representing different asset classes.
This is a low-cost, easy way to invest in a mix of equities, bonds, infrastructure, property, credit and cash assets.
Nico Katzke joined me to explain the concept of a balanced fund, the strategic asset allocation in this ETF and how Satrix has managed to achieve this exposure at just 35 basis points a year in costs.
Along with a detailed transcript, you'll find it here>>> |
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DOMINIQUE OLIVIER: Who doesn't love a seance? |
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| | Kim Kardashian, AI ghosts, Queen Victoria and a fascination with communication beyond the grave - yes, these concepts are all related, some 150 years apart. Dominique Olivier explains in this article>>> |
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Ghost Bites - local company news: |
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Ghost Bites: The latest on Accelerate, Murray & Roberts, Novus, Remgro and numerous Nibbles in Ghost Bites here>>> |
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Unlock the Stock - Calgro M3 |
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MAGAnomics: Trump and the global economy |
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International Business Snippet: |
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Apparel group Gap raised guidance ahead of the all-important holiday shopping season, so the market obviously appreciated that. Results for the third quarter were impacted by hurricanes and warmer than expected weather, yet the company still managed to narrowly beat sales estimates. They were well ahead of estimates on profitability, so margins are doing well.
This is the thing at apparel retailers: gross margins can vary substantially, so results can end up being well above expectations if the portion of full-price sales moves higher. This is exactly why profits tend to be more erratic than at grocery retailers.
Our latest research in Magic Markets Premium is on Disney. Recent box office success is encouraging, but does this mean they've finally turned the corner and gotten out of a creative rut that hurt the business? Subscribers find out this week. |
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Magic Markets: The automotive sector race |
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| | Magic Markets: Start your engines has quickly become start your batteries – or has it? Are electric vehicle adoption rates problematic everywhere, or are some companies seeing better adoption than others? Where does this leave hybrids? For a whirlwind overview of the automotive sector at the moment, you’re in the right place. Find it here>>> |
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IG Markets Morning Call: daily macroeconomic update |
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We are seeing the dollar soften as US 10-year yields fall from Friday's highs.
Equity markets have in turn been given another short-term boost with US gains seeing follow through in European markets. The move in US financial markets appears to have found some impetus from news that fund manager Scott Bessent will be the incoming US Treasury Secretary. Scott is seen as hawkish around fiscal policy and expected to be more prudent around the country’s large deficit.
Chinese equity benchmarks are however tracking lower this morning, still finding pressure from the expectation of US import tariffs to follow under the new Trump administration.
Our local bourse the JSE All-Share Index is expected to open flat today with the rand continuing to hover around the psychological R18/$ mark.
Oil prices have maintained multi-week highs assessing ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Gold is surprisingly trading lower this morning despite the softer dollar and ongoing geopolitical woes.
There is no high impact data scheduled for today.
Key Indicators: USD/ZAR R18.05/$ | US 10yr 4.35% | Gold $2,662/oz | Platinum $953/oz | Brent Crude $74.05
The macroeconomic update is based on the morning call update by IG Markets |
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