Register for the next edition of Unlock the Stock, coming up on Thursday at 12pm with TWK Investments. This agriculture group is listed on the Cape Town Stock Exchange and A2X, so this is a great opportunity to learn about a group that might not be on your radar. Register here>>>

Learn with Ghost Mail:

• The Ghost Wrap podcast is a fast-paced update on Aveng, PSG Konsult, De Beers (and by implication, Richemont), Alphamin, Universal Partners, Stor-Age, Sappi and Glencore. Brought to you by Mazars, you can find it here>>
• In Episode 120 of Magic Markets, Alexander Weiss of Trive South Africa joined us to look at South African banks vs. global counterparts and why the approaches to risk management are so different. We also talked about key ratios when assessing banks. Listen to it here>>>
• In this insightful article, Nico Katzke of Satrix drills into the hedging of rand exposure within a portfolio and why tactical hedging and strategic hedging should be thought of differently.
• In case you missed it, I had a detailed chat with Bruce Whitfield on The Money Show last week about how I research stocks and why I believe that common sense might be the most important research tool of all. Listen to the recording here>>>

No financial cavities in this deal

Anything related to the dentist is traumatic for most of us. I've long held a view that the oral hygienist is the real danger in that process, with the dentist as more of a red herring. Either way, I don't think the dentistry industry is o n the radar of many investors. Universal Partners may have changed that, demonstrating that it was possible to double the value of an investment over just a few years by building a dentistry business in the UK.

At the other end of the spectrum of M&A success, we find Sappi and a failed deal to sell the European graphic paper mills to Aurelius, a European investor. The wording in the boardroom was probably rather graphic as well, as the deal fell through because the parties couldn't reach an agreement on the transition plan. Sappi shareholders weren't happy with this news.

For these stories and the latest from AH-Vest, Industrials REIT (where there is now a formal offer), Grand Parade and Rex Trueform, read Ghost Bites at this link>>>

Retail sales down, banking up

In today's update, TreasuryONE highlights data from the US on Friday that showed a drop in retail sales for the second month in a row. This was accompanied by a University of Michigan release that put one-year median inflation at the highest level in 6 months, with gasoline prices given the blame. As South Africans, we know all about spending money at the petrol station and having less available for the shops!

Notably, US banks have been reporting and beating market expectations. Despite the crisis we saw at Silicon Valley Bank, these have been positive conditions for larger banks.

T he University of Michigan release put the rand under pressure, trading at R18.15 on Friday.

Remember, if you have a need for forex services for yourself or for your business, contact TreasuryONE.

Find some inspiration today

In the latest bizval podcast, I was thrilled to speak to Murray Clark about how he is completely rethinking property investments. While he builds out Neighbourgood in Cape Town and attracts digital nomads to the city from across the globe, his ambitions are to take the model to other destination cities around the world.

Give yourself a healthy dose of inspiration today by listening to one of the most impressive young entrepreneurs I've ever met, available at this link>>>

Have a lovely Monday!