Deal making continues despite the hindrances that have resulted from Covid-19 and global lockdown conditions. Perhaps companies with cash are just finding opportunities to pick up assets on the cheap at the moment.

Fertiliser and chemicals group Omnia says it's in the final stage of negotiations over Oro Agri, the business it bought just two over years ago which caught the attention of an unsolicited buyer earlier this year. While Omnia's is not a forced seller after restructuring its operations and raising R2 billion in a rights offer last year, it said a non-binding offer in June deserved the consideration of its board.

Meanwhile, technology group Alviva has confirmed it's in talks to buy Tarsus Technology, which was formerly headed by its CEO, Pierre Spies. And it's already completed due diligence on its rival.

While Ascendis negotiates the sale of some of its businesses to reduce unsustainably high debt, it will have a new chief financial officer from 1 December. Judging by the commentary on Twitter yesterday, Cheryl-Jane Kujenga may just be the right person to get the pharmaceuticals group's balance sheet back in shape.

Also in today's newsletter, Equites has benefitted from the shift to online shopping, which has supported demand for its logistics warehouses, and Brikor says it will report an interim loss just months after its shares resumed trading on the JSE.

Finally, Cartrack's shares shot up yesterday, pre-empting interim results that are expected out today.

I hope you have a good day.

Stephen Gunnion

Managing Editor, InceConnect

The latest from Ingham Analytics

Ingham Analytics have featured gold in their analysis in several notes, in fact in the most recent Weekly on Sunday it was under discussion. Top trader Andrew Kinsey takes this a step further in "Gold a must?" in which he examines historic and current factors affecting gold. The Swiss are especially enthusiastic about gold, despite their strong franc - why? Why too would deflation and inflation benefit gold or political instability for that matter?

Whilst we're in the commodity arena "Over a barrel?" which was issued on Friday looks at latest developments in energy markets affecting companies such as BHP, ExxonMobil and Sasol. They caution too that material uncertainty on Sasol continues to detract from the investment case.