Last week on Unlock the Stock, the management team from PBT Group treated us to a great presentation and Q&A session with the retail investors who attended the session. Unlock the Stock is all about opening up the markets for individual investors and empowering them with more information to make better decisions. Along with Ghost Mail and the shared values of brand partner EasyEquities, this is the stuff that inspires me to do what I do each day! Ultim ately, I just want to see more people creating wealth in the market and making better decisions.

In case you missed the session, the recording is now available on the Ghost Mail website. PBT Group has experienced share price growth of over 4x since the start of 2020, a truly remarkable story. Here's the most important part: the underlying earnings support that move, so this isn't just a case of silly valuation multiples. Intrigued about this company? Of course you are! UNLOCK PBT GROUP HERE>>>

Speaking of intrigue, the US earnings season is well underway and there are many things to learn. I personally love researching the underlying themes that come through in several companies, like the impact of inflation or the benefits of a dir ect-to-consumer strategy. Because of the work that Mohammed Nalla and I do in Magic Markets Premium, I've done detailed research on around 35 global companies since we launched at the end of 2021. In the latest free edition of Magic Markets, we decided to talk about some of these themes. It's a great listen even if you don't invest in the US market, as the learnings are equally relevant to local companies and their strategies. LISTEN TO MAGIC MARKETS>>>

In Ghost Bites this morning, the lead story has to be Astoria's investment in Leatt Corporation. This South African business has taken its neck brace technology to the world, becoming a household name in the world of action sports. The business has evolved far beyond just produc ing neck braces for motocross and endurance riding, with a full range of protective gear covering a wide variety of sports. Astoria has sold its stake in Afrimat and invested the funds in Leatt, a move that will be celebrated by those who have watched Leatt for a long time. The head office may be in Durbanville but the listing is on an OTC basis in the US, which makes it difficult for South African investors to access the stock.

Other news in Ghost Bites includes Grindrod's new CEO and the release of the circular for the Grindrod Bank disposal, as well as a really disappointing set of numbers from Ellies Holdings. There's also an update from Famous Brands on how its restaurants are performing. GET YOUR GHOST BITES>>>

Today is Monday, which means that Chris Gilmour has been busy with one of his highly insightful and interesting thematic pieces that is packed with nuggets of information. Having wrapped up his series on JSE retailers, Chris now begins a series on the opportunities and perils of Africa - a region that has claimed many South African corporate scalps. In part 1, he looks at the positives and negatives of the African market and ends off with a SWOT analysis of the region. LEARN MORE ABOUT AFRICA>>>

Looking beyond equities, the team at TreasuryONE is here to update us on the rate decisions by the central banks last week. The ECB hiked rates for the first time in 11 years, putting through a 50bps increase. All eyes are now on the Fed this wee k, with market consensus for a 75bps hike at the FOMC meeting. There's still some speculation around a 100bps increase, considering inflation is the highest it has been for four decades.

Locally, the MPC delivered a surprise 75bps rate hike as SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago raised inflation expectations while lowering growth forecasts. The rand reacted positively, firming against all major currencies and eventually breaking back below the R17.00 level on Friday.

To add to all this noise in the market, we even saw the resignation of Prime Minister Draghi in Italy!

In case you haven't gotten round to it yet, the TreasuryONE webinar that we enjoyed a couple of weeks ago is still relevant and packed with insights about key macroeconomic drivers. WATCH THE RECORDING>>>

Finally, there's a quarterly edition of Today's Trustee that has just been released. This publication is packed with impressive analysis on South African financial infrastructure, including policy decisions by the SARB and National Treasury. To introduce you to the publication and potentially pique your interest in the topics, we have a note from the editor of Today's Trustee and a link to the full publication. READ TODAY'S TRUSTEE>>>

With that, I'll leave you in peace to start your week. If you're a Ferrari fan, I hope you do a good job today of forgetting about the weekend. Ditto if you watched the Proteas on Friday, a particularly traumatic experience.

Have a good Monday!