With a public holiday in the middle of this week, some are expecting a relatively quiet time on the JSE. We will have to wait and see how that pans out.

Investors in the financial services sector will note a couple of stories of interest this morning. Not only did Alexander Forbes release results yesterday, but Sanlam separately announced that it is acquiring the Life business from Forbes for R100m. This is a perfect example of a market in action, with companies wheeling and dealing to tilt their portfolios and strategies in particular directions.

The Huge - Volaris - Adapt IT saga continues, with Huge Group releasing its Category 1 circular to shareholders. This is simply the regulatory process taking its course but it makes for interesting reading. When there's a bidding war underway for a listed company, with another listed company as one of the bidders, there's an impressive paper trail on the JSE.

Those interested in the agriculture sector must listen to the latest episode of Magic Markets, in which Wandile Sihlobo joined us to discuss the opportunity for this sector in South Africa. Companies including Omnia, Zeder, Senwes, TWK and Kaap Agri are all relevant in this sector and can be assessed by investors.

I looked abroad for trends of interest and found some interesting tidbits in the results for Ted Baker, a London-listed clothing company. Have a read if you're curious about the current demand for formal wear and the level of online sales in the UK.

Finally, the team at AnBro (a name you may recognise from previous Magic Markets episodes where Craig Antonie appeared on the show) gives an introduction to the concept of model portfolios, brought to you by Black Onyx.

Enjoy your Fake Friday and make time to read your Ghost Mail this morning as well!

The Finance Ghost