Just start investing!
For money managers like ourselves, it is very frustrating to see people losing money because they are not heeding our advice. It must be the same for doctors when they see a patient dying of a heart attack after having pleaded with him or her over many years to please change an unhealthy lifestyle. The […]
Bitcoin
Bitcoin is an enigma. Most Baby Boomers thought it would be a shooting star, burning brightly initially but fading away quite rapidly. Most Generation Z’s thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, although they don’t really understand that analogy. As things stand today, bitcoin is close to $90 000, up 100% for the […]
The results are in!
If you are interested in politics, you would have seen all the hype about the US election over the last few months. The polls predicted a very close race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, but it ended up being a landslide win for Trump. If you are interested in investment returns, you would have […]
Do the rich get richer and the poor get poorer?
If anything, 2024 hasn’t been a boring year. We have seen elections taking place all over the world and we have saved the best for last, the elections in the USA. We have seen wars escalating in the Middle East and big tech companies in America reaching all-time highs on the back of AI. Locally, […]
Markets are doing well but the US elections might have an impact
The elections in the US will take place on November 5, and there is no clear winner at this stage. The difference between the two candidates is huge and their policies will change how things are going to develop worldwide. Currently the equity markets are doing very well, but the bond market is not. The […]
Government policy does matter
If you have ever wondered what impact government policy can have on your investments, stop wondering and look at China. The Hang Seng index gained 25% in one week after the Chinese government said they would introduce stimulus measures and not stop until the economy was back on a strong growth trajectory. With a 29% […]
The markets have spoken
Just last week we talked about the potential impact of lower interest rates on the markets and now, seven days later, we have already seen some interesting developments. We mentioned that over all, lower interest rates would be positive for shares and bonds, and that bonds would be the better medium-term performer if the USA […]
The wait is over, interest rates have been cut.
We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. The interest rate in the US was lowered by 0.5% last Wednesday and South Africa followed with a 0.25% cut. As we have mentioned before, this move signals a cycle that will see rates coming down, supporting bond and equity prices. The loser in […]
Gyrating markets and the 2-pot system
The markets have been gyrating like a Moroccan belly dancer in the casbah. It feels like we are going in circles but we have to admit that this is not unexpected. Three things are causing this volatility: the unpredictability of the outcome of the US election now that Biden is no longer in the picture; […]
Why consumer confidence matters
On a recent trip to the Goegab Nature Reserve outside Springbok, we were sitting outside around our crackling fire. Through the Namaqualand quiver trees we could see the sun sinking into the horizon while the full moon was rising behind us. Ice clinked in our glasses and the smell of grilling lamb chops filled the […]
