Assets & Investments

Political concerns have dominated markets in recent months. It has mostly been US President Donald Trump throwing his weight around (tariffs, Iran, North Korea), but in the past week Italy has been the source of market unease.

Throughout history, the world has been exposed to numerous economic bubbles. From Japan’s real estate and stock market bubble in 1990 to the dot-com bubble and US housing bubble, each one had dire consequences for the economy and detrimentally impacted millions of people. Whether Bitcoin is destined for a similar fate remains a rife debate among investors and cryptocurrency experts alike.

The Group continued to develop increasingly relevant products and services to a broader South African customer base. The financial results improved off the back of better risk management processes, while the advances book has stabilised off better new business volumes, notwithstanding the difficult economic conditions experienced during the reporting period.

Technology is changing the playing fields in business – and in the financial planning environment in particular, can allow intermediaries to enhance their business operations and their client engagement. On the other hand, the human element is similarly important – for insight, holistic thinking and a trusted relationship. Optimally combining the two, in a well-considered and complementary way, can mean greater efficiency, greater productivity and more satisfied clients. But the key is to get it right. 

The affirmation of South Africa's investment-grade credit rating by Moody's late on Friday is welcome. South Africans will now be spurred to focus on their individual financial wellbeing and ask if their own status could be described as investment grade or junk. This in light of the fact that 94% of South Africans still on the junk watchlist.

The start of the year is a common time for people to re-evaluate their lifestyles, their careers and their financial situations. This often manifests as the famous “New Year’s resolution,” an impulsive decision to kickstart the year with some form of lifestyle change, fitness goal or new habit.

Somewhat ironically, each new year launches into the same old news cycle: the WEF meetings at Davos, the State of the Nation (Sona) speech, presentation of the national Budget to Parliament. Those a bit longer in the tooth may feel that it’s all over-hyped – 'sound and fury, signifying nothing' – because invariably these events don’t become watershed moments, just brief intermissions that change little, if anything.

With the range of investment options available today, the choice of products investment products is overwhelming. Perhaps this is one reason that when it comes to household savings, South Africa does not fare well compared to global standards.

The drought in Cape town and surrounding areas have caused a surge in impact investing. Impact investment is to a large extent still fairly unknown and under-used in South Africa, despite the vast opportunities in a country with a massive scarcity of resources.

Geoff Blount | Managing Director | BayHill Capital | geoffb@bayhill.co.za | www.bayhillcapital.co.za | This is a win for Cyril Ramaphosa, but given the make-up of the new NEC, this is not necessarily a loss for the Zuma faction within the ANC.Markets got this one wrong – and were pricing in a Cyril slate victory, rather than a “hung” NEC. Hence, we expect the rand and the domestic-facing stocks to weaken tomorrow after their recent rally. Some of the euphoria will be repriced out of the market and it will retrace some of its steps as the reality sinks in.If people were looking for