Tag: interest rates

A 26% increase in headline earnings per share and a robust balance sheet enabled an 81% increase in the interim dividend per share. The South African economy held up relatively well as global economic conditions deteriorated significantly in the first half of 2022.

As interest rates continue to rise, it is more important than ever to put down a deposit on your new home to keep your monthly bond repayments down. Inflation in South Africa rose to 5.9% in April 2022 and by the end of May, the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee increased the repo rate by 100 base points to 4.75%.

June was a brutal month for global equities, capping the worst first half of a year since the launch of the MSCI All Country World Index in 1987. For indices with longer track records, the story is worse. In the case of the US S&P500, the first half performance has not been this bad since 1962.

With South Africans learning to live with the current cycle of stage 6 load shedding, many believe the ongoing power cuts to be the antagonist behind the weak Rand. However, according to treasury experts, load shedding is merely a small contributor to a far greater picture.  

Naspers Limited (JSE: NPN) announced strong revenue growth with profitability in core operations for the year ending 31 March 2022. Building on the prior year’s standout performance, the Group’s ecommerce portfolio delivered revenue growth of 49% to US$10.7 billion.

Prosus N.V. (AEX: PRX) announced strong revenue growth with profitability in core operations for the year ending 31 March 2022. Building on the prior year’s standout performance, the Group’s ecommerce portfolio delivered revenue growth of 51%1 to US$9.8 billion.

The prolonged Russia-Ukraine war is ushering in a new era of volatility and possible recession for South Africa and the world. When Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered his maiden budget speech in February 2022, little did he know that Russia would invade Ukraine the very next day, immediately changing both the world and South Africa’s economic outlook for 2022 and beyond.

The National Budget Speech is here, and South Africans are ready to face the reality of increased costs across the board. Rising fuel prices, growing inflation, increased interest rates and the inevitable surge in food prices all seek to cripple household finances.

It’s been a busy time for the US dollar. On the one hand, it has featured heavily in commentary on the future of the global monetary system. On the other hand, it has surged in foreign exchange markets. In other words, even as many commentators question the future of the dollar as global reserve currency, participants in foreign exchange markets have scrambled to buy more dollars.

Despite economic turbulence in South Africa, the repo rate has remained two basis points lower than it was before the pandemic’s onset in March 2020. This, combined with high approval rates amongst the banks, has created favourable home loan lending conditions for buyers.