Tag: Momentum Investments

The South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept interest rates steady at 3.5% at the scheduled September 2020 interest rate-setting meeting despite downwardly revised growth and inflation views. This decision tied in with the view of 15 out of the 25 analysts surveyed by Reuters, while we were one of the ten favouring a 25-basis point cut.

Real GDP surprised the market consensus to the downside in the second quarter of 2020 as the effects of the pandemic and the associated lockdown measures ate into economic activity. Growth contracted by 51% q/q saar and printed lower than the August 2020 Reuters Econometer median growth forecast of 44.5% p/p saar.

Over the years, debt has gotten a pretty bad rap – and often for good reason. But it’s important to remember that not all types of debt should be painted with the same brush, and that there is such a thing as good debt. Knowing the difference between good and bad debt is crucial to wealth creation.

Three months ago, investors were looking forward to an improved year of global growth and corporate earnings. That was then. The coronavirus crisis is an era-defining event; one which will have a significant impact on not only how we live, but also where we invest.

We have prepared a short summary and useful infographic following the president’s announcement of a R500 billion economic and social relief package in his address on Tuesday night 21 April 2020. The source of the remainder of the R500 billion financing outside of the R200 billion loan guarantee scheme, budget reprioritisation of R130 billion and around R100 billion from multilateral sources and global partners

Where did all the toilet paper go? Snapshots of empty store shelves, low levels of storable staples like rice and noodles and city-states raising emergency levels has served to escalate panic buying and even shop-raiding in some parts of the world.

We live in a society of instant gratification. Google and Uber have become verbs – showing how accessible it has become to find information instantaneously and get a taxi to your doorstep in minutes. Click for takeaway food. Download a movie. Shop online. We post or tweet and are instantly heard by hundreds or even thousands of people. 

The Bureau of Economic Research released the Business Confidence Index (BCI) for third quarter of 2019. The index plummeted to a 20 year low of 21 index points. The BCI remained unchanged between the first and second quarter of 2019, before weakening in the third quarter. The BCI has trailed below the 50 neutral mark (a value above 50 signals optimism and pessimism is indicated when the value dips below 50) for the 19th consecutive quarter.