by Dave Mohr, Chief Investment Strategist for Old Mutual Wealth Over the next few weeks, investors are likely to hear the old saying “sell in May and go away,” particularly since global markets have rallied so strongly over the past year (more so...
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Don’t focus on macroeconomic indicators
Macroeconomic indicators have far less impact on investment returns than many investors think. If you focus on the future direction of economic variables, you risk losing sight of the most important predictor of investment returns: the price you...
Be wary of investment seminars
Sebobe was invited by consultants working for the London School of Investment to attend a presentation about investing in the JSE. They are selling their software for between R14 900 and R19 500 and claim that after their training presentation he...
Managing client expectations under different inflation scenarios
David Leslie, MD of Belmont Asset Management in Cape Town, explains that investors should take the inflationary environment into account when they evaluate the growth rates of their portfolios. It is sometimes a good idea to reiterate certain core...
Don’t chase market performance
Steven Nathan, CEO of 10X Investments, warns investors not to be influenced by short-term market performance. Every year, legendary investor Warren Buffett's annual letter to shareholders offers valuable investment advice. In his most recent...
Facebook taking a shotgun approach to capital allocation
With technology companies much in the news recently, RECM’s Paul Whitburn says valuing companies such as Facebook involves more questions than the asset manager is comfortable with. While Facebook’s share price continues to run, RECM prefers to...
Emerging markets: it’s our turn
Jeremy Gardiner, director at Investec Asset Management argues that most of the economic pain we are feeling in South Africa at the moment is being felt more or less similarly across all emerging markets. My brother has just returned to South Africa...
Is investment style relevant in South Africa?
Geoff Blount, CEO of Cannon Asset Managers, examines whether investment style is relevant in South Africa, how it has played out in recent years and what the implications are for investors. An increasing and common refrain we hear from consultants...
What should you look for when selecting an asset manager?
Patrick Barker, Private Client Portfolio Manager at Cannon Asset Managers, looks at key factors to consider when selecting an investment manager. Dealing with other people’s money carries a fiduciary duty and responsibility. When making decisions...
The cost advantages of index tracking funds
by Mike Brown, Managing Director, etfSA.co.za Warren Buffett, the world’s most famous investor, made the following observation in his letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders in February this year. In his instruction to the Trustee of the Warren...
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Four quick investment lessons
Given the recent market events, such as the weakening rand, it is becoming even more vital for investors to understand that their investment portfolios are not only influenced by market movements, but also by their own actions. This is according to Dave Mohr, Chief...
Bad start for equities in 2014: is it time to panic?
By Alwyn van der Merwe, Director of investments, Sanlam Private Investments With global equities down by 3.7% in January and local equities losing 2.4% of their value, it almost feels like an own goal or an intercept try was scored in the opening moments of the match....
Watching TV news is bad for you
Lara Warburton of Imara Asset Management warns of the dangers for investors of paying too much attention to the news. Do you want to avoid making bad investment decisions? If you do, a good start is to avoid too much bad news on TV; especially now that the...
Investment opportunities in turbulent times
South African investors need to be aware of the difference between risky businesses and risky investments, as often the confusion between these can result in missing out on opportunities within the current market environment. This is according to Piet Viljoen,...
Where should your investment money go?
In the face of volatile global equity markets and structural economic challenges, there is much debate around what investors can expect going forward. At times like these, it is worth remembering that investment has always been about taking risk in the face of...
Fees can erode your retirement annuity value
Many South Africans will look to invest in a retirement annuity (RA) before the end of February, which represents the close of the country's tax year, in order to take advantage of the tax break. However, according to Steven Nathan, Chief Executive Officer of 10X...
The enigma of the JSE in 2013
Geoff Blount, CEO of Cannon Asset Managers, looks deeper into the performance of the JSE in 2013. How do you explain to your children that, in spite of an overall drop in earnings per share on the JSE of 6.4% in 2013, prices rose by 17.8%? This strange...
Starting a savings plan
“You always say that every cent is important so I want to start a savings plan. My pocket money is R400 a month and I want to save R200 to invest for the future. I want to know how I should invest my money,” writes Amogelang who is 22 years old and currently...
Stock picks for the year ahead
Nedbank Private Wealth suggests their stock picks for 2014 for every member of your extended family. The Nedbank Private Wealth Christmas stocking selection of shares for 2013 included some strong performers, but the portfolio’s overall performance was adversely...
Hot stock picks for 2014
We picked the brains of various asset managers and came up with five hot stock picks for 2014. 1. Standard Bank This financial services company boasts a strong management team, renewed focus on returns, the potential of further African interests and a well-provisioned...