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WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown

WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown

602 episodes — Page 4 of 13

Ep 531Load shedding impact revealed by weaker GDP (#531)

Simon Shares The local Q4 GDP came in at -1.3%, worse than expected -0.4% and shows the real pain of load shedding and Transnet issues. Q1 2023 not expected to be any better. Every set of results mentions load shedding and retailers are spending ±R1billion a year on diesel. Rand is looking weak, very weak. Grindrod (JSE code: GND) had good results and are clearly benefiting from the failure of Transnet ports. Bank results are looking good with Firstrand (JSE code: FSR) very strong and Nedbank (JSE code: NED) good and doing a R5billion share buy back.

Mar 8, 202317 min

Ep 530City Lodge and the stale bulls (#530)

Simon Shares Budget 2023 show, audio is fixed Solar as a service Retail Savings Bonds five-year fixed now at 10.5% Satrix takes over most Absa ETFs City Lodge* (JSE code: CLH) results Stale bulls Dividend of 5c Occupancies at 57% Debt gone Cater for business, who are Zooming more Overall a bit light Spur (JSE code: SUR) results vs. Famous Brands (JSE code: FBR). * I hold ungeared positions.

Mar 1, 202319 min

Budget 2023, the good, the bad and the worrisome (#529)

Budget 2023 Pieter Janse van Rensburg ~ AJM Tax Tony Leon ~ former leader of the opposition & ambassador Lesego Majatladi ~ Stay Latatude Simon Brown Great insights into the budget, who should be our finance minister and even the Coronation* (JSE code: CML) Con Court appeal against the SARS judgement.

Feb 23, 20231h 0m

Smacked in the face by Coronation (#528)

Feb 14, 202312 min

A paradigm shift is happening (#527)

Simon Shares Sasol (JSE code: SOL) update was all about troubles with power, ports and rail. In other words SA infrastreucture. Pick n Pay (JSE code: PIK), they spending R60million a month on diesel. US unemployment is the lowest since 1969 at 3.4%. Grey listing for South Africa. The Financial Action Task Force will announce their decision at their 24 February meeting. A paradigm shift is happening AI has suddenly landed and it's going to be wild. I rate it with some other major technological paradigm shifts; The personal computer in 1974 The internet in 1990 (yes we had dial up bulletin boards before then, but that wasn't internet). Smart phones with the iPhone in 2007 All were horrid when they launched. But now they drive humanity. Facebook getting their ads working AI after Apple locked them out. Search is changing and will Google be the new winner. We use Dali-E for images on JOL Chat GPT is great, but it is not accurate. That is actually a design feature, but this is only version 3.5 and already lots of people are using it for real world practical examples. How is it going to change investing and trading? I don't know but I know many, myself included, are trying things to see what works and what actually adds value.

Feb 8, 202317 min

Buying some Coronation

Quick update, I buying Coronation (JSE code:CML) at ±3750c. View my portfolio ==>> www.SimonBrown.co.za

Feb 3, 20231 min

How bad is load shedding hitting profits? (#526)

Simon Shares MPC Thursday (26 January) raised 0.25% and FOMC Wednesday (1 February) expected is 0.25%. Capco (JSE code: CCO) good trading update and dividend. Renergen* (JSE code: REN) proposing US ADRs with Nasdaq listing in time to raise last capital required for phase 2. Stocks losing money from load shedding All listed companies are mentioning load shedding in their updates. Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP); "The Group's additional spend on diesel to operate generators across our Supermarkets RSA store base in order to trade uninterrupted during load shedding stages five and six amounted to R560 million for the period." For the six months ending 2 January 2022 operating profit was R5,113billion. So load shedding costing the group ±10% of operating profit? Astral (JSE code: ARL) selling chicken R2/kg below cost of production. "A large portion of the capital expenditure commitments amounting to R737 million, outlined during the F2022 results presentation, has been placed on hold given the current adverse market conditions. The Group has however committed funds towards backup electricity generation solutions to reduce the adverse impact of load shedding."

Feb 1, 202318 min

Shares that profit from load shedding (#525)

Simon Shares Renergen* (JSE code: REN) finally gets phase 1 helium flowing. ArcelorMittal (JSE code: ACL) update, everything they warned about went wrong. MPC Thursday (26 January) and FOMC Wednesday (1 February). Raising 0.25% each. Stocks making money from load shedding Reunert (JSE code: RLO). High voltage cables and circuit breakers. Mustek (JSE code: MST). Green energy division. Famous Brands (JSE code: FBR). Lights out need food. Mahube Infrastructure (JSE code: MHB). Wind and solar operations paying a dividend (DY ±13.5%) and trading below NAV. Kibo Energy (JSE code: KBO). Are they a going concern? They issued shares to pay a £19,635.44 invoice. This is well worth a listen, some important data points from @StefMarani that help understands the road ahead .. https://t.co/6CGNRd6QUe — Simon Brown (@SimonPB) January 24, 2023 @simonbrown_za ArcelorMittal SA horror update as the second half was loss making #investing #share #jse ♬ original sound - SimonBrown * I hold ungeared positions.

Jan 25, 202317 min

Ep 524Which food retailer offers the best value? (#524)

Simon Shares Top40 is all about China. Economic data from China for 2022 released this week was weak, but better than expected. Which food retailer offers the best value? Food inflation is still high, 12.7% YonY for December. But likely peaked (good rains, diesel lower and reducing input costs) Preferred food retailer? Always Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP). But expensive, forward PE 19.5x Pick n Pay (JSE code: PIK). Forward PE 20.5x and not as good as Shoprite. Woolies* (JSE code: WHL). Exited disaster that is Australia. Forward PE 15x and if they can also fix clothing, real winner. Spar (JSE code: SPP). CEO and chair exiting after bad press recently. Poland issues but forward PE 10x. * I hold ungeared positions.

Jan 19, 20238 min

Predictions 2023

Now for the tenth year in a row, we kick off the new year with a prediction show. Marc Ashton, Keith McLachlan and Simon Brown put their heads on the block with three wild and woolly predictions for the markets for 2023 followed by a call on the Top40 and ZAR for the year ahead. Importantly we start each show with a review of the previous year's predictions and you'll find the 2022 predictions show here.

Jan 12, 202338 min

I'm buying Zeda

I've been buying some Zeda on the JSE. - Here's why - A bit about the business - Risks - Possible target price

Jan 10, 20235 min

Ep 522Oil below $80 for the first time in 2022 (#522)

Oil below US$ 80, the first time this year. OPEC+ made no production changes. EU price cap on Russian oil. Done via insurance, but will it work and if it does will oil not move higher? Simon Shares Nampak (JSE code: NPK) results and book build. Worth a speculative punt after the rights issue is done? Solid Sygnia (JSE code: SYG) results and strong dividend. RMI becomes Outsurance on the JSE, code OUT. China zero-covid. Local GDP, better than expected. Worst ETFs of 2022 Position your portfolio for 2023

Dec 7, 202217 min

China zero-covid has failed, now what? (#521)

Simon Shares MPC upped rates 0.75% with more expected in the new year. Solid City Lodge* (JSE code: CLH) update with November occupancies at 60%. Rand below R17/US$ and more strength expected. Top40 sneaks green for the year after a rough ride. This is why we hold And don't panic Markets recover Chinese covid-19 cases hitting new records, by a long way. This has real implications (bad ones) for the global economy as the second largest is going to be struggling in 2023. Chinese covid cases since the start of the pandemic * I hold ungeared positions.

Nov 30, 202218 min

Locally 2022 has not been all horror (#520)

Simon Shares Renergen* (JSE code: REN) did a small capital raise and the market not liking after they said earlier in November they wouldn't do one. Cilo Cybin will not be listed on the JSE. They planned to raise R500million but only got R20.5million. Those who applied will be refunded. Local October CPI was 7.6%, up from 7.5% and vs. an expected 7.4%. Expect MPC to do 0.75% and two 0.25% next taking prime to 11%. Locally 2022 has not been all horror It feels really bad but the JSE has had a fair year with sen decent winners as the two images below show. JSE Top40 stocks year-to-date. (winners) JSE Top40 stocks year-to-date. (losers)

Nov 23, 202216 min

Ep 519Keep your crypto coins safe (#519)

Binance buys FTX. No, they walk away. FTX goes bust. Keep your coins in a hardware wallet, not on the blockchain unless you trading it. I use a Ledger Nano S Plus. What's the future for crypto with another exchange hitting the wall? Simon Shares Results wrap; Purple Group* (JSE code: PPE) Stor-Age* (JSE code: SSS) Ninety One (JSE code: N91) Transaction Capital (JSE code: TCP) * I hold ungeared positions.

Nov 16, 202219 min

Ep 518When to sell a winning share? (#518)

So you bought a stock and it's done good and you're making money, maybe even lots of it. Now what? First, why did you buy it? That'll often help you decide when to sell. Second, is it still going up? Have a line in the sand, using charts, at which you sell. Third, is the news still all good? Bad news means to sell. Simon Shares US inflation due Thursday, expected is 7.9%. Binance buys FTX Time for gold? Murray & Roberts (JSE code: MUR) sell Clough for very little but get rid of a lot of inter-company debt. Leisure stocks looking good, especially the Sun International* (JSE code: SUI) chart. "However, due to the immense interest from the public, as well as international investors to date, we decided to extend the period by 2 more weeks. This will allow for the investors that missed the deadline, to be part of this amazing opportunity to own shares in Cilo Cybin Holdings.". Not a good sign. Elon Musk sells Tesla (Nasdaq code: TSLA) shares worth US$4billion after saying in April he would sell no more. But this should be enough to keep Twitter afloat for the next year. Meta (Nasdaq code: META) to fire 11,000 workers, about 13% of the workforce. * I hold ungeared positions.

Nov 9, 202221 min

After the results, are any FAANGs worth buying? (#517)

After the results, are any FAANGs worth buying? FAANGs, a mixed bag with Meta (NASDAQ code: META) the biggest loser. Is it worth buying or what of the other FAANGs? Apple (NASDAQ share code: AAPL) and Amazon (NASDAQ code: AMZN) would be my picks. Why buy the losers? Simon Shares RMI, I got confused between RMI and RMH last week. Former is becoming Outsurance. Capital & Counties (JSE code: CCO) trading update shows strong leasing activity at Covenant Garden. Octodec (JSE code: OCT) results, discout to NAV +50%, dividend yield ±14%. Sasol (JSE code: SOL) convertible bond issue essential a back door right issue. Bonds expire in five years and convert into Sasol shares at US$20.3863. RSA Retail Savings bonds now offer 11.5% fixed for five years.

Nov 2, 202219 min

Go where the money is (#516)

fff Go where the money is The Fini15 (JSE code: STXFIN*) is the only green index so far in 2022 and the strongest bank YTD? Absa (JSE code: ABG). Simon takes us through the journey of finding the strongest sectors and then the strongest shares to find a trade where the money is. Simon Shares Niche JSE listed property stocks, there are a bunch of them and they're mostly looking good. Famous Brands (JSE code: FBR) results are back at pre-pandemic levels. MTBPS Buy triggers on Nasdaq and S&P500 My lazy system has triggered buys on both S&P500 and Nasdaq. A close above last night's close and I'll be long pic.twitter.com/8HAisLdPZr — Simon Brown (@SimonPB) October 26, 2022 * I hold ungeared positions.

Oct 26, 202218 min

Is it over for construction stocks? (#515)

Murray & Roberts (JSE code: MUR) horror update. "working capital requirements are especially acute" "financial results for the six months period ending 31 December 2022, to be at least 100% down" This is not South Africa at all, it's Australia and the US. We've seen Wilson Bayly (JSE code: WBO) walk away from their Australian operations. Low margins and bankers not keen on bonding projects are going to crunch this industry globally. I would suggest Aveng (JSE code: AEG) is not immune either. The only time this industry really made money was in the run-up to the world cup, and they were colluding to get operating margins of +5%. So really this is a bust industry. That all said, decent results from Calgro M3 (JSE code: CGR) while we wait for Balwin (JSE code: BWN). Simon Shares MTN (JSE code: MTN) ditches Telkom (JSE code: TKG) over their Rain talks. Pick n Pay (JSE code: PIK) results. Not bad but the market hated selling the stock down 9.3%. Is the issue valuation? Forward PE is ±29c vs. Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP) is on ±21x. Combined Motor Holdings* (JSE code: CMH) has great results driven by car rentals surging. But it going to be tough going from here. UK inflation returns to a 40-year high of 10.1%.

Oct 20, 202217 min

"The worst is still to come" (#514)

Oct 12, 202219 min

Rampant dollar (#513)

Simon Shares Remgro (JSE code: REM) plans to unbundle its stake in Grindrod (JSE code: GND). There were ideas that maybe Remgro would take out Grindrod, but the unbundling is going in a different direction and Remgro unbundles shares they don't want. Remember also that after the unbundling expect weakness in the Grindrod share price for a few weeks. They've held them since 2011 and hold a 24.81% stake For every 100 Remgro you'll receive 30.70841 Grindrod shares. Last day to trade (LDT) is 11 October 2022. You'll receive them with a base cost that Remgro paid, that value is still to be determined. Barloworld (JSE code: BAW) trading update is not bad. The big news is that they plan to list Avis by year-end. Tiger Brands (JSE code: TBS) trading update was solid off a low base. The chart looks bullish as it rose +10% on Monday after the update. Chart looking decent and a potential delisting target? The UK is an absolute mess. Here the UK 5, 10 & 30 year bonds for September .(with correct carts) . Just September pic.twitter.com/hMj5yP65bC — Simon Brown (@SimonPB) September 28, 2022 Rampant Dollar The US$ Index (code: DXY) is at twenty-year highs and within a few percent taking out the highs from the early 2000s and heading back to levels last seen in the mid-1980s. The reasons are simple and two-fold; The world is scared and fear sees investors rushing to the safety of the US$. Rising rates in the US now see the US ten-year treasury bills trading around 4%, the highest level in over a decade. So investors can flee to the US$ and buy 10-year bills for a ±4% return. Importantly this is hitting every currency in the world. Has earnings implications for US companies selling products offshore as those profits are now lower due to US strength. When does the strength stop? In the short-term a pullback is likely. But as long as fears remain the strength will continue and could continue well into next year. What to do? Don't panic. Consider some JSE listed currency ETFs. Continue with your offshoring strategy. The tables have turned. Emerging markets are much more resilient against the US Dollar than the rest of the G10. Year-to-date, the Dollar has risen a stunning 15% against the G10 (black), but only 5% against emerging markets (blue). EM is the new standard bearer for stability... pic.twitter.com/ToaQvQB9DS — Robin Brooks (@RobinBrooksIIF) September 27, 2022

Sep 28, 202218 min

Has inflation peaked? What of interest rates? (#512)

hh Simon Shares FedEx (NYSE code: FDX) spooks the market by withdrawing guidance and saying demand is collapsing. Thungela Resources (JSE code TGA) went ex-dividend to 6000c. Wilson Bayly (JSE code: WBO) is letting their Australian operations go bust, not giving any more financial assistance. Has inflation peaked? Local inflation down at 7.6% for August from 7.8%. US August inflation at 8.3% from 8.5%. UK August 9.9% from 10.1%. EU 10.1% up from 9.8%. Europe and UK still have a winter of energy crisis to contend with. US and local looks to have topped, but energy/petrol still needs watching. Food inflation remains high and remains a risk. A recession will dampen demand and help inflation lower. Transport costs are down. BUT, what of interest rates? The problem is getting back to target. Locally 3%-6% US 2% Rate increases still coming, likely into the new year before pausing. Then the long wait for inflation to get to target (or near) before rates start coming down. In the US this is at best 2024 but probably 2025. Locally rates may start moving lower in early 2024.

Sep 21, 202219 min

Ten books for traders and investors (#511)

Simon Shares Trading Trading in the Zone – Mark Douglas (detailed review) Trend Following – Michael Covel (detailed review) Reminiscences of a Stock Operator – Edwin Lefevre Market Wizards - Jack Schwager The Complete Turtle Trader: How 23 Novice Investors Became Overnight Millionaires - Michael Covel Investing The Little Book of Common Sense Investing - John C. Bogle One up on Wall Street – Peter Lynch (detailed review) Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits – Phil Fisher (detailed review) Effective Investor – Franco Busetti The Little Book that Beats the Market - Joel Greenblatt General Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman Fooled by Randomness - Nassim Taleb

Sep 14, 202218 min

The bear and bull case for investing in Shoprite (#510)

Simon Shares Anthony Clark on small caps Purity baby powder products were recalled by TigerBrands (JSE code: TBS) due to traces of asbestos. PSG (JSE code: PSG) unbundling effective at close on Tuesday. Holders at the close will receive 3.87 PSG Konsult (JSE code: KST) 1.82 Curro (JSE code: COH) 0.12 Kaap Agri (JSE code: KAL) 1.04 CA Sales (JSE code: CAA) 1.02 Stadio (JSE code: SDO) The bear and bull case for investing in Shoprite Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP) results saw the stock down 7.5%. Let's dig into what the market maybe didn't like. Only 10% earnings growth? With one week less and the 2021 riots in the numbers, decent albeit not knock the lights out. Only 600c dividend for the full year? Very much in line with the average. Expensive on PE of over 20x? Always is, but mid-range is about 15% lower. So yes, maybe a little more than usual? Opening 275 new stores? Cost and are they cannibalising their other stores? RSA operating margin 6.8%? The top end of the long-term range, worries that it may move lower? But Shoprite remains one of the best food retailers globally and a core holding in my portfolio. I have bids in the market at around R170 which would put it on a PE closer to the mid-range from the last decade. Sixty60 grew 150% and remains the absolute market leader in the grocery delivery space. Checkers Xtra Savings has 24.7m members and it turning into a bank account. * I hold ungeared positions. Sold my Murray & Roberts (JSE code: MUR) Murray & Roberts weekly chart Not a lekker chart, I've held for a while, but am now out #JSE pic.twitter.com/BKKP4HOLhr — Simon Brown (@SimonPB) September 4, 2022

Sep 7, 202220 min

Greylisting, what is it and what if it happens to SA? (#509)

Simon Shares Save R500k with a deposit. ETF closing prices are an absolute mess. Cashbuild (JSE code: CSB) results see them coming back to earth after a pandemic boost. Education stocks all published results. ADvTECH* (JSE code: ADH) is my pick, but all showing student growth and cash generation. Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP) gets permission to turn their money market account into a bank account. Grindrod (JSE code: GND) currently runs the service for Shoprite and African Bank is buying Grindrod Bank. Walmart (NYSE code: WMT) is set to make an offer to the Massmart (JSE code: MSM) minorities for the remaining 47% at 6800c. Netflix (Nasdaq code: NFLX) plans to price its ad-supported plan at $7-to-$9 per month with about 4 minutes of adverts per hour. Purple Group* (JSE code: PPE) back at 203c, always be very careful of casing a news story (the Asia deal announced last week with very few details). Tsogo Sun Hotels (JSE code: TGO) changes its name on 7 September. They will become Southern Sun Limited (JSE code: SSU). UK inflation, Goldman Sachs now saying 22% is possible next year. Sun International* (JSE code: SUI) strong results. Consumers under pressure shouldn't hurt too much as they mostly target higher LSMs and they paid the first dividend (88c) since 2016. Currently, ±3200c is resistance. Greylisting Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Cracking down on money laundering and funding terrorism. Greylisting can reduce a country's capital flows by as much as 7.6%, according to an IMF working paper. Cabinet has approved a raft of new amendment bills but leaving it late, very late. Our deadline is September/October after being put on the watch list last year. The important questions; Will we get greylisted? What happens if we do? If greylisted, how do we get off the list? * I hold ungeared positions.

Aug 31, 202218 min

Spur looking good and Sasol dividends (#508)

Simon Shares Nasdaq (650 points), S&P500 (80 points) & Euro Stoxx50 (22 points) trades all closed. FTSE100 still going currently +100 points. Old Mutual BEE deal, will go into details, but it only closes in late October so no rush. Spur (JSE code: SUR) looking very good. PE ±15x and DY ±5% From the Spur earnings call "And we know that only 18% of the South African adult population represents 80% of economically viable consumer segment." Revenue at record with space to get margins back to pre-pandemic levels. Net income margin was ±5%, historically over 20%. [caption id="attachment_36416" align="aligncenter" width="849"] Spur; revenue, net income, NI margin[/caption]Afrimat (JSE code: AFT) Gravenhage manganese mine deal failing due to the Water Use License being materially different. They raised ±R650million last month. Purple Group* (JSE code: PPE) does a deal in Asia. Kap Industrials (JSE code: KAP) good results and great insights into other industries. Citi now says UK inflation to hit 18% early next year (last week they said 15%). Sasol (JSE code: SOL) pays a dividend, 1470c. Sasol: To answer a separate Q: The EBIT profit split is: •Energy: 58% •Chemicals: 42% (Despite the high chemicals contribution, it is amazing to see how closely Sasol's profit still conforms to the old back-of-a-matchbox calc of 5% of the Rand oil price.) — Karin Richards (@Richards_Karin) August 23, 2022 * I hold ungeared positions.

Aug 24, 202221 min

Is Thungela still a buy? (#507)

Simon Shares BHP Group* (JSE code: BHG) results, have we peaked? Absa (JSE code: ABG) results, but maybe the ore important point of the results is their expectation that prime will hit 11% early in 2023. Chip shortage seems to be easing. Nasdaq is in a bull market, +20% off mid-June lows. Brent oil falling. Current petrol price reduction is 260c for September. UK inflation is 10.1% for July. Charles Savage tells us his fav ETFs Rochelle Writes, pay down debt or save more with high rates. Thungela resources (JSE code: TGA) still a buy? R60 dividend, 40% forward DY HEPS 6723c, forward PE 2.5x Mis-priced at listing, unbundling often cause this to happen. Ukraine's war gave it new legs. Risks Coal price Rand strength Ukraine war Transnet * I hold ungeared positions.

Aug 17, 202223 min

Embrace the risk (#506)

Simon Shares Renergen* (JSE code: REN) the Central Energy Fund has successfully completed their due diligence on the R1billion, final approval is still required. Mpact (JSE code: MPT) results. US jobs data and unemployment continue to belie the recession talk. US inflation for July was 8.5%, a good number. A gallon of gas has fallen below $4 in the U.S. for the first time since March. Credit Suisse has lowered its 2023 UK GDP forecast to -0.6% from 0.5%; expects the UK to enter a recession from Q4 2022 until Q3 2023. Elon Musk sold $6.9-billion (R14.5-billion) of his shares in Tesla (Nasdaq code: TSLA) – his largest sale yet – saying he may need the cash if he has to buy Twitter (NYSE code: TWTR). Embrace the risk Investing is about risk Without risk, there is no reward Without risk, you are saving But the risk needs to be reasonable and the returns realistic * I hold ungeared positions.

Aug 10, 202220 min

There's only thing we can control – the price we pay (#505)

Simon Shares Massmart (JSE code: MSM) update, retail margins are being squeezed, the exception is clothing retail. Thungela Resources (JSE code: TGA) very strong trading update. JSE (JSE code: JSE) results, strong. Nancy Pelosi lands in Taiwan and markets don't really care and China will complain - but this is not leading to war. Uber (NYSE code: UBER) finally hits cash flow positive. OPEC+ 100,000 b/d output hike, expectations (hopes?) were for 4-5x that and the second smallest increase since 1986. Earn 11% with Retail Savings Bonds What's the only thing we control in markets The price we pay Everything else is beyond our control So use your one power carefully

Aug 3, 202220 min

Ep 504Pick 'n Pay catching Shoprite, can they overtake? (#504)

Simon Shares New energy rules for South Africa. Who wins? Silverleaf Investments on Easy Equities. Know what you're buying. Food retailer updates, Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP) winning. Pick n Pay (JSE code: PIK) bounding back and Woolies* (JSE code: WHL) struggling. Cashbuild (JSE code: CSB) and Mr Price (JSE code: MRP) updates show consumers under pressure IMF upgrades SA GDP growth for 2022 to 2.3% up from 1.9% they expected in April. Results from Kumba Iron Ore (JSE code: KIO) and Anglo Platinum (JSE code: AMS) US data Wednesday and Thursday. Omnia (JSE code: OMN) was ex-div 800c on Wednesday and is now back in the longer-term channel. If you've been waiting to buy, now's your chance. * I hold ungeared positions.

Jul 27, 202220 min

The bear market, how much more to go? (#503)

Simon Shares Local June inflation, 7.4%, MPC tomorrow. BHP Group* (JSE code: BHG) update, they are worried. ArcelorMittal South Africa (JSE code: ACL) trading update says global growth and recessions fears "present challenges for the outlook of commodities and steel demand in the next 12 to 18 months.". China's holdings of U.S. debt fell below $1 trillion for the first time since 2010 Alviva (JSE code: AVV) delisting at 2500c. Brent oil trade keeps on trucking, buy below $100 exit $113. Brent oil Nasdaq, triggered a buy, waiting for confirmation which is a close above 12,250 while 7 EMA remains above 21 EMA. Building resilient portfolios for tough markets Lithium & Battery Tech ETF Stats and data on 95 years of bear markets. How much longer? How much lower? * I hold ungeared positions.

Jul 20, 202220 min

Dividends, love them but be careful (#502)

Simon Shares US June inflation 9.1%, and core inflation was also up a 5.7%! Still stage 4. Rand continues to weaken. Back backs between 4 July 2022 & 8 July 2022 Naspers JSE code: NPN) bought 659,095 shares at an average price of R2 648.3315/share for R1.745 billion (US$104.73 million). Prosus (JSE code: PRX) bought 6,240,339 PRX shares at an average price of €67.1361/share for €418.95 million (US$428.59 million). SARB now considers cryptocurrencies as a financial asset and will create regulations around them. This means cryptocurrencies can be listed on SA exchange platforms but the process will take 12-18 months. Dividends, love them but be careful. But we also need to remember a few important things about dividends. They can disappear as we saw in 2020. Even the most stable dividend payer can stop paying. REITs which have to pay them by law being a REIT structure) stopped paying because payment would see them fail their solvency tests. They are backwards-looking. A high dividend yield is certainly attractive, but is it because the price has been falling? Could this be a warning of a dividend cut? Cyclical stocks (think commodity stocks) pay massive dividends sometimes, then nothing for years. Boards can change the cover ratio. This is the percentage of HEPS they pay as dividends. In tough times they can cut them. As the company matures they pay more. Progressive dividends are the worst. The idea is that every year the dividend goes up a set percentage regardless of profits. A few local stocks have tried the idea, all have abandoned the idea. Cash dividend vs. script dividend. I'll usually take the script. Reg28, proposed a two-pot system Sam Beckbessinger: My fav ETFs

Jul 13, 202218 min

Ep 501Commodities rolling over (#501)

Simon Shares Still stage 6. Rand continues to weaken. Naspers (JSE code: NPN) and Prosus (JSE code: PRX) both are holding well after the hard run the previous Monday on results and buy-back news. Resources under pressure, all of them. Supply chains adjusting Just in time is now just in case Higher inventories Higher costs More localisation Upcoming events; 13 July ~ To short or not to short with Markets.com 14 July ~ JSE Power Hour: Building a resilient portfolio for tough markets

Jul 6, 202218 min

Celebrating 500 episodes (#500)

Simon Shares Episode #500. Huge thanks to all, I go into some background about the show. Where and how it started, lessons learnt and more. Stage 6, the Rand lost 30c. Sun International* (JSE code: SUI) update for five months to 31 May 2022 shows they are nearly back at pre-pandemic revenue and this while we still had some restrictions and fewer international travellers. Naspers (JSE code: NPN) / Prosus (JSE code: PRX) results. Tencent (Hong Kong code: 700) is 125% of profits. The other businesses are all loss-making and in tough markets. They plan to sell down Tencent and buy back Prosus shares, but the discount to NAV remains around 50%, even after a massive move on the announcement. Grindrod (JSE code: GND) good update and share has been flying. This remains a very cyclical business and right now the cycle is paying off. Invicta (JSE code: IVT) saw strong results albeit some accounting points improved them a bunch. JSE (JSE code: JSE) trading update is surprisingly strong with HEPS expected +24%-32% for six months ending June. * I hold ungeared positions.

Jun 29, 202221 min

Crypto in trouble (#499)

Simon Shares Thungela (JSE code: TGA). Coal prices doing great, production is good but rail is the problem but HEPS is expected at 5800c. If we double for the full year we can expect ±R116 and a dividend of ±R100? Stor-Age* (JSE code: SSS) results are not exciting but steady. Omnia (JSE code: OMN) results were really strong, another special dividend and good future prospects. Orion Minerals (JSE code: ORN) raises money to get their Prieska up and running. Expected to take some 19 months. Amazon prime coming to South Africa next year. It will seriously challenge Takealot, owned by Naspers (JSE code: NPN)). City Lodge* (JSE code: CLH) trading update show them cash flow positive with occupancies back in profit. * I hold ungeared positions. Crypto in trouble Not an inflation hedge nor a store of value. Just another risk asset. The problem is as QE ends and rates rise, will it still see a strong inflow of money? I think not. It's not the end crypto, but new highs could be some way off.

Jun 22, 202218 min

It's all about the bears, and inflation (#498)

Simon Shares US May inflation, 8.6%. Federal Reserve announced rates last night and surely it was 0.75% for the first time in 28 years? Either we have continued high inflation or a recession, maybe even both? Time for a Paul Volcker and do a 1% raise? It's ugly, Nasdaq and S&P500 both closed at lows for 2022 and are both are now in a bear market. S&P500 draw down at close 13Jun22 And failing a real test or liquidity and exchanges halt withdrawals.

Jun 14, 202218 min

Are Robinhood's troubles Purple concerns? (#497)

Simon Shares Sygnia (JSE code: SYG) results and a forward dividend of maybe as high as 10%. Local GDP at 1.9% for Q1 2022. The economy has now recovered to its pre-pandemic levels. Consumer cracking? I interviewed Evan Walker 36One Asset Management. Inverse ETFs that go up as the market falls. * I hold ungeared positions. Upcoming events; [events_list limit="3"] ddd Are Robinhood's troubles Purple concerns? [caption id="attachment_34522" align="aligncenter" width="761"] Robinhood since listing vs. Purple Group[/caption] Robindhood Purple Group (Nasdaq code: HOOD) Purple Group* (JSE code: PPE); Listed July 2021 at $38, hit $85 and now under $10 (-75%) July 2021 145c, high since 350c and now 260c (+81%). Makes most of their revenue from selling the deal flow and Gold accounts. Revenue is from transactions. The majority of transactions are in options or crypto. The majority of transactions are in equity, but crypto, EC10, is growing. Needed a quick $billion to settle meme stock trades. The balance sheet is fine. Huge repetitional damage when they halted trade in some meme stocks. Value traded by clients has been falling since Q1 2021. Value traded by clients fell in the last set of results. Not yet profitable. Profitable, PE ±50x. Users declined in 2022. Users grew in last results to +1million active accounts. Market cap per user = $478 (ZAR7,400) Market cap per user = ZAR3,263 Revenue per user (2021) = $80 (ZAR1,250) Revenue per user = R109

Jun 8, 202223 min

Commodity demand destruction (#496)

Simon Shares The good news is the US had a green week last week, for the first time in 8 weeks Goldfields (JSE code: GFI) is down on news it paying a chunky 33.8% premium to acquire Canadian Yamana Gold in an all-share deal We finally got the petrol price increase and the 150c fuel levy reduction remains in force, for now. German inflation hits 7.9% for May. Highest since the 1950s. EU inflation for May 8.1%, the highest ever. EU agrees on a partial ban on Russian oil imports Monthly dividends in a JSE equity portfolio Offshore ETFs paying monthly dividends Demand destruction in commodities There comes a point at which a commodities price is simply too high and the price itself reduces demand. Depending on the commodity high prices often need to be high for protracted periods of time.

Jun 1, 202219 min

Consistent little wins creates wealth (#495)

Simon Shares Results are pouring in, food producers are struggling. Coronation (JSE code: CML) results with DY of over 10% and PE ±9X. Snap Inc (NYSE code: SNAP) profit warning. It now trades at half its listing price. Current under recovery in petrol price is 236c, + the 150c fuel levy suspension means we could see a 386c increase in June to over R25 a litre! What's your fav ETF? We ask our readers, Rochelle is first up and likes an offshore ETF with a monthly dividend payment of almost 1%. Hello Eskom, best budget power banks. Slightly better than average is enough Investors and traders love big winners. That 10 bagger that happens in a matter of months or maybe a few years. But by consistently hunting for those big winners we're taking larger risks. We're better off aiming for the modest winners. Beating your benchmark by 2% a year sees you with almost 50% more after twenty years. A recent Planet Money Podcast, Investing in mediocrity, talks about a fund manager who only ever aimed to be in the top third of all funds. After a decade of succeeding at that, they were the top fund over ten years.

May 25, 202218 min

Balwin vs. Calgro & Shoprite vs. Pick n Pay (#494)

Simon Shares 10X Investments buying CoreShares. MPC, 0.5% expected. Balwin (JSE code: BWN) results vs. Calgro M3 (JSE code: CGR). Pick n Pay (JSE code: PIK) results vs. Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP). * I hold ungeared positions.

May 18, 202216 min

When does the tech selloff end? (#493)

Simon Shares US April CPI 8.3%; Core CPI 6.2% (month-on-month core was +0.6%) FOMC Sibanye-Stillwater* (JSE code: SSW) update the market hated. Kaap Agri (JSE code: KAL) results Wandile Sihlobo on agri in SA. New Satrix global healthcare ETF. Thungela Resources (JSE code: TGA) could pay an R100 dividend this year, putting them on a +40% DY. US Tech selloff continues 1-year FAANG returns ° Meta ° Apple ° Amazon ° Netflix ° Alphabet pic.twitter.com/VybsCoWDfh — Simon Brown (@SimonPB) May 9, 2022 * I hold ungeared positions.

May 11, 202218 min

Stagflation (#492)

Simon Shares Combined Motor Holdings* (JSE code: CMH) results, Best ever. Renergen* (JSE code: REN) cold commissioning of phase 1 going well. New global healthcare ETF coming from Satrix. Currently in IPO and listing 26 May. EU unveils a proposal to ban Russian oil imports within 6 months, all refined oil products by the end of the year. OPEC+ Sees Production From Non-Opec Participants in OPEC+ at 18.2 mln Bpd in May, 600,000 Bpd Lower Than Last Forecast Lyft (Nasdaq code: LYFT) shares fall 26% on disappointing forecast (earnings 75% below expectations) as they say they'll pay drivers more. Intel says chip storage till 2024 at least. Stagflation "Stagflation is most commonly referred to as the simultaneous experience of three separate negative economic phenomena: rising inflation, rising unemployment, and the declining demand for goods and services." The best defence is generally commodities. * I hold ungeared positions.

May 4, 202222 min

The world's ten oldest exchanges (#491)

The world's oldest exchanges starting in India all the way through to Amsterdam.

Apr 27, 202213 min

History of stock exchanges in South Africa (#490)

Staring in Kimberly in 1881 through to the present Simon details the history of stock exchanges in South Africa.

Apr 20, 202221 min

Purple results, mixed bag (#489)

Simon Shares US inflation 8.5%, UK 7.0% Capitec* (JSE code: CPI) results and a special dividend. Dave Segall asking about "Looming food and fertiliser shortages" and impact on local agriculture stocks. Purple Group* (JSE code: PPE) trading update (here are my previous expectations). * I hold ungeared positions.

Apr 13, 202214 min

Ep 488What the Rouble teaches us (#488)

Simon Shares I have closed my Nasdaq long position. Still long FTSE100. Purple Group* (JSE code: PPE) trading update. Looks a little better than I expected. MTN (JSE code: MTN) more Nigerian woes. Reports that Woolies* (JSE code: WHL) may be selling David Jones. Elon Musk buys 9.2% of Twitter (NYSE code: TWTR). Moodys upgrades sovereign and banks from negative to stable. Deutsche Bank says: US recession in 2023 and stocks to fall 20% by summer 2023 * I hold ungeared positions. The Rouble is almost back at pre-war levels against the US$. 20% interest rates, capital controls, no foreign selling on the Moscow Exchange, selling oil & gas in Roubles (maybe), reports of paying interest on debt with Roubles and of course traders in for a buck.

Apr 6, 202218 min

2022 movers so far, mostly good (#487)

Mar 30, 202223 min

Tencent ex-growth. Woe is Napers & Prosus (#486)

Simon Shares Just One Lap is 11 years old :) FOMC, as expected. Local MPC tomorrow. Nasdaq, time to buy? Also FTSE100. Both a technical buy, not taking a view on the fundamentals. Brent almost back at US$120. China opened up already, well Foxcon at least. Tencent results, flat-lining. The end of an era! So says Tencent as revenue grows in single digits, the lowest quarterly number since listing back in 2004. Tencent's declaration is resignation that any expansion will be cautious and controlled. Prosus down 8.2%, Naspers down 8.4%. Prices still look vulnerable — David Shapiro (@davidshapiro61) March 23, 2022 Thungela Resources (JSE code: TGA) results and 1800c dividend. "developments in terms of new thermal coal projects which have been hampered by financing opportunities, given ESG pressures on carbon fuels" * I hold ungeared positions.

Mar 23, 202219 min

Ep 485China makes peace with big tech (#485)

Simon Shares Big banks now all have released results, mostly good albeit off low base. Covid cases in China surge, new lockdowns. Hello, more supply chain mess. People asking if I updated my view on Purple Group* (JSE code: PPE). Nope, volatility likely helping the revenue, but I need new data (results) first. Commodities weak, brent oil now in a technical bear market. China makes peace with tech Prosus (JSE code: PRX) and Naspers (JSE code: NPN) now flying (+20% n Wednesday). Discount still +50%. Reports of WeChat being hit with a massive fine for money laundering?money laundering China's state council has in one move just: *Pledged to keep capital markets stable *Vowed to support overseas stock listings *Said dialogue with US re ADRs is 'good' *Promised to handle risks for property developers *Clarified regulation of Big Tech will end 'soon' *BOOM pic.twitter.com/xHYgcbchCo — Sofia Horta e Costa (@SofiaHCBBG) March 16, 2022 * I hold ungeared positions.

Mar 16, 202220 min

Prosus/Naspers, is there value in the NAV? (#484)

Simon Shares Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP) results, it's all about innovation. Strong un International* (JSE code: SUI) update. War in Europe, commodities still the story. Very volatile, that's expected. But I expect more upside and I am happy to hold. Upcoming events; 17 March ~ JSE Power Hour: Geopolitics, inflation and markets Prosus (JSE code PRX) / Naspers (JSE code: NPN) / Tencent (Hong Kong code: 700) Tencent has been under pressure Naspers and Prosus have been hit even harder Live Prosus discount to net asset value (NAV) is now some 55% after hitting 60%. VK (old mail.ru) has been written down to zero. Generally unlisted is worth a lot less than stated? Buy / Sell / Hold? VIE structure China has not taken sides in the war, so far Tax on profits if they sell Tencent More Chinese crackdowns? Prosus has been wasting money from the sale of 2% stake in Tencent? Buying back shares Buying Delivery Hero (Frankfurt code: DHER) * I hold ungeared positions.

Mar 9, 202219 min