My wife and I have cut down on sugar.
We are trying to be healthier this year by following a strict lifestyle, going to gym six days a week and travelling every three months or so.
Now when you are on a strict lifestyle change, it means you need to be more aware.
Every time I go to the grocery store, I need to make sure that I read the ingredients on EVERYTHING I buy.
You'll be sur... ››› more
Where is, the Rand going?
The biggest surprise last week came from the Rand which strengthened another 2,3% against the US Dollar and 3% to the Pound. This put Rand hedge stocks under pressure and the Resources Index fell 2,7%. The JSE Top 40 index was down 1,5%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1,8% and the S&P500 1,5%, touching new highs. European markets were firmer but m... ››› more
Admittedly, I expected more movement in the Rand once the cabinet reshuffle was announced. We have a saying that “the Market always knows” which seems to apply in this case.
When Mr. Nene was removed, the Rand fell 8,5% within the first few days and then extended those losses by another 10% a few weeks later. By comparison the Rand has loss only 7% so far, perhaps the Market knew that SA I... ››› more
Fun times we're living in.
We have two scenarios with oil in South Africa.
Oil goes up in price and the petrol price goes up.
Oil goes down in price and the petrol price STILL goes up.
So clearly, no matter which way the oil price goes, we are still going to pay higher petrol prices.
But there are ways to profit from the oil price, by just using one simple line.
Today I'm going to... ››› more
As I write to you today, I feel silly.
I've just done a thorough analysis on gold, and what I see is absolutely unprecedented.
In the last couple of years, we've seen gold go from $1,900 down to $1,076 an ounce.
But looking at the chart, you've seen nothing yet! Gold was a safe haven and now it’s a living hell!
What you’re looking at is the monthly chart of the Gold Index.
... ››› more
As the global economy recovers from the financial crisis, one sector that is still bearing the brunt is commodities.
Commodities are at multiyear lows, but this doesn't mean there aren't opportunities to take advantage of.
So where should you look to put your money in the sector?
Read on to find out…
The woes of commodities
It’s not easy to find commodities that a... ››› more
Commodities have had it tough over the last few years. As the Thomson Reuters/CoreCommodities CRB Commodity Index shows, from 2011, commodities are down around 48%.
The vast majority of commodities are sitting at lows not seen in years.
But this doesn't mean commodities won't recover. The sector is cyclical. And this means is will recover at some stage.
Let's take a closer look…
W... ››› more
Commodities have had it hard over the past few years. The vast majority are struggling not to sink lower in price.
But there is an exception. And this is cocoa.
Cocoa is rising in value. And it looks like it has a lot further to rise.
Let's take a closer look…
The case for cocoa
Have a look at the chart below showing the performance of different commodities over the... ››› more
Standard Bank Africa Index exchange traded note (ETN) tracks the performance of the Standard Bank Africa Equity Index. The ETN has a listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange…
Full name: Standard Bank Africa Index ETN
Short name: SB AE IDX
Ticker: SBAEI
Sector: JSE listed notes
Five top facts about Standard Bank Africa Index ETN
Fact #1:
ETNs are ... ››› more
Standard Bank Africa Commodity Index exchange traded note (ETN) tracks the performance of the Standard Bank Africa Commodity Index. The ETN has a listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange…
Full name: Standard Bank Africa Commodity Index ETN
Short name: SBAC IDX
Ticker: SBACI
Sector: JSE listed notes
Five top facts about Standard Bank Africa Commodity Index ETN
Fact #1:
ETNs are ... ››› more
The rand had staged a bit of a comeback over the past week or so as analysts expect the US to only hike interest rates next year.
But it was all change for the local currency this morning as it took a knock after the release of import and export data from China.
Let's take a closer look at what's going on…
Chinese imports slide over 20%
This morning, the rand was under pressure as... ››› more
If you like to trade commodities, you'll know there's more to trading commodities than gold and oil. There are other commodities like grains, cotton and sugar.
Another commodity you can trade is coffee. And the price of coffee looks like it could be ready to rally.
Read on to find out more about this trading opportunity…
Why coffee could be about to soar
At the moment, futures tra... ››› more
Yesterday, shareholders in Glencore watched in amazement as shares plunged over 25% in London and Johannesburg.
The fall continued this morning in Hong Kong, where shares shed over 27%.
So what's going on with Glencore?
Let's take a closer look…
Shares in Glencore bounced higher following yesterday’s fall
This morning, shares in Glencore [JSE:GLN] climbed back over 5% in ear... ››› more
Just as the rand managed to claw back some of last week's losses against the dollar yesterday, today it lost its grip.
The South African currency has plunged to new record lows against the greenback as worries intensify over the state of the Chinese economy.
Let's take a closer look at what's going on…
Traders are shunning the risky rand
The rand hit R14.13 to the dollar in earlie... ››› more
It's no secret how bad commodities have had it over the past few years. Rock bottom prices means that stocks are also trading at multi-year lows.
So are there investment opportunities in commodity stocks?
Read on to find out…
Why investing in commodity stocks could be a great long term bet
The commodities sector has had it tough. The vast majority of commodity stocks have been und... ››› more
Commodity currencies are the currencies of countries which have a heavy reliance on commodities. This could be raw materials or natural resources they export.
The South African rand is a commodity currency, with the SA economy relying heavily on the export of its mined resources.
Commodity currencies have been under immense pressure.
So what are the world's major commodity currencies? And... ››› more
The financial markets have certainly been on a rollercoaster ride over the past month or two.
This includes the drama around Greece nearly defaulting and receiving yet another bailout; the crash of the Chinese stock market; and the fall in global markets this week as investors worry about how state of the Chinese economy.
These events haven't helped the performance of commodities. Their down... ››› more
You'll know that commodity prices are down and the dollar has been on a strong run.
These factors spell doom for the Canadian dollar over the past few years. And they've helped push the Canadian dollar to hit an 11-year low against the greenback.
But the Canadian dollar could have been through its worse and be getting ready to rally.
Read on to find out more and how you can prepare yourse... ››› more
The world is running out of water. Demand is soaring, but drought is keeping supplies in some regions of the world extremely tight.
As the world faces this growing crisis, there are opportunities to profit from companies that are providing solutions to deal with the lack of water.
Read on to find out more…
The growing strain on water supplies
The UN predicts that demand for water ... ››› more
Thanks to spread trading, it's never been easier to trade commodities. If you want, you can trade gold, coffee, cotton and oil.
But the commodities market is notoriously volatile and this underlines the importance of risk management.
So how can you control your risk when trading commodities?
Read on to find out…
How to limit your losses when trading commodities
Making hefty pro... ››› more