The Johannesburg Stock Exchange closed at a record high today. Strong performances by retailers and mining stocks buoyed the local bourse higher. This was in spite of poor performances by MTN and Vodacom. Let's take a closer look at what happened on the JSE today…
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Ask anyone what the biggest challenge to investing in property is and they'll tell you...
“I don't know where to start?”
After all, no one wants to risk their hard-earned cash on property without knowing what, where and why to buy. And they generally have no clue of what they're getting involved in.
Sure, you could spend hours glued to books and property magazines...
But the pro... ››› more
Most of you have read or at least heard of Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The book is famed for drawing out the common traits believed responsible for different people's success.
We'll, during a recent South African Investor meeting, I got to hear the property insights and tips from a host of property moguls and experts.
And today, I've combined these views with my ... ››› more
It would be great if an investing method existed that made money easily. Sadly this isn't the case. Yet some methods appear to make more sense and have a better track record than others. One method worth having a look at is Joel Greenblatt's. His method is all about buying good quality companies at cheap prices. Let's take a closer look at how this works…
How does Greenblatt’s method work?
... ››› more
If you want to invest in unit trusts, you can either opt for an active fund or a passive fund. Active funds generally have higher fees, but with that comes the promise of better performance. Passive funds aim to track the performance of the market. Their fees are lower than active funds. Even though active funds promise better performance that comes with higher fees. So passive funds can be a good... ››› more
Earlier today, Mondi Ltd released its results for the full year to the end of December. The paper and packaging giant surprised with a solid set of results boasting jumps in earnings and profits. The share price responded favourably to the news. Let's take a closer look at what the results revealed…
Mondi shares soar on back of results
The market greeted Mondi’s results with open arms tod... ››› more
Earlier today, Shoprite released its results for the six months to the end of December. The retailer's results showed poor growth in profits over the period. Lacklustre spending by consumers hit sales. Investors didn't like what they saw either, punishing the share down. Let's take a closer look at what Shoprite's results revealed…
Shoprite plans to look “for growth outside a sluggish South ... ››› more
Earlier today, Nedbank released its full-year results to the end of December. These were better than forecast, with earnings beating expectations. Shares in Nedbank responded well to the results. Let's take a closer look at what Nedbank's results revealed…
In its results, Nedbank reported growth in “diluted headline earnings per share (HEPS) by 15%,” reports BDLive. They came in at 1,829c,... ››› more
Bitcoin continues to feel the strain as problems at the Mt Gox exchange carry on. The issues have led to concern and confusion about the digital currency. So what is going on with Bitcoin? Is the digital currency doomed? Let's take a closer look at what's going on with Bitcoin…
Two weeks ago, the first Bitcoin exchange, Mt Gox, announced that it stopped customers withdrawing Bitcoins from thei... ››› more
So far, 2014 has been good for gold. The price of gold is up 9.6% so far. In comparison, the JSE's All Share Index is up only 1.93% over the same period. But what is driving the gold price higher? And how is the rest of 2014 looking for the yellow metal? Let's take a closer look a crucial bullish force behind the gold price…
The gold price has benefitted so far this year from investors looking... ››› more
When you start reading the fact sheets that accompany different unit trusts, you'll come across the total expense ratio (TER). If you're stuck between choosing which fund to invest in, comparing the different TERs can help you come to a decision. But what exactly is the total expense ratio? Let's take a closer look at what it means…
May 2007 saw the introduction of the total expense ratio (TER... ››› more
Since dipping to $1,195 in mid-December, gold has been on a volatile journey upwards. After closing last night in London at $1,296, gold has blasted through the $1,300 level. And it has kept on rising. Let's take a look at what's pushing the price of gold higher…
Gold is in the midst of its “longest rally since 2011,” says Mineweb. The yellow metal has soared through the $1,300 level “fo... ››› more
Putting some cash into physical gold is like having an insurance policy for your portfolio. If shares tank, you still have your physical gold. It's a liquid asset and it's a store of wealth. So if you want to invest in physical gold, what's the best way to go about it? Read on to uncover two simple ways to own physical gold…
If you want to buy physical gold, here are two options to consider, F... ››› more
I've spent over R100,000 worth of products, market newsletters, financial losses and terrible financial advice from executive traders…
All I used to hear were false promises, ego driven incentives and chauvinism where they guaranteed huge returns in a short period of time.
Most of the guys who tell you they have a holy grail for trading has either an inferiority complex or the need to be right... ››› more
Bitcoin has had its fair share of controversy over the last six months. Various governments have restricted its use. There's been links to illicit goings-on. And, just recently, the world's first Bitcoin exchange caused havoc by suspending its trading. But Bitcoin appears to shrug off these issues and marches on. Let's take a closer look at what this means for Bitcoin…
At the beginning of the ... ››› more
After the rand's rally yesterday, it's again trading above R11 to the dollar. There are a number of factors weighing on the local currency. Not helping matters is a strengthening dollar. And investors are worried about a number of domestic issues. Let's take a closer look at what's troubling the rand…
After showing signs of strength yesterday, the rand has “slipped against the dollar,” rep... ››› more
Yesterday, African Bank issued a Swiss franc bond worth 175 million Swiss francs (R2.15 billion). The news sent shares in the bank soaring as investors greeted the news well. Let's take a closer look at why it had such a positive impact on the bank's share price…
African Bank (ABIL) “issued a senior unsecured bond worth 175 million Swiss francs” yesterday, reports Fin24. The market took th... ››› more
There's an old Wall Street saying that goes: “Put 10% of your net worth into gold and hope it doesn't go up.” That's an unusual thing to hope for. But the truth is, when gold flies, it means things are wrong elsewhere. And that's why gold can be the insurance cover that your portfolio needs. It has many advantages over other assets. Read on to find out why…
Physical gold isn’t the liabil... ››› more
Twitter hit the stock market at the beginning of November last year. The hype surrounding the listing was similar to that seen when Facebook listed. Yesterday, the micro blogger released its figures for its first quarter. And even though the number were in line with forecasts, investors expected more. The share plunged in after-hours trading. Let's take a closer look at what Twitter revealed…
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Yesterday, mobile operator Vodacom released a trading update covering the last three months of last year. In spite of showing strong growth in data usage, it appears investors are concerned with the mobile giant's future outlook. Let's take a closer look at what the trading update revealed…
In spite of Vodacom’s trading update containing some good news, shares in the mobile operator “close... ››› more