7 companies, often referred to as the “magnificent 7” have been pivotal in driving the performance of the US stock market this year, even as some of these gains have faded in recent months. These 7…

Two weeks ago, I mentioned several assets that had traded to new price highs, including gold. This asset tends to evoke strong emotions. Even wellknown investor, Warren Buffett has a negative view of it, while economist John Maynard Keynes famously called it a “barbarous metal”…

Despite various headlines causing anxiety and affecting investor sentiment, global equity markets in general have surprisingly remained largely resilient and shrugged off the negative news…

This week marked the latest US Federal Reserve meeting, where they announced that short term interest rates would remain unchanged. The market places significant emphasis…

The United States saw a 4.8% year on year increase in the median existinghome sales price, reaching $393,500 in March 2024. While slightly off the highs of mid 2022, residential prices remain exceptionally robust, making home ownership a…

While exchanging your time for money is a worthwhile pursuit, it becomes problematic when the value of money depreciates significantly. Inflation is typically defined as “general increase in prices”, but it…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not new. A defining moment occurred in 1997 when IBM’s Deep Blue computer defeated chess grandmaster Gary Kasparov in a six-game chess match. However, despite this breakthrough, progress…

In today’s globally financially leveraged world, the level of interest rates matter. Which is perhaps why there is so much fascination with announcements from central banks, with none bigger than the US Federal Reserve….

Investing success starts with building savings, and savings requires keeping expenses lower than income. On a personal level this simply means budgeting and managing debt and expenses to accumulate…

For company shareholders, there are many factors to consider when assessing investment feasibility. One metric stands out as the ultimate measure of…

Warren Buffett’s, Berkshire Hathaway again captured attention last week with its renowned annual general meeting drawing significant crowds as always. A major talking point this

The classical understanding of money comes from Aristotle who asked, “what is the purpose of money”? He noted that its primary intended function is a medium of…

We’ve all encountered the increasing red tape required to not only initiate new investment, but also to make top ups or even to redeem existing investments. The bureaucratic processes all fall under…

This year, many people around the world will go to the polls to vote in national elections. The U.S. four-year election cycle, culminating in November, is a significant event, as is South Africa’s five-year…

As South Africans, we have lived under exchange controls for so long that most of us believe this is the norm around the world. However, this isn’t actually the case…

Why do I call this an advantage then? The use of permanent capital provides the fund manager the freedom to make long term decisions without being influenced…

Shane Parrish, the mind behind the weekly blog, Farnam Street (FS) and now the author of the book, “Clear Thinking”, has curated a collection of wisdom which I thought would be fitting as we approach the end of the year…

I recently had the opportunity to reflect whilst on a two-week Camino hike from Porto in Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The peaceful journey provided the perfect backdrop for thinking about investing and investments and what holds ultimate value…

This quote is attributed to Franklin D Roosevelt. If we extend the adage to global financial markets, current stormy conditions are clearly doing their level best to upskill all investors and their advisors…

The massive structures are erected on metamorphic rock known as Manhattan Schist, containing a mineral called Kyanite. This mineral’s presence indicates that the rock was compressed under…

Mark Twain’s quote, “Prediction is difficult- particularly when it involves the future” resonates as many financial commentators attempt the daunting task of forecasting markets at the start of a new year…

Into 2024, Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains extremely topical. Not only has AI chip designer, Nvidia seen incredible price gains, but this week Apple garnered significant attention with its announcement of an OpenAI partnership…

Bonds are a not very difficult to understand – think of them as essentially fixed income loan agreements between lenders and borrowers (mostly governments and companies)…

The steady move away from traditional banking has been catalysed by the so-called neobanks or digital banks, which have, in many aspects, surpassed traditional banking. This shift is happening…

Last week, I made the comment that asset prices are likely to appreciate over any reasonable timeframe, at least in nominal terms. Given the ongoing erosion of purchasing power, this is not a controversial statement…

We are at the halfway mark for the year, and it seems like the months are flying by quicker than ever. It’s been a positive year for most investable asset classes, with some strong performances, but these invariably come with the standard fare of high volatility.