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…

What does it take to be a successful investor? Undoubtedly, knowledge, skill and strategy are critical. Less acknowledged but still significant, is the role of luck…

If you were given a $100,000 to invest, how would you invest it? The time horizon and risk profile are crucial, but an equity index that returned more than 20% over the last 12 months would surely catch…

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…

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

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….

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…

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”…

This week, Amazon shares traded near their all-time high at around $185 per share. Spending time in the United States, it is apparent how pervasive Amazon is….

I am spending a few weeks in the United States with my family and always find it intriguing to compare prices across basic grocery items such as eggs, milk, yogurt, beef and fuel…

Efforts to reduce carbon emissions have intensified globally. Just as important in the climate change fight, is the need to remove excess greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere…

This week, the U.S. inflation rate for February was released at 3.2%, slightly higher than the market’s expected 3.1%. While this could imply the possibility of higher interest rates for longer, investors in the equity market took it in…

Over the last few weeks, we have seen a range of markets and assets trade at new all-time highs. These new highs often trigger nervousness among investors, yet the adage holds true – bull markets climb a “Wall of Worry…

In 1965, Warren Buffett took control of Berkshire Hathaway when the company was valued at $20 million, with shares trading at around $19. Originally a declining textile manufacturing firm…

In the world of personal finance, the concepts of saving and investing are often confused. They each serve a distinct purpose and therefore it is important to clarify each of them from first principles…

This year Microsoft surged to over $3 trillion in value, becoming the largest company among the so-called “Magnificent 7” (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft…

“A trillion here, a trillion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.” This famous quote was supposedly made by the late US Senator Everett Dirksen, who served in the 1960’s, and…

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…

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…

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…

In a world where an eye-for-an-eye rules AI progress delights as the shiny jewel ChatGPT is more than a machine It is a friend and tutor helping us to learn and dream

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…

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

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…

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…

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…

This maxim encourages individuals to approach a situation or problem by flipping it upside down, examining it from the reverse perspective to enhance clarity of thought and gain deeper insights…

The biggest talking point in global markets is rising interest rates to combat high inflation. It is widely accepted that there is a negative relationship between spending and interest rates, hence the move…

Warren Buffett wisely quoted in his 2018 annual letter to shareholders, “Rational people don’t risk what they have and need for what they don’t have and don’t need.” He mentioned this in the context of…

A key indicator that we watch on an ongoing basis is the yield, or interest rate, on the US 10-year bond. Just a few years ago, during the depths of the pandemic, this key rate plummeted to a low of around…

It is completely understandable that retired investors in the drawdown phase, “never want to dip into the capital”. This assumes that the income is not only sufficient at the start of the drawdown period…

Most diamonds sold at the retail level lack any genuine scarcity. This perception of diamond scarcity was carefully crafted over the last century by De Beers Consolidated Mines…

After discussing various allocation scenarios, I received an updated report this week on global USD forward looking returns from BCA Research. While it’s a comprehensive 26-page report on long…

In last week’s article discussing currency devaluation, I emphasized the importance of considering investments in real assets, including shares in multinational companies, as a safeguard against…

On Monday this week, Argentina, a country with a GDP of approximately $480bn, devalued its official currency, the peso, by a staggering 18%. Simultaneously the government upped the official interest…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

One of the more notable investors of the 20th century was the late Sir John Templeton. Green had the opportunity to interview Templeton in 1998, when Templeton was 86 years old and actively…

Have you heard about the aftercare facility that charged parents a small fee for picking up their children late? Unfortunately, it had the exact opposite effect as more parents began picking up their children…

SA has been a member of FATF since 2003, and therefore should know exactly what is required from it. However, at the end of February, the global body concluded that SA had not taken sufficient steps…

When investing in a company, you are buying into all its future earnings. There is always a level of uncertainty when trying to estimate these earnings, with some industries far more unpredictable than others…

Last weekend I watched the Netflix documentary, “Madoff: the Monster of Wall Street.” Bernie Madoff was responsible for the world’s largest…

When the stock market is volatile, patient investors tend to look to companies that consistently pay dividends in order to achieve growth in the long run. One such company is the Lindsell Train Investment Trust (LTIT)…