A destination of ideas
Momentum/UNISA released their Household Wealth Index this week, exposing another strong quarterly increase in the value of nominal wealth during Q4 2012. Despite this, the data demonstrates that households are in fact worse off, due in part to relatively recent recessionary factors.
The first quarter of 2013 has drawn to a close and we have seen the JSE Top40 index (J200) climb from 34796 points on the 31st of December 2012 to close the quarter at 35259 points. Simon Brown has put together this infographic which gives a snapshot of the Top40 index with the Y-Axis representing [...]
“Stamp , stamp, stamp. I just made a million dollars. That’s what I just did.”
If you haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, give it a few days. It will be an established saying in your office, doomed to be repeated ad nauseum now that the new Old Spice ad campaign has made its way across social media networks and email chains around the world.
“I have seen the future and it is very much like the present, only longer…”
This quotation from the author of The Profit is perhaps one of the most apt descriptions of financial markets in 2012. With many predicting financial Armageddon and pointing to rising social unrest in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, the writing seemed to be on the wall for financial markets. When it became apparent that social unrest wouldn’t be a catalyst for a collapse in markets, the focus moved to the “fiscal cliff”, which was expected to create just enough uncertainty to push markets over the edge.
Controversial telecoms analyst John Strand lays down predictions for the year ahead
The country finally has a plan which seems to have buy-in from all stakeholders
The private sector is becoming increasingly nervous about the troubled relationship between government, labour and business. This was the message conveyed at a business breakfast hosted by the ANC’s fund raising organisation, the Progressive Business Forum (PBF) at the party’s 53rd national conference in Mangaung.
Simon chats the FinWeek cover (The Business of Pleasure by Mandy de Waal & Jonathan H Pienaar) and with the CEOs of Afgri and Vunani Property Fund. Trader Talk – what will you do different in 2013 to improve your trading, Simon offers some ideas and the link for the week is For Buffett, the Long Run Still Trumps the Quick Return.
Rapid Growth Markets (RGMs) have been phenomenal performers over the last 12 years
Much has been made of the First National Bank (FNB) innovation programme which has seen employees take home millions of rands in incentives for “big ideas”, however their initiative has been very much an exception rather than the rule in South Africa.
