Polishing up Brait
Written by Dirk van Vlaanderen – Portfolio Manager A rough diamond is known as a brait and significant value is added through polishing and shaping it before it is sold. JSE-listed Brait is an investment holding company that plays an active role in improving and growing its portfolio of investment companies. We evaluate the opportunity […]
Brighter prospects for Woolworths
Written by Mohamed Mitha – Investment Analyst It has been an eventful decade for South Africa’s iconic retailer, Woolworths. Their Foods business has grown into one of the most profitable in the world, while their Fashion, Beauty and Home (FBH) division has faltered and their Australian department store acquisition, David Jones (DJ), has been a […]
Prudential nurtures healthy growth in Asia
Written by Jihad Jhaveri – Head of Process Following recent corporate actions that separated out its UK and US businesses, Prudential plc (Prudential) is now primarily focused on the fast-growing life insurance, health insurance and asset management markets in Asia and Africa (servicing over 18 million customers at present). We unpack the opportunities within their […]
Aroundtown: repositioning real estate
Written by Meyrick Barker – Investment Analyst Real estate markets have been severely affected by the COVID pandemic restrictions on the movement of people. Travel restrictions and a move to substitute business travel with online meetings have decreased the demand for hotel accommodation. An increased acceptance of flexible work-from-home arrangements has reduced the need for […]
Fiserv is a fintech gem
Written by Gracious Mashila – Associate Analyst Founded in 1984 and listed on the Nasdaq in 1986, Fiserv has grown consistently to become one of the largest and most diversified US financial technology (fintech) companies. The company significantly increased its scale following the acquisition of First Data in July 2019 and is now seen as […]
The copper conundrum
Written by Mandi Dungwa – Portfolio Manager The physical and chemical qualities of copper make it the material of choice for a variety of industrial applications. We rely heavily on copper across a multitude of industries including construction, power generation and transmission, electronics and industrial machinery manufacturing. Through its use in electric vehicles (more than […]
Zimmer Biomet: smart orthopaedics
Written by Edward Mtsweni – Associate Analyst With populations rapidly ageing in developed economies and China, there is a growing need for orthopaedic medical treatments as bones and joints deteriorate in old age. Through significant investment in research, development and innovation, Zimmer Biomet (Zimmer) stands out as a global leader in the orthopaedic products field. […]
Panasonic – beyond appliances
Written by Abdul Davids – Head of Research In 1918, at the end of the First World War, Konosuke Matsushita founded the Matsushita Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works (Matsushita Corporation) – with a two-way socket and an attachment plug for light bulbs as its only inventions. Spawned from these humble beginnings, the business – now known […]
The mobile money opportunity
Aslam Dalvi – Portfolio Manager “Mobile money” encompasses a set of financial services (and to a lesser extent other commercial services) provided to consumers through their mobile telephones. At the core of the service is usually a mobile wallet that is either directly linked to a bank account or to a customer identity, with funds […]
AB InBev: has beer lost its fizz?
Dirk van Vlaanderen – Portfolio Manager The recipe for beer has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Water, barley, hops and yeast continue to be combined in breweries all over the world to create this popular, refreshing beverage. However, industry trends suggest that consumers young and old are drinking less beer, demanding a greater variety […]
