Investments / General

Tough times for investors, but there is reason for hope

Delivering exceptional investment performance in current market conditions is no simple task, given that uncertainty and unemployment remain critically high whilst economic growth, liquidity and interest rates remain stubbornly low.

Local lowflation

The week ended on a very sour note as markets were shocked by the sudden and unexpected escalation in the trade war between the US and China on Friday evening. However, there was some good news when Stats SA announced that local inflation fell to 4% year-on-year in July. This was down from 4.5% in June and substantially below the Reuters consensus forecast of 4.4%. Core inflation, which excludes volatile fuel and food prices, ticked lower to 4.2%. Inflation is comfortably below the midpoint of the SA Reserve Bank’s 3% to 6% target range.

Consider the tax implications when taking your money offshore

South Africans are overburdened with taxes, and it’s only set to get worse. If you are considering investing internationally, you should be aware of the tax requirements when deciding on the best investment approach.

Intended and Unintended consequences of negative interest rates