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Junk status doesn't necessarily mean junk returns

16 May 2017 | General

The recent sovereign rating downgrade makes South Africa the third BRICS nation to have received a junk credit assessment at S&P Global Ratings. However, before falling victim to any impulsive investment decisions, it is imperative to note that Brazil and Russia – the two other countries to have previously experienced downgrades of this nature – were the top emerging market performers in 2016.

Band-Aids and credit downgrades

16 May 2017 | Economy

Often in life, the anticipation of an event is worse than the actual event itself. If you have ever gone for an injection, you may have experienced some anxiety, fear or even a general feeling of unrest.

Trump dumps market bumps

16 May 2017 | Economy

Surprise firings of key officials are not unique to our own head of state. American President Donald Trump axed the head of the FBI, begging the question whether it relates to the ongoing investigation of the Trump election campaign’s links to Russia. For investors, the pertinent question is how markets are impacted. The answer is that it is simply too soon to tell. Markets rallied strongly after Trump won the election in November, on the assumption that his policies will favour businesses by cutting tax rates, reducing regulation and spending on infrastructure. However, this ‘Trump bump’ had already seemingly run out steam as it became apparent that implementing his agenda faces many hurdles, not least of which are the constant self-created controversies. This is just the latest in a series.