FAR FROM CATASTROPHIC
By Stephen Cranston
The mid year results season started with a bang. The short-term insurance industry is accustomed to underwriting ratios (profits retained from the year's premiums as a percentage of premiums) of 2%-3%. But Santam's record underwriting ratio ...
BRIGHT RESULTS MAKE LIGHT OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
By Brendan Ryan
De Beers' interims were better than expected, underscoring the continuing strength of the diamond market. Indeed, there could be a shortage of diamonds as demand surges and new sources of supply around the world look thin on the ground. That's ...
HEATER IS STILL PLUGGED IN
By Chris Gilmour
In our "Hot Stocks" article (Cover Story January 9) we tipped Connection Group in the retail sector for 2004. Seven months later, it looks like the prediction is coming true. Connection's a small-cap stock, with a market capitalisation ...
ANOTHER BOTTLE TO FALL OFF THE WALL?
By Chris Gilmour
Looks like another company will soon be leaving the main board of the JSE Securities Exchange (JSE). SABMiller is considering a bid to minority shareholders of Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI) for the 26,5% of the company that it doesn't alr...
MORE THAN A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
By Chris Gilmour
Cashbuild's shares reached a record high of 2 511c last week, as traders anticipated an upbeat trading statement. This small-cap (R576m) building supplies retailer was highlighted last year by Jamie Carr as a "diamond" (Diamonds & Dogs S...
PLATINUM PLAYER KEEPS ITS PLACE
By Andrew McNulty
As expected, Anglo Platinum's interim earnings have risen strongly from the low base set a year ago, when the performance was marred by production problems. In the latest six months, production improved at most of the operating mines and there...
STRONG RAND HITS THE MARGINS
By Brendan Ryan
Harmony will next week report its results for the June quarter. And they're widely expected to be terrible, given the exposure of the group's marginal mines to the strong rand. There are worries in Australia that the revenue squeeze could dela...
MORE CHOICES FOR THE PERPETUAL THIRTY-SOMETHINGS
By Chris Gilmour
Woolworths' product offering is unique in SA clothing retailing. It's a hybrid, selling a mixture of up-market food ranges and middle-market clothing. Though originally modelled on the UK's Marks & Spencer (M&S) concept, Woolworths is now re...
BEYOND THE BOOMS AND BUSTS
By Chris Gilmour
It's back to the 1960s for SA's post-democracy economy, according to Old Mutual Asset Managers (OMAM) - and their analysts believe that's a good thing. Investors accustomed to taking a shorter view might find the OMAM view a useful corrective. ...
ABI AND UNDUE INFLUENCE
By Andrew McNulty
It's interesting that the board of soft-drinks distributor Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI) has already formed a separate, independent sub-committee to consider a possible offer to minorities by parent SABMiller. This should happen as a m...
DIAMONDS & DOGS
By Jamie Carr
Diamond Liberty International Liberty International is looking like the biggest no-brainer since De Wet Barry. The share has been going strong despite the strength of the rand, and anybody who believes that the curr...
ANGLO PLATINUM
By Andrew McNulty
Hold Ord price: R232 Div yield: 2,9% PE ratio: 19,6. Sector P...
MUTUAL & FEDERAL
By Stephen Cranston
Catch some if you can Ord price: R20 Div yield: 3,6% PE ratio...
