South African stocks’ record 12-month winning streak has further to go thanks to booming metals prices and the firmer rand, according to Bank of America Corp. The South African benchmark touched a fresh record high Monday, bolstered by gains in gold and silver after the US and Israel attacked Iran. While index pulled back as the session went on, it still outperformed the broader emerging markets g...
South African stocks’ record 12-month winning streak has further to go thanks to booming metals prices and the firmer rand, according to Bank of America Corp. The South African benchmark touched a fresh record high Monday, bolstered by gains in gold and silver after the US and Israel attacked Iran. While index pulled back as the session went on, it still outperformed the broader emerging markets gauge on the day. The country’s market is benefiting from a rare alignment of supportive global and domestic forces, particularly elevated metals prices and expectations of a weaker dollar, said BofA South Africa strategist John Morris . “We’re in a sweet spot,” he said in an interview. “You don’t often see this combination, and we still have runway.” The FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index has surged 44% in the past year, with metals and mining stocks leading the advance . It’s gained each of the last 12 months, the longest such streak in records going back to 1995, and the benchmark’s 7% jump in February was the biggest monthly advance in more than two years. The commodity cycle could underpin markets for the next 12 to 15 months, said Morris. Gold has soared 86% in the past year while platinum is up 146%. “It’s the decade for resources; US inflation is elevated,” said Morris. “It feels like the ‘70s.” The hostilities in the Middle East don’t change his constructive view on the outlook for South Africa, he said, noting that precious metals prices were strong on Monday. The rand, which he views as undervalued, may also gain further, helping push bond yields lower and support banks and other domestic sectors, he said. The currency has strengthened about 15% against the dollar in the past year. High commodities mean a stronger rand, which bolsters South Africa’s domestic companies, said Morris. Financial and industrial shares could deliver meaningful returns as they catch up to miners, he said. Morris said South Africa’s latest budget “just supports the case” for investing in loc...
2026 has already been a challenging year for the cryptocurrency industry. And XRP (XRP +1.73%) hasn't escaped the crash, with the utility-focused token losing around 25% of its value in just under three months, as I write this. Experts aren't sure why the market has suddenly pivoted away from crypto in a time of rising economic and geopolitical uncertainty. That said, this isn't the first time dig...
2026 has already been a challenging year for the cryptocurrency industry. And XRP (XRP +1.73%) hasn't escaped the crash, with the utility-focused token losing around 25% of its value in just under three months, as I write this. Experts aren't sure why the market has suddenly pivoted away from crypto in a time of rising economic and geopolitical uncertainty. That said, this isn't the first time digital assets have broadly declined. And history tells us that they will bounce back. Let's discuss three reasons XRP could be a great place to park $500 while you wait for a rebound. Expand CRYPTO : XRP XRP Today's Change ( 1.73 %) $ 0.02 Current Price $ 1.36 Key Data Points Market Cap $83B Day's Range $ 1.34 - $ 1.41 52wk Range $ 1.14 - $ 3.65 Volume 3.6B Macroeconomic conditions remain favorable The recent cryptocurrency drop doesn't seem to be tied to any problems with the asset class from an economic or regulatory perspective. On the contrary, these fundamentals seem more favorable than ever. The political front has been the most exciting, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under Donald Trump moving away from lawsuits toward a stance that favors regulatory clarity and integration. These changes have directly benefited XRP, which recently settled an SEC lawsuit over the classification of its XRP token sales. The court decided that its sales to retail investors didn't fall under securities regulations, while some of its sales to institutional investors did. While XRP's developer, Ripple Labs, was required to pay a fine of $50 million, this is actually very good news for XRP because it gives regulatory clarity. Large, risk-averse institutions now have a clearer idea of how to deal with XRP, potentially incentivizing them to add it to their portfolios. The resolution of the lawsuit may have also helped push the SEC to approve XRP-based spot exchange-traded funds late last year. These provide direct access to XRP without the digital wallets and other complexiti...
(RTTNews) - ALSO Holding AG (ALSN.SW), a water and wastewater utility company, on Tuesday announced the launch of a share buyback program of up to 120 million euros, with the repurchase scheduled to begin on March 12. The program represents approximately 5% of the company's market capitalization, based on the current share price. The company said that the repurchased shares are intended to finance...
(RTTNews) - ALSO Holding AG (ALSN.SW), a water and wastewater utility company, on Tuesday announced the launch of a share buyback program of up to 120 million euros, with the repurchase scheduled to begin on March 12. The program represents approximately 5% of the company's market capitalization, based on the current share price. The company said that the repurchased shares are intended to finance potential acquisitions, enhance liquidity, and support long-term, performance-based compensation programs. The company said its forward-looking business model, strong leadership and consistent cash flow management underpin its continued sustainable growth. ALSO Holding AG closed trading, 0.37% lesser at CHF 163.20 on the Swiss Stock Exchange. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
European natural gas prices rose more than 20% amid uncertainty over how long exports will be halted from the world’s largest LNG export plant in Qatar and the impact it will have on global energy supplies. Benchmark futures surged for a second day as countries in Asia scramble to secure alternatives after QatarEnergy’s facility was shut when it was targeted in an Iranian drone attack. Several buy...
European natural gas prices rose more than 20% amid uncertainty over how long exports will be halted from the world’s largest LNG export plant in Qatar and the impact it will have on global energy supplies. Benchmark futures surged for a second day as countries in Asia scramble to secure alternatives after QatarEnergy’s facility was shut when it was targeted in an Iranian drone attack. Several buyers are requesting LNG shipments to be delivered early to try to meet demand now, hoping that the situation eases before long. The biggest question for the market is how long the fighting will last. The US sent conflicting messages about the duration of the war, with President Donald Trump vowing to do “whatever it takes.” The price is up more than 60% since Friday’s close, volatility not seen since the energy crisis in 2022. Europe is entering the last stretch of winter with its vast gas tanks depleted, potentially intensifying competition for global flows during the upcoming stockpiling season. Traders are also questioning the severity of the attacks on the Qatari facility, which is one of the most significant unplanned outages ever for the industry. The Qatari facility accounts for around a fifth of global supply. Even before the halt, the widening war in the Middle East had effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, the route through which Qatar needs to ship its gas, since the weekend. The situation threatens Europe’s stockpiling as potential competition with other regions for LNG cargoes widens price spreads. European summer gas flipped to a big premium over contracts for the following winter, making it uneconomical for traders to store the fuel. “We expect substantial price volatility over the coming days as market participants assess the impact of lost production on their own supply portfolios,” said Ross Wyeno, associate director, lead LNG short-term analysis at S&P Global Energy. “The buyers which will be most aggressive at near-term spot purchases will likely be in...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Thesis Today I want to discuss a company that reflects a setup that has produced some of the strongest returns I have seen throughout my investing experience. A founder-led business with significant insider ownership, expanding into a large total addressable market with a product designed to outperform legacy competitors, benefiting from macro tailwinds and...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Thesis Today I want to discuss a company that reflects a setup that has produced some of the strongest returns I have seen throughout my investing experience. A founder-led business with significant insider ownership, expanding into a large total addressable market with a product designed to outperform legacy competitors, benefiting from macro tailwinds and improving unit economics. These types of setups are rare because the combination itself is uncommon, and they are often difficult to spot before the story becomes widely understood. Beeline Holdings ( BLNE ) operates in the U.S. mortgage origination market, a sector still dominated by manual processes, fragmented competitors, and slow turnaround times. However, Beeline markets itself as a technology-driven mortgage platform that combines automation of repetitive processes and customer interactions facilitated by AI with less friction and lower turnaround times. Rather than reinventing the mortgage itself, Beeline focuses on modernizing how loans are sourced, processed, and delivered—with the goal of making what has traditionally been a slow and complex experience faster, more efficient, and more accessible for a new generation of borrowers. If Beeline’s technology-driven approach proves effective, they can rapidly gain volume as the mortgage industry is characterized by low switching costs and limited brand loyalty. Management has outlined an ambitious objective of reaching a $100 million revenue run rate within 24 months. Achieving that goal is far from certain and will require sustained execution. That said, the broader setup—including improving industry tailwinds and, in particular, a founder with a demonstrated track record of building and exiting successful businesses—suggests that the company may be in the early stages of something much larger. From my perspective, Beeline carries a hugely asymmetric investment profile, in which the downside is tied to execution risk...
Key Points Tepper's stock moves happened two months ago, at a minimum. He only sold a fraction of his positions in Nvidia and Amazon. 10 stocks we like better than Micron Technology › Among small retail investors, following what billionaire hedge fund managers are doing is a popular strategy. While it's not perfect, it has several advantages, among them that it allows you to piggyback on some of t...
Key Points Tepper's stock moves happened two months ago, at a minimum. He only sold a fraction of his positions in Nvidia and Amazon. 10 stocks we like better than Micron Technology › Among small retail investors, following what billionaire hedge fund managers are doing is a popular strategy. While it's not perfect, it has several advantages, among them that it allows you to piggyback on some of the expensive research done by the largest actively managed funds in the world. However, there are some caveats to this strategy. One billionaire whom I follow is David Tepper, who founded and runs Appaloosa Management. He has a great track record of success, so seeing that he reduced his stakes in Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) last quarter was a head-scratcher, as these two stocks have been long-term winners. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Does he have information that we don't? Or is there something else going on here? We're looking at old information Investors only get a snapshot that shows what moves hedge fund managers have made in a given quarter 45 days or so after that quarter ends. So, if you're trying to follow a fund manager who trades in and out of positions frequently, the strategy of taking your cues from their quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission isn't going to work. To make this method work, one needs to apply it to investors with a longer mindset, like Tepper. Information about what investments these fund managers hold as of the end of each quarter is made available to the public via a Form 13F, but if, for example, Tepper sold shares on the first trading day of the fourth quarter, Oct. 1, we could be making decisions based on information that's at this point five months old. So, investors must consider all of the events that have...
07.06 GMT Introduction: Reeves to respond to spring forecast after oil and gas prices surge Good morning. “Events, dear boy, events”. Rachel Reeves may have the (probably apocryphal, oft-quoted) wisdom of Harold Macmillan in mind today, as she responds to the latest official assessment of the UK economy. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s new Spring Forecast could, in happier times, have broug...
07.06 GMT Introduction: Reeves to respond to spring forecast after oil and gas prices surge Good morning. “Events, dear boy, events”. Rachel Reeves may have the (probably apocryphal, oft-quoted) wisdom of Harold Macmillan in mind today, as she responds to the latest official assessment of the UK economy. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s new Spring Forecast could, in happier times, have brought the chancellor good news this afternoon. Economists predict they will show that the UK is still keeping within the OBR’s fiscal forecasts – helped by a record budget surplus in January – and that inflation is heading down towards target. However, the Middle East crisis mean such predictions are out of date before they’re even published, as the world faces the threat of a new energy crisis. Yesterday, liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices rocked by over 40%, and oil rose 6%, after Qatar’s state-run energy firm halted LNG production and Saudi Arabia temporarily shutting down some units of its massive Ras Tanura oil refinery following attacks by Iran. These moves, as the US-Israel war on Iran rages, risk reigniting the cost-of-living crisis. As economists at Investec explain: double quotation mark The main economic consequence of higher energy prices would be to boost inflation. In the UK, illustratively, the current level of the oil price would, if maintained, add about 0.2%pts to headline inflation via higher petrol prices; and a sustained 40% shift up in natural gas price futures would boost this by a further 0.7%pts or so, via higher household utility bills. We’re not expecting major policy changes today, as the government has committed to holding just one major fiscal event each year in the autumn. That’s why it’s billed as the ‘spring forecast’ not the ‘spring statement’. Instead the chancellor is expected to insist the government has the “right economic plan for the country” in a “yet more uncertain” world. Reeves is expected to tell MPs: double quotation mark “Stabilit...