Magic Markets

The "capital stack" refers to the mix of debt and equity that provides the funding for a business. With so many options on the spectrum from senior debt to pure equity, companies and investors come together in search of optimal solutions for all involved.

Westbrooke's approach makes use of various funding mechanisms, with hybrid capital as a particular favourite. This aims for debt-like risk and equity-like returns, while providing capital for lower- to mid-market deals in markets like the UK.

Dino Zuccollo, Head of Investor Solutions at Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management, joined us on this...

Drawing charts like orange juice and cheese futures might be fun, but there's an important underlying influence that soft commodities have on inflation. Even if you don't trade commodities, there are useful things to learn.

And of course, when we get to the hard commodities that are actively traded every day, we move from jokes about the cheese spread to very real analysis around the drivers of the platinum price and what this is doing for stocks like Sibanye-Stillwater, where our resident Ghost is looking forward to finally breaking even after a long and painful period in...

In this episode of Magic Markets, Mohammed Nalla and The Finance Ghost decided to each choose three companies from the recent research in Magic Market Premium, with the goal being to discuss some of the most interesting insights that came out of each one.

Both chose Berkshire Hathaway (predictably), so there were actually only five companies to discuss. Luckily, this left more than enough meat on the table. This podcast highlights some of the best insights from research into Berkshire Hathaway, BAE Systems, 3M, Waste Management and Alibaba.

This podcast is for informational purposes only...

There's a lot going on in the world right now, giving us a great opportunity to let Moe wax lyrical about the key macroeconomic indicators and trends in the US, Europe, China and Japan. We also touched on markets like the UK and India as part of this world tour.

Of course, there's nothing Ghost enjoys more than a share price chart when it comes to the markets, or in this case an index chart going back many years. Looking at the relative returns of these markets over the past 25 years tells quite the story, with some...

Magic Markets listeners have become familiar with AnBro's approach to building global equity portfolios with different mandates. Titans is just one such example, focusing on an equal-weighted portfolio of best-of-breed stocks across various sectors.

With Titans now available on Mesh.Trade's platform alongside the other AnBro offerings, it was the perfect opportunity for Craig Antonie of AnBro to join us to talk about the fund strategy, accompanied by Connie Bloem of Mesh.Trade to talk about the platform offering.

Mesh Trade (Pty) is a licensed Financial Services Provider, FSP number 53710. AnBro Capital Investments (Pty) Ltd i...

After a few weeks of Formula One races every weekend, many sports fans have been bombarded with two brands: Saudi Aramco and Ferrari. This gave us a great opportunity to talk about both listed companies - from fossil fuels to fast cars!

Our view is that Ferrari is without a doubt the better business in terms of brand strength and long-term prospects, but why is that? And just how much does Formula One actually matter to them anyway?

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to...

Muofhe Kwinda is a Magic Markets listener who reached out to us because he has an interesting story. He's made the leap from being a financial analyst in the investment space to being an entrepreneur, with business interests in mining and agriculture.

We couldn't resist the temptation to tap into what he's learnt by moving from desktop analysis of companies into the "real world" where you can actually taste the effect of working capital pressure. There's a big difference between thinking of a bear case and experiencing the day-to-day operational risks of doing business.

This...

The US credit downgrade by Moody's wasn't a huge surprise, as they are just playing catch-up to what other ratings agencies already did. The complacency in the market in response to the downgrade is interesting though, as it became the catalyst for us to talk about the dollar as the world's reserve currency.

In the same week, a JPMorgan investor day provided an excellent opportunity to dig into the wisdom of not just Jamie Dimon, but CFO Jeremy Barnum as well. Aside from some insights into JPMorgan's view on the economic outlook, Barnum delivered an absolute masterclass...

After a wonderful year in 2024 for property funds (especially in South Africa), the sector has taken a breather in 2025. That's not surprising given how much things have changed, particularly when you consider that 2024 really did create the perfect opportunity for local REITs.

In this review of the sector, we talked about concepts like whether tariffs actually affect property, how yields work in this space and what the effect of inflation is. We looked at yields across the US and South Africa, while highlighting major trends affecting demand for property in different segments.

This podcast is...

In an incredible contrast of wisdom, this episode focuses primarily on insightful comments from Warren Buffett at the latest Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, before ending off with the latest chaos on tariffs - this time, Trump's comments on potential tariffs on the film industry, a sector in which the US enjoys a trade surplus!

You can't make this stuff up. Thankfully, we have Buffett's endless wisdom and excellent humour to enjoy, along with his comments on their investment strategy and their immense cash pile. Spoiler alert: if you were expecting buybacks of Berkshire shares in the latest...

Our very own Mohammed Nalla thought that the recent tariff volatility would be an excellent opportunity to dust off the day trading strategy that worked pretty well during COVID. Unlike the average Instagram influencer, we are all about authenticity here at Magic Markets - and that's why Moe bravely volunteered to dedicate a show to his learnings from the strategy and specifically why it didn't work out as well this time around.

The markets are hard and day trading is even harder. This show is packed with insights and an honest look at just how tough it...

As the recent trend in IPOs and delistings on public markets tells us, an increasing number of companies are looking to private markets for their capital raising needs. This means that retail investors are being shut out of these opportunities, which is particularly problematic as these early-stage opportunities usually offer the highest potential returns.

Mesh.Trade is committed to increasing access for investors, which is why the platform is designed to enable issuers to raise debt and/or equity funding. Naturally, this means that opportunities like Die MOS (an Afrikaans education business) can be brought to an...

With markets bouncing around like crazy practically every day at the moment, most of the focus among investors is usually on the equity indices. But what about the bond markets? Aren't they just as important, if not even more important?

Does the carry trade play a role? What about foreign ownership of assets, both fixed income and equities?

And what is one really important characteristic that investors should consider when looking at buy-the-dip candidates?

All this and more in this week's episode of Magic Markets.

This podcast is for informational purposes...

With the markets all over the place and practically impossible to predict, Moe is busy with a day-trading strategy and Ghost has bought a few dips, ranging from technology through to golf.

Is there method in this madness? What is really going on out there? And should we be thinking more and more about China?

Volatility can be wild, but it's also a key feature of the markets and a very exciting time for those who like to see action on the screens. In this episode, our passion for the markets really shines through. We...

The first quarter of the year was an unhappy one for most consumer stocks. Tariffs are top of mind, as is the pressure that many brands have been facing in China. Inflation is a risk and consumer sentiment is weak. Against this backdrop, is there opportunity in this sector, or is it better to sit this one out and let the volatility do its thing?

And does it make a difference to look at discretionary vs. defensive stocks?

Find out in this episode of Magic Markets.

As we continue to look beyond the US to demonstrate the opportunities available elsewhere in the world, our gaze turns to Africa. Firmly a currencies story, it's all about whether the macroeconomics will improve in 2025. This is what some of the banking groups have predicted, so South African corporates with African exposure will be hoping that this comes to fruition.

But which South African listed companies are these? Which ones stand to benefit? And in line with a broader offshore theme for South African companies, what are the typical features of successful acquisitions vs. those that have...

These days, the narrative has shifted from US Exceptionalism to one of punters working through the list of European companies to try and find something exciting to buy. Defence stocks seemed to be where momentum traders found their desired home, with incredible returns in those stocks.

But what about the rest of Europe? Is there something there to justify this Europhoria? Are there other place to look, like China?

And are you willing to allow Moe to invent the term Amexit?

All this and more in this episode of Magic Markets! 

Tristanne Farrell isn't shy to admit it: she's mildly obsessed with art. As a Senior Wealth Manager at Investec Wealth & Investment International, her day job is to help clients build diversified, successful portfolios. Thankfully, with art as one of the more interesting (and certainly most visually stimulating) alternative assets out there, she gets to enjoy some overlap between her passion and her career.

As the host of the Art in Focus podcast series, part of the excellent Investec Focus Radio offering, Tristanne is no stranger to podcasts. She joined us to talk about art as an investment...

If there's one thing the markets taught us recently, it's that gold remains as relevant as ever. Mesh Trade brings you a new way to invest in this store of value, giving you a perfect example of tradition combined with tech.

For a limited time, Mesh investors can buy Krugerrands at the best retail price in the market and on a fractional basis using blockchain technology. Mesh also offers a wide range of tokenised financial assets, giving investors a multi-asset solution on a single platform.

To learn more about the investment case for gold, Mohammed N...

Having covered MercadoLibre in Magic Markets Premium this week, we had Latin America on the brain. Combined with the mess around the South African budget speech (or complete lack thereof), this triggered the idea to consider whether the reforms seen in Argentina under Javier Milei could work in South Africa.

Moe certainly took this assignment seriously, with a detailed discussion on the approach taken in Argentina and exactly which bits might work in South Africa - and which ones are a step too far! The conversation then evolved into points around the effect of reforms on growth...

Wandile Sihlobo is an agricultural economist, an advisor to President Ramaphosa and one of the leading voices in the agriculture space in South Africa. We value his balanced views and his approach to what he does, so we invited Wandile to join us at a time when South Africans are divided rather than united.

Dealing with topics like expropriation, the view of Afrikaans commercial farmers in response to the US approrach to offering refugee status, the rate of transformation in land ownership as well as common misconceptions around AGOA, this is a hard-hitting discussion that adds to...

For companies seeking capital, founders wanting to exit their stake and investors who desire diversification and solid returns, private debt and equity markets offer a vibrant ecosystem. Dino Zuccollo of Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management joined us to discuss activity across the capital stack and some of the key trends coming into 2025, as well as the general levels of adoption of this asset class in South Africa and abroad.

To learn more about Westbrooke and to connect with the team, visit their website here.

Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management is an authorised Financial Services Provider, FSP number 46750.<...

Given the widespread impact on the companies that we follow, it's hard to ignore the geopolitical fires that are raging around Trump and the countries that he has been targeting. Canada, Mexico and now South Africa - is anyone safe?

Of course, these issues are nuanced and the relative negotiating power of each country becomes relevant. In this show, we talk about the response of Canada (where Moe has a front-row seat) and Mexico, as well as Ghost's concerns around how this is all coming at a bad time, with South Africa's economic recovery still in its...

As we sign off on January, it's been a month of major moves in markets. Globally, the valuation risks in AI were thrust into the spotlight in recent days based on the emergence of DeepSeek. Geopolitical risks are also a major feature of 2025, with some of Trump's recent actions showing that we are in for a bumpy ride.

And yet, there are some turnaround stories out there that had a great January. Is the market looking for value opportunities in unusual places based on fear of how far tech has run? Nike, Walgreens and Burberry have all b...

The banking industry is part of the fabric of any economy. This is both good and bad, as success in that sector therefore depends on broader economic activity. This has been the problem for most of the South African banking sector options over the past decade, but could that change in 2025? And what are the key metrics to look out for?

With reference to key macro points as well as more granular analysis into banks, we talked about topics ranging from the differences between US and South African banks through to sources of revenue like NII and...

Stories like Nike and Walgreens in the international market (both recently covered in Magic Markets Premium), as well as Pick n Pay in South Africa, tend to grab the imagination of investors as they go through a turnaround.

In this episode, we start off with some of the key macroeconomic indicators that investors and traders use to assess the health of the retail industry. We then go into the process of a typical turnaround, along with the milestones that are usually seen.

Turnarounds in the retail sector are highly speculative and therefore offer strong rewards...

To kick off the year, we couldn't resist talking about the major themes that have carried over from 2024 into a new calendar year. US - China relations, interest rates, frothiness in equity valuations - it's all in here, along with a sobering discussion that gives context to the JSE performance last year vs. global alternatives.

Get excited about the markets this year in this episode of Magic Markets, with a fast-paced overview of the big stuff that you should be following.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice...

In our final free show for the year, we look back on a year that has been dominated by gold and bitcoin, along with US equities that have shot the lights out. We consider a strong finish for China, along with the ongoing disappointment of Europe.

And of course, we talked about the positive surprise of South Africa this year and how political change can drive investment returns.

As we look forward to another exciting year in the markets in 2025, this is the perfect way to cap off the Year of Elections worldwide.

...

Although the terms blockchain and crypto are often used interchangeably, this hides the diverse use cases for blockchain technology - even in traditional applications like financial markets. On this podcast, Connie Bloem (co-founder and managing director of Mesh.trade) joins regular Magic Markets guest Justine Brophy of AnBro Capital to explain how blockchain technology on Mesh.trade is making it easier for investors to invest in funds managed by AnBro.  

For more information, visit the AnBro website and the Mesh.trade website.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment adv...

As the year of global elections draws to a close, Dino Zuccollo of Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management joined us to look back on how global trends impacted the alternative lending space in markets where Westbrooke has a presence: South Africa, the UK and the USA.

Covering important topics related to economic activities, portfolio diversification and the impact of decreasing interest rates on structures like senior debt and mezzanine funding, there's much to learn here about the world in which Westbrooke operates. To learn more about Westbrooke and to connect with the team, visit their website here.

Start your engines has quickly become start your batteries - or has it? Are electric vehicle adoption rates problematic everywhere, or are some companies seeing better adoption than others? Where does this leave hybrids? Where does this leave manufacturers that seem to lack clear strategic direction?

Along with a discussion on European vs. American vs. Japanese manufacturer performance, we dealt with all these topics in this episode of Magic Markets. For a whirlwind overview of the automotive sector at the moment, you're in the right place.

This podcast is brought to you by Investec Focus...

With the dust barely settled on the US election, Dimitri Zabelin of Pantheon Insights joined us to bring his international geopolitical lens to the show. We talked about the possible impacts of Trump's economy and social policies on inflation, interest rates and the strength of the US economy.

We also talked about a few trade ideas related to the Trump victory, as well as the positioning of Elon Musk in all this.

You can connect with Dimitri on X or LinkedIn, or learn more about Pantheon Insights here.

Episode 201 is brought to you...

With most of the big names in tech having just released earnings around the same time as US elections, there's so much to consider in the market. We steered clear of the politics for now, focusing on the key drivers of the Magnificent 7 (and Netflix!) and how we are positioned in these stocks.

As our subscribers in Magic Markets Premium know, we don't always agree on the stocks that we cover. There's plenty of that disagreement (and a few laughs) in this show, along with great insights.

Episode 200 is brought to you by Future Forex...

Harry Scherzer at Future Forex is a familiar voice to Magic Markets listeners, especially those who took advantage of the excellent crypto arbitrage offering that was the foundation of the Future Forex business.

Building on that success, Future Forex is disrupting an industry that desperately deserves to be disrupted: providing forex execution for individuals and businesses, fertile ground for traditional banks to charge large fees as a spread. Future Forex is doing things differently, as explained by Harry in this show.

If you want to learn more about crypto arbitrage at Future Forex as well, r...

Although there's a risk of churning your portfolio too often if you become obsessed with short-term market movements, there's a lot of value to be gained from the way Mohammed Nalla does his quarterly rotation work for institutional clients. He shares some of those insights in this episode of Magic Markets, covering recent sector performance in the US market and where some of the future gains may be found.

This podcast is brought to you by Investec Focus Radio. Investec's The Current podcast is a great series on the energy transition in South Africa, an important part of...

The GNU-phoria in South Africa is now a few months old. Loadshedding is becoming a distant (albeit still painful) memory. Sentiment has clearly turned positive, but is this making a difference in day-to-day business decisions around capital allocation decisions?

Every day, the team at Westbrooke is having discussions with private business operators and investors. This puts them in the perfect position to comment on whether things are really improving in South Africa and at what pace.

Dino Zuccollo and Jonti Osher of Westbrooke joined us for this important discussion. To learn more about Westbrooke and...

News of stimulus in China has caused substantial volatility in the markets, with a sharp initial rally and then a cooling down as the market started to question the speed of execution on the proposed initiatives.

Of course, this presented a perfect opportunity to talk about the impact of China on portfolios. Justine Brophy of AnBro Capital joined us to do exactly that. For more information, visit the AnBro website.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to your personal financial advisor.

The balance sheet is often the difference between success and failure for a corporate. A strong balance sheet can carry a company through the worst of times. A weak balance sheet is vulnerable to even a minor deterioration in conditions.

Reading a balance sheet is a key step in equity analysis, but what are the most important things to look out for? In this episode, we take you through some key metrics to consider.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to your personal financial advisor.<...

The income statement is the lifeblood of any business. Luckily, you don't need to be an accountant to understand what's going on there. As is usually the case, there are a few tricks you can use to identify the key areas of focus and the stuff that really matters.

Doing your own research isn't about spending endless hours on a set of financials. It's about knowing how to arrive at a reasonable answer as quickly as possible. In this show, we walk you through our approach to reading an income statement.

This podcast is for...

After covering the building of a bull case in the previous week's show, we moved on to the other side of the coin: the bear case. This requires you to think creatively and dig deeper, as management won't dish out these nuggets and make it easy for you. After all, they are incentivised to drive the bull case.

This episode will help you learn where to look for some of the really important points in a bear case.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to...