Magic Markets

With The Finance Ghost having just returned from a trip to the UK, France and Dubai, the opportunity was clear to talk through some of the brands and business models that have been researched in Magic Markets Premium. It's one thing doing desktop research. It's another thing walking through a Sephora store or swinging a club at Topgolf. Mohammed Nalla lives in Canada so he's already had this exper...

Home country bias is a real danger for investors. We tend to buy the brands we know, rather than taking an objective view on a global opportunity set. Global context is beyond important, particularly when you've had the benefit of engaging with investors and professionals in deep pools of capital like Europe and North America. In this episode, Mohammed Nalla and The Finance Ghost take advantage of...

The headlines will often focus on US jobs data, but what does it really even mean? Why should people outside of the US care? And of course, what do all the acronyms mean? In demystifying the markets and bringing these concepts to the fore, Mohammed Nalla and The Finance Ghost talked through the jobs data and how it impacts central banks around the world. They also discussed the impact on equities...

With South Africa entering a new era of politics, we will soon find out whether coalition politics actually look more like collision politics. Either way, "the market" matters and will continue to matter, punishing poor policy decisions and any related uncertainty. In this show, Mohammed Nalla and The Finance Ghost discuss concepts like GDP growth, bond yields, the rand and the situation on the gr...

Nvidia has been a headline grabber of note in global markets, with eyewatering returns that have left even the other semiconductor stocks for dead. Mohammed Nalla focused on not just the latest results from Nvidia, but the performance of other stocks in the sector. The Finance Ghost tackled Intuit, covering the growth in revenue across the product range and the importance of integration strategies...

Walmart is a good example of a pullback from the work-from-home trend that became a feature of the pandemic, with many viewing this as a return to the company’s roots. This is seen favourable against a backdrop of improved performance at Walmart. Under Armour is also going back to its roots, more out of necessity than by design. Founder Kevin Plank is back in the CEO role and has a very tough road...

When quick-service restaurant groups get things right, they  really  get it right. Fast-growing companies in this sector can achieve rapid expansion because of the franchise model and the oldest trick in the book: using other people's money. Chipotle Mexican Grill and Wingstop are excellent examples of not just what success looks like in this space, but what investors are willing to pay for that s...

 The electrification theme is a rare thing, as it dishes up opportunities for value and growth investors alike. Some are buying coal and others are buying renewables, yet the underlying reasons aren’t as different as you might think. People are using more electricity than ever before and growth in generative AI is just adding to the problem – or opportunity, depending on how you view the world. To...

You already know about the crypto arbitrage offerings at Future Forex. If you don’t, refer back to Episode 170 for full details on how to avoid your annual offshore investment allowances going to waste, while generating returns which have consistently outperformed the market. In this show, Harry Scherzer is back on Magic Markets to discuss their FinTech forex offering that is currently disrupting...

Do you need to buy risky stocks to double your money (in dollars) over five years, or can you get the job done with US-based blue chips? In this episode of Magic Markets, we used Goldman Sachs and United Health as examples of stalwarts in their respective industries that have delivered excellent returns to shareholders. As good examples of buy-and-forget stocks, learning about these companies help...

Foot Locker and Nike: friends, but also enemies. Foot Locker is Nike’s customer, yet Foot Locker’s customers are also Nike’s customers. Nike’s customers are Foot Locker’s customers. As you can see, there’s only one way to describe the relationship status here: complicated. Foot Locker has been the love-to-hate stock that value investors sometimes dip into. Nike has been a growth investor favourite...

Harry Scherzer (co-founder and CEO of Future Forex) is back on Magic Markets to update us on the crypto arbitrage opportunity that Future Forex offers to clients. Having processed more than R22 billion on behalf of clients since inception, Future Forex has recently been approved as one of South Africa’s first CASPs (crypto asset service providers), giving further legitimacy to their crypto arbitra...

Accenture and FactSet are great examples of US-listed companies that service a global client base. In the case of Accenture in particular, that client base is immense. FactSet is far more focused, with a product that will be familiar to those working in financial markets. Both companies have had a disappointing start to the year, falling victim to a market slowdown. Having covered these groups bef...

FedEx and Lululemon have both been covered and recapped on Magic Markets Premium before. We love circling back and revisiting companies that we’ve researched before, as the feedback loop is so important when testing how an investment thesis played out. The Finance Ghost tackled Lululemon , one of the very best apparel stories on the market. Even the market darlings can take a knock though, with a...

For those who have been with us since the very beginning of Magic Markets, Moe’s blue hoodie is back! Well, a blue hoodie is back, even if it’s not the same one as before. Justine Brophy is also back, bringing us the latest thinking from AnBro Capital Investments. As is usually the case, these are growth stocks that almost certainly aren’t on your radar. Investing in these stocks requires deep res...

Are chips the new oil? And no, we aren’t talking about oily chips, so take your junk food cravings elsewhere, like to last week’s show on Domino’s Pizza! In this show, Saudi Aramco and Broadcom were the focus areas. It would’ve been too obvious to choose Nvidia. The Finance Ghost dealt with Saudi Aramco, which has the uninspiring stock ticker 2222. That’s where the boring stuff ends, as the compan...

With pizza and energy drinks on the menu, this isn’t the healthiest episode of Magic Markets – at least not for your body. As for your portfolio, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into here. The Finance Ghost covered Domino’s Pizza, starting with a strategic analysis on why these types of businesses are doing so well in the modern world of ultra busy, dual-income households. A comparison of Domino’...

This episode of Magic Markets is brought to you by data and process automation specialists  B2IT . The company makes robots so that people don’t have to be robots. If you hate it, automate it by visiting the  B2IT website . In Episode 164 of Magic Markets, the focus is on home building and DIY stocks. On the global stage, that means Home Depot as one of the best blue chips around. In South Africa,...

This episode of Magic Markets is brought to you by data and process automation specialists  B2IT . The company makes robots so that people don’t have to be robots. If you hate it, automate it by visiting the  B2IT website . Platform businesses are fascinating things that can make a great deal of money at scale. This week in Magic Markets Premium, we covered Uber and its emergence as a financial bu...

In a world where investors are seeking alpha in their portfolios, alternative assets are resonating with clients looking for private market investment opportunities. Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management is focused on what they call “South African connected capital” - and they now manage more than R12bn of this capital! In this podcast with Dino Zuccollo, Head of Investor Solutions at Westbrooke...

This episode of Magic Markets is brought to you by data and process automation specialists  B2IT . The company makes robots so that people don’t have to be robots. If you hate it, automate it by visiting the  B2IT website . Zuck you money. In Satya Nadella we trust. You’ll hear these things on this show, with the hosts focusing on two of the most exciting technology companies in the world. Moe too...

This episode of Magic Markets is brought to you by data and process automation specialists  B2IT . The company makes robots so that people don’t have to be robots. If you hate it, automate it by visiting the  B2IT website . From shoes to cars – this week, we tackle Tesla and Volkswagen. After some important debate on whether Tesla makes ugly cars or not, we got serious about the financial performa...

This episode of Magic Markets is brought to you by data and process automation specialists  B2IT . The company makes robots so that people don’t have to be robots. If you hate it, automate it by visiting the  B2IT website . In this episode of Magic Markets, we dug in the back of our cupboards for the shoes we are too embarrassed to wear. Perhaps we just aren’t fashionable enough, as there are many...

This episode of Magic Markets is brought to you by data and process automation specialists  B2IT . The company makes robots so that people don’t have to be robots. If you hate it, automate it by visiting the  B2IT website . With US earnings season underway and the most famous Wall Street banks having released results, we couldn’t resist digging into two such banks and the recent earnings. Instead...

This episode of Magic Markets is brought to you by data and process automation specialists B2IT . The company makes robots so that people don’t have to be robots. If you hate it, automate it by visiting the B2IT website . To kick off 2024, we take a look at two businesses that sit adjacent to each other in the speciality retail space. Pandora sells jewellery and Swatch sells watches at various pri...