Some of the greatest success stories all have one thing in common, and that is that hardship isn’t used as an excuse, but as motivation – the motivation not to focus so much on current circumstances, but rather on the opportunities that tomorrow may bring. Famous sports stars like Mohammed Ali (boxing), Nikki Lauda (Formula […]
As I was writing this, we were just entering the month of March, following a February filled with so much negativity that I’m sure we would all just like to forget it as soon as possible. They say that it is always darkest before the dawn, and although this may not be the answer that […]
In their book, The Enigma of Reason, Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber writes: “Two major features of the production of reasons: it is biased – people overwhelmingly find reasons that support their previous beliefs – and it is lazy–people do not carefully scrutinize their own reasons. Combined, these two traits spell disaster for the lone […]
I have made reference to the phrase, “swimming upstream” before, and mentioned how it always reminds me of the joke about the man who was travelling on the N1-highway when he got a phone call from his panicked wife. She had heard on the radio that on the same highway, a vehicle was travelling in […]
For the first January in years, the Western Cape is not facing another day zero to prepare for, and this whole drought situation also taught me one of my greatest life lessons. Like most Capetonians, I followed the standard water storage route by installing both a rain water tank and a grey water tank. Trying […]
Investors who have followed my reports over the years, would know that I like to use well-known sayings to either point out or describe a variety of terms or market movements. But there is one saying that regularly makes its appearance in the investment world: “High risk, high reward.” Without wanting to offend thrill seekers, […]
With the Rugby World Cup (RWC) behind us, we can proudly say that we are the world champions. Not only did we win the final against England, we just about destroyed them in dominating fashion. What makes this achievement even greater, is the fact that in March last year (2018), there was absolutely no excitement […]
We have all been invited to a function, party, wedding or braai that we just didn’t look forward to, only to be surprised with a very pleasant event. Before you knew it, you were socialising like pro, and by the time midnight struck, you were the one proudly showing off your best dance moves to […]
A few of you might point out that my message this week directly contradicts what I said a few weeks ago. “Don’t bet on last year’s star performers” was right there in the title in September after all, and I pointed out that betting on last year’s winning shares may not always be the best […]
We live in an era dominated by superheroes, and when I say this, I’m not referring to the real brave man climbing up the side of some building to rescue a child that’s hanging by a nail. No, I’m talking about comic book characters that usually find themselves on the big screen in a wonderfully […]
Those of you who follow my reports on a regular basis, will know that I often use the analogy of the water skier to illustrate how share prices (and ultimately, indices) sometimes find themselves in front of the proverbial boat, or earnings. Without the pulling action from the boat, the skier will lose momentum, but […]
Until fairly recently, my youngest daughter competed in the South African XC mountain bike race series. For those of you who are not too familiar with the sport, the easiest way to describe this particular type of race, would be to refer to it as a mountain bike race that takes place on a track […]
When we talk about the biggest comeback of all times, I’m sure that Tiger Woods will stand out as one of the greatest ever. Until quite recently still, whenever the name Tiger Woods was mentioned, most people felt that he USED TO be one of the greatest golfers ever and that he was likely to […]
In recent years, South African sports enthusiasts have been introduced to a few new sports terms that you won’t necessarily find in standard recognised dictionaries. Some of these include “Chokers” and “BMT” (big match temperament), which have made headlines on several occasions throughout the year. Whether its the Proteas getting stuck in yet another big […]
If we take a look at the following incorrect statements made by individuals over the years, one thing becomes clear, and that is that no single human being is perfect: “While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially I consider it an impossibility, a development of which we need waste little time […]
I have referred to the correlation, or lack thereof, between quite a few ratios and investments in my past writings. But much like Australian Cricket players and sandpaper, when we take a closer look at the relationship between our stock market and interest rate cycles, you will see that these two do in fact go […]
In most of my reports, I always try to give investors the necessary tools to make informed decisions regarding their personal investment portfolios. Upon recently visiting my doctor following a somewhat incorrect self-diagnosis, he jokingly stated that “Dr Google” thinks he knows everything, often to the detriment of his patients. Not only did I make […]
As hard as it is to believe, we find ourselves in May yet again, and every year I remind investors who believe in myths and sayings to make sure that the actual data supports what they believe to be true. As I was writing this, the FTSE/JSE Capped Swix All Share Index had already strengthened […]
One of the most fascinating places I like to visit is Grand West Casino. Not because I like to gamble (because I don’t), but because people fascinate me. When they enter the casino, they’re all smiles and everyone’s full of enthusiasm. But when they leave, it’s usually a different story. It’s exactly this mood change […]
We all have that one thing or event that can take you right back to some of the best times in your childhood. I have plenty, but one that will always stand out is playing board games with my family at the dinner table during holidays. Unlike most families, we didn’t play Monopoly or Trivial […]
