Articles tagged as "COVID-19"
Governance update: It pays off to focus on executive remuneration
The landscape of executive remuneration continues to evolve and, as a result, we have refined our remuneration framework by developing a qualitative scorecar...
How to invest to be crisis ready
COVID-19 has driven home an important life lesson: Expect (and plan for) the unexpected. When it comes to your finances, this means balancing the need to hav...
Interrogating the opportunity in South Africa
Market dislocations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have presented attractive opportunities for investors. The JSE is a good case in point. Presenting...
Preparing for more uncertainty and volatility
A look back over the last two years reveals how difficult forecasting is. Even with perfect foresight of the pandemic context, one would not have been able t...
The transition into the post-pandemic world
It is remarkable the extent to which the future is hidden from us. We all conduct our lives largely in terms of our experiences in the recent past, assuming...
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation: Entrepreneurship for the common good – despite COVID-19 barriers
Yogavelli Nambiar, CEO of the Foundation, takes us through the highs and lows of another pandemic-affected year.
Global economic recovery slower and more complex than expected
The global recovery from the severe economic contraction in the first half of 2020, which followed the initial outbreak of the pandemic, has proved to be bot...
Orbis: Taming turbulence
Turbulence. It’s a word that can strike fear into the heart of even the most seasoned air traveller and even a little of it has been known to put people off...
Should you revenge spend on travel this holiday season?
With more countries opening their borders to South Africans, travel opportunities abound. If you’re thinking of splurging on a trip this holiday season, you...
Orbis Global Equity: Navigating risk and reward
At a recent investment update via Zoom webinar, Matthew Spencer and Stanley Lu, from our offshore partner, Orbis, reviewed the Orbis Global Equity Fund’s...
How to invest for the possibility of higher inflation and interest rates
The probability that the world is moving into an environment of higher inflation is increasing. An inflationary environment requires investors to think...
Orbis: Inflation – the bottom-up case for caution
If headlines are to be believed, people are gravely concerned that inflation will rise. If market prices are to be believed, people are quietly convinced tha...
Economic recovery accompanied by a surge in inflation
With increasing vaccinations economic activity is returning to pre-pandemic levels and, while there may be further waves of infection, governments are learni...
Markets change quickly, investments shouldn’t
We often say that we play the hand we are dealt by the market. We can control our research efforts and our decisions, but we certainly can’t control the...
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation: Focused on enduring change
It is heartening to note that the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation is continuing to achieve its intended impact, despite the challenges faced in these pandemic...
Investment lessons for sharing
Money is a polarising topic, yet it is an important subject that greatly influences all of our lives. Opening up the space for money conversations can...
Inflation returns
Prices are on the up in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The question is, will deflationary conditions resume as global economic conditions normalise or is...
MPC rates decision: Where to from here?
The South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) today made the unanimous decision to keep the repo rate unchanged at 3.5%.
Global recovery underway
The world is recovering from the pandemic and 2021 should see strong global economic growth. The epicentre of the recovery is now the United States, where th...
Investment lessons from a pandemic year
A year on from our stringent Level 5 lockdown, much of 2020 seems surreal. While there are many aspects we may prefer to forget, reflection reveals valuable...
Orbis: Are there real long-term opportunities in the US?
With just 30% of assets invested in US shares versus 66% for the MSCI World Index, the Orbis Global Equity Fund’s current underweight to the US market is the...
Equity Fund: Fishing in muddy waters
In his 1986 letter to shareholders, Warren Buffett famously spoke of being fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.
Executive remuneration in times of uncertainty
We believe that a company’s remuneration policy should aim to attract, reward and retain competent executives, while incentivising alignment between these...
How to entrench positive COVID-19-enforced changes
Few have escaped the devastating loss of lives and livelihoods wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, but many have also made positive changes, particularly to...
What can we expect from the 2021 Budget?
It is that time of the year again, we are holding our breath to see what the 2021 Budget speech will deliver against a backdrop of the devastating loss,...
Investing with tax benefits in mind during uncertain times
Amid the extreme uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 and the ongoing lockdown restrictions, investors are tasked with looking beyond the current crisis and...
The state of the economy
In a recent Q&A-style webinar hosted by Allan Gray’s Vuyo Nogantshi, Allan Gray’s Sandy McGregor and the Reserve Bank’s Rashad Cassim and David Fowkes examin...
Habits that set successful investors apart
When investing, sometimes the best course of action is to do nothing. Having the ability to block out the noise, and look through the cycle, are some of the...
African sovereign debt: Is a reality check looming?
Despite deteriorating economic fundamentals, Africa’s financial markets made a remarkable recovery in 2020. Mark Dunley-Owen discusses the price distortion i...
Investment update: Taking advantage of disparities in the market
One of the key preconditions for successful active management is the level of disparity in the markets. Duncan Artus discusses this in our first video and...
The impact of COVID-19's second wave
The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the global recovery following the severe economic contraction experienced during the second quarter ...
COVID-19 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
In the final instalment of a four-part webinar series, brought to you by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Allan Gray, our panellists discuss the impac...
Are you sitting on savings you could be investing?
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people's finances in very different ways. While it has highlighted the need for emergency savings as a buffer against toug...
The dangers of printing money
Modern Monetary Theory, or MMT as it is often called, is a new term for an old idea. Its proponents argue that a state which issues fiat money does not have ...
Do fundamentals still matter?
There is an increasingly wide disconnect between the economic reality on the ground and the valuations reflected in some asset classes globally, begging the...
Look in, reach out
Internationally acclaimed life coach, author, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur, Valorie Burton, explores how we can develop strength and resilience...
Lessons from lockdown
It is often said that challenges enable us to discover things about ourselves that we didn’t know. If this is true, 2020 has undoubtedly been a year of...
Searching for value amid Africa’s disappointing equity returns
International equity markets have recovered sharply from the March lows, however African markets made only a modest recovery. As the continent’s leaders face...
Equity Fund update: Investing amid extreme price moves
The second quarter of 2020 saw further extreme moves in equities. An intraday price move of 20% is a rare event, especially for a large company. In the month...
COVID-19 continues to rock the global economy
It seems that, with a few exceptions, such as the southern United States, in the Northern Hemisphere the COVID-19 pandemic is well past its peak. Lockdowns a...
Orbis: Tech opportunities rise in the East
Technology stocks have performed remarkably well in recent years and particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. John Christy and Stanley Lu, from our offshore...
The framing fallacy
We humans are fallible creatures who suffer from several cognitive biases. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, Rory Kutisker-Jacobson highlights how...
Do you have an emergency fund?
By proactively building emergency reserves, you will be able to respond to life’s crises without compromising your financial standing, or taking on expensive...
Philanthropy response to COVID-19
The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in an urgent and massive need for humanitarian and economic support for communities and enterprises, and the philanthropic...
COVID-19 cracked the crystal ball
Investors and their advisers continue to grapple with the question of what life, and indeed the world economy, will look like in the next one to three years....
How to manage your living annuity in uncertain times
Presenting via Zoom webinar, Shaun Duddy discusses the “Rule Book” for managing your living annuity over the long term and interrogates whether these rules...
Take charge of your finances during COVID-19
As we think about the day-to-day impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our families, friends, colleagues and communities, it’s easy to lose sight of our long-te...
Part 4: How to invest to be crisis ready
COVID-19 has driven home an important life lesson: Expect (and plan for) the unexpected. When it comes to your finances, this means balancing the need to hav...
Do South African banks offer value in a COVID-19 battered world?
As South African banks re-evaluate their models to deal with the potential implications of the coronavirus pandemic and take proactive steps to minimise the...
Part 5: Why every investor needs an independent adviser right now
Investors are panicked and who can blame them? The market volatility has persuaded some to run for the hills and never look back, while others may be tempted...
Part 3: How to be a resilient investor
To be a successful investor, you need to understand what you are getting yourself into upfront, make sure you are comfortable, and then buckle in for the rid...
Part 1: Staying future focused amid a global pandemic
As world leaders grapple with the broader challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become apparent that the socioeconomic consequences will...
Part 2: How to recalibrate your budget in the wake of COVID-19
As we all long for the life we had before COVID-19, are there any adjustments from the life that’s been thrust upon us that should be incorporated? Tamryn La...
Managing your living annuity in an uncertain world
In response to the dramatic impact that measures to contain COVID-19 have had on asset prices, National Treasury has announced temporary changes to living...
Look after your financial health during COVID-19
With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the globe, remaining healthy is naturally top of mind. While we are all prioritising the health and wellbeing of...
COVID-19: Portfolio, economic and investment update
During February and March, we were active in both the local equity and fixed income markets. This activity reduced during April and May, as we believed the...
Do bonds offer opportunity in a post COVID-19 world?
As investors we must think about what the world will look like when the pandemic has passed, and what asset classes offer opportunity. Presenting via Zoom...
Q&A: Understanding the economic context in which we must invest
As investors, we must understand the economic consequences of COVID-19 and the impact on different asset classes. Grant Pitt, joint head of Institutional...
The monetary and fiscal response to the COVID-19 crisis
The Coronavirus pandemic has caused a massive disruption of global economic activity without peacetime precedent. In a presentation via Zoom webinar, Sandy...
Q&A with Allan Gray and Orbis: Investing beyond COVID-19
While financial market volatility as a result of COVID-19 is expected to continue over the short term, the investment teams at Allan Gray and Orbis are focus...
Orbis: Resilience and enthusiasm at a time of uncertainty
In a presentation to advisers and clients via Zoom webinar, Matthew Spencer, from our offshore partner Orbis, discusses the disappointing recent performance ...
Investing during lockdown and beyond
Sometimes in investing, the best thing to do is nothing. In a presentation to advisers and clients via Zoom webinar, Duncan Artus examined the levels and...
Orbis: Keeping a clear head during the COVID chaos
2020 has proven to be a year of many firsts, for all the wrong reasons, resulting in much uncertainty. Presenting to clients via Zoom webinar, Alec Cutler,...
Perspectives and portfolio positioning amid COVID-19
The world as we know it has changed dramatically over the last two months, with the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown strategies causing extreme volatility on t...
Opinion: Counting the economic cost of South Africa’s lockdown
As South Africans, we want our country to prosper and the quality of life for all those living within our borders to improve. Millions live in total poverty...
Orbis: The importance of preparation
In this six-minute video, Orbis' president and head of the investment team, William Gray, discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the firm and the importance of...
Orbis: Lesson from the past
In this seven-minute video, Orbis portfolio manager, Adam Karr, draws on lessons learned in previous market crises to discuss the current environment and som...
Optimism in a time of distress
As we pull together as a nation struggling to come to terms with the health and financial crises we face, is there any room at all for optimism? Lise-Mari...
Orbis: Turn away from the noise and look to the long term
Much has been written about the emotional cycle of fear and greed in investing. Both panic and excessive optimism can create extraordinary opportunities for...
The world after the COVID-19 pandemic
We are witnessing a global economic collapse without precedent in modern times. As investors we must think about what the world will look like when the...
Avoid "hot thinking" when it comes to your investments
The markets have plunged in the face of COVID-19. The temptation to disinvest and wait on the sidelines for things to improve is real. But is this a form of...
Positioning our portfolios for growth beyond COVID-19
The speed at which the financial market swings from despair to elation is astounding. The past few months have seen no shortage of mood swings as investors...
COVID-19: Is there long-term value in frontier markets?
At the time of publication, roughly one-third of the world’s population is living under lockdown regulations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many...
Orbis: Performance and positioning during COVID-19
There has been little else to talk about as COVID-19 dominates world headlines. Globally, everyone is trying to evaluate the real impact the pandemic will ha...
Managing your portfolio through COVID-19
In just a matter of weeks our world has changed dramatically. In an attempt to make sense of it all, we look for information that will provide us with a sens...
Resilience and reinvention: The business currency for COVID-19
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small and big businesses will undoubtedly linger for months to come. And while the uncertainty is daunting, an...
What happens to your retirement savings if your company shuts its doors?
What are employees’ rights and responsibilities when it comes to retirement savings if a company faces closure during the COVID-19 pandemic?
COVID-19: Looking to history to understand potential outcomes
With much of the world in lockdown, one wonders whether it is appropriate to draw on past analogies in thinking about what lies ahead. However, every prior...
COVID-19: Q&A with Allan Gray portfolio managers
With many countries in lockdown, uncertainty prevails. Against this backdrop, many clients are asking for our views on the economic impact, an update on our...
How to cope with the trauma of the COVID-19 crisis
And so the three-week lockdown is underway. While it feels like surely this must be a bad dream from which we will soon awake, it is our new reality.
COVID-19: We remain open for you during the lockdown
As we enter into lockdown, Tamryn Lamb, head of retail distribution, reassures investors that we are open during this most unsettling time. She also provides...
COVID-19: Supporting umbrella fund members through the lockdown
As we enter into lockdown, Saleem Sonday, head of group savings and investments, reassures umbrella fund members that the trustees continue to ensure that...
COVID-19: Evaluating market risk versus opportunity
We have managed our portfolios through a range of different crises since 1974. Over the last 20 years, the dotcom collapse in 2001/02, the global financial...
Allan Gray will continue to operate during the COVID-19 lockdown
Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of a 21-day country-wide lockdown as of midnight on 26 March 2020, we would like to reassure you that Alla...
Our commitment to business continuity during COVID-19
With so much uncertainty in the markets as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus, we recognise the importance of being available to our clients.
