There goes the Rand (#543)

JSE Direct with Simon Brown

Simon Shares

• MPC raised rates by 0.5% makes prime 11.75%, highest since 2009. The aim I suspect was to protect the rand, and that totally did not work as the currency hit its worst ever levels. Where will the rand go next? Does it ever strengthen again?
• RSA Retail Bond rates reset this morning and I expect the 5-year fixed to potentially increase by a full 15% and the CPI linked also reset and I also expect an increase there.. Will have update on the website.
• Tsogo Sun Gaming (JSE code: TSG) announced in their results last week they had acquired a ±10% stake in City Lodge (JSE code: CLH). Why? Also those were good results, much cheaper than other in the space.
• Zeda (JSE code: ZDD) results were poor. I was looking for FY 400c of HEPS, that's now seems a long shot. Debt is large, no dividend and short-term vehicle rentals is only a little above a quarter of pre-pandemic levels. I was holding and have sold.
• TigerBrands (JSE code: TBS) results were a shocker but not unsurprising? Volumes flat while revenue was +16%, hello inflation. Got some debt, but totally manageable. Load shedding hurting, consumer broken and inflation all over. But the stock trades at ±1.5x book value (see chart here), last tine this happened was 1998 when prime hit 26%.
• Spar (JSE code: SPP) trading update, ouch. Is Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP) eating everybody's lunch?
• Don't forget to action your Purple Group* (JSE code: PPE) rights issue. You have until Tuesday to either sell the rights or take them up.
• Meta (Nasdaq code: META) fined Euro1.2billion by the EU, but stock rises on the day. These fines, even large ones, are just a cost of doing business for the mega large cap tech stocks?
• Nvidia (Nasdaq code: NVDA) gets all the AI hype and love to a trillion dollars.

* I hold ungeared positions.