We can all be Buffett, Kinda | Sell in May & Go Away?
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
Release Date: 05/06/2025
Buffett Buys UnitedHealth, should you? | The Google Listing with a Twist Turns 21
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
🌍 Worldwide Markets Ep. 644 – 20 August 2024 🎙️ Hosted by Simon Brown This week’s episode dives into Buffett’s latest moves, Google’s iconic IPO, and big results from Standard Bank, MTN, and Sasol. Here’s what you need to know: 📈 Buffett Buys UnitedHealth – Should You Follow? Berkshire Hathaway picked up UnitedHealth (UNH). Stock has fallen from $600 → $308 due to federal investigations ⚖️. On paper, valuation looks attractive: Forward PE ~19 (below long-term average). Price-to-book ~2.9 vs decade average of 4.9. Analysts split: 2 sells, 5 holds, 12 buys, 6...
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Share Buy Backs; the Good & the Ugly | Market Loving the Sasol Update
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
🇺🇸 US Inflation – Numbers come in softer than expected 📊, fuelling hopes for a **September rate cut** from the Fed 🏦. ⛽ Sasol trading update – PE under 3 😮, H2 profits looking stronger, and the market loving it (+9.7% 🚀). 💰 Share buybacks – Why US companies love them, the tax angle, and Apple’s massive \$100bn spree 🍏. Apple out standing shares 🪙 Gold & the Resi10 index – Resource stocks roaring in 2024, +72.5% YTD 🤯, but will gold break out of its range? Gold Weekly | 12 August 2025 🇨🇳 China trade surplus – Despite tariffs &...
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SARB & Treasury Fight Over Inflation | Which MPs Hold Crypto?
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
🎙️ Worldwide Markets – Episode 642 📅 Recorded: Tuesday, 5 August 💼 Host: Simon Brown 🌍 Powered by Standard Bank Shyft – The global money app for travel, shopping, payments & investing. 🔮 Market Highlights 📈 Purple Group* rocks 🚀 Share price has more than doubled since April lows. 🧾 PE at 56, but strong growth potential and product expansion. 💼 Simon holds the stock — bought low, holding for the long term. 🏦 MPC shifts inflation target 🎯 🔽 New anchor at 3%, down from 4.5%. ⚠️ Finance Minister pushes back — governance...
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SARB has not added to gold reserves in two decades | Which JSE stocks will be hit by tariffs?
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
🔺 Tariffs Incoming 🇿🇦 SA faces 30% US tariffs starting Friday. 🚗 Auto industry, 🍊 citrus, 🚚 logistics & 🧪 fertilizer sectors (like Omnia, Kaap Agri, Impact) to feel the heat — but no fatal blows expected. 📉 MPC Policy Misfire? 💰 SA inflation at 3%, but rates still stuck at 10.75%. 📉 Is the MPC behind the curve? Simon says: Yes. 📉 Calls for a rate cut of at least 0.5% to 1%. SA CPI and Prime | 29 July 2025 🥇 Why Hasn’t the SARB Bought Gold in 20 Years? 📊 From 2005 to 2025: only ±48,000 ounces added. 📉 Gold outperformed the USD by a wide...
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Is a Lower Inflation target a Bad Idea? Is Afrimat Offering Value?
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
🌍 This week on Worldwide Markets, Simon dives into a packed show covering inflation, earnings, property deals, and opportunities in local stocks. Powered by Standard Bank Global Markets and Shyft — your gateway to global investing. 🌐💸 📉 Inflation Target Cut – A Bad Idea? • SA may shift to a 3% inflation target 📊 • Risks of higher interest rates 😬 • Real rates already sky-high 🚀 💵 Weaker US Dollar & Tech Gains • Trump’s weaker dollar policy in motion 🇺🇸📉 • MAG7 & Nasdaq benefit: 49%+ offshore revenue 🖥️🌐 • S&P 500 and...
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What's with Bitcoin Treasury Companies? | Ouch US CPI and Chinese Home Prices
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
🎙 This Week in Markets: US inflation ticks higher 📈, putting pressure on rate cuts. Powell's in no rush. Local rates also due end-July. 🏘 China Housing Trouble: 3 years of negative home price growth in China 🇨🇳. Citizens frustrated as property values slide. Evergrande and other ghosts still haunt. Chinese Home prices Year-on-Year | June 2025 🚀 Elon Watch: Musk injects $2B into XAI 🤖. Deck chairs shuffled? Investors seem to approve. 🔩 PGMs Shine: Platinum and palladium break higher ⚪, supported by tightening supply. Miners like Sibanye*, Implats, and Northam bask in...
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Trump’s Big (and Messy) Plan to Save America and Reduce the Deficit and Debt
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
Simon’s on holiday in sunny Durban 🌞 but couldn’t resist diving into what might be Trump’s grand economic plan. On the surface, it’s tariffs, spending cuts and tax breaks—but is there real strategy underneath the chaos? 🔹 Trump’s Big Idea: Use tariffs to raise revenue and onshore manufacturing 🏭 🔹 Debt Drama: US debt now > $30 trillion 😬 🔹 Tariffs Everywhere: South Africa slapped with 30%—and so is everyone else 🌍 🔹 Reshoring & Inflation: Could higher costs push inflation up again? 💸🔥 🔹 No Deals Signed: 90 deals in 90 days? 0 delivered...
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Market Surprises, Trump’s Tariffs & Commodities Soaring | 2025 Year-to-date returns reviewed
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
The Year So Far 📈 Market returns in 2025 tell a story of extreme volatility rather than predictable trends. The US 10-year yield spiked above 4.5%, shaking confidence before Trump walked back tariffs. Trump’s Second Term 🏛️ Tariffs on Mexico, Canada, China, and NATO tensions triggered waves of uncertainty. A 90-day tariff pause ends soon—more volatility ahead. Currency Moves 💱 The rand hit R19.90/$ in April but has strengthened nearly 7% year to date. Dollar weakness is driving big shifts—its worst start to a year in 50 years! Commodities on Fire 🔥 ...
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EAC, the only fee that matters | Gold or PGMs?
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
💸 Know Your Fees: Effective Annual Cost (EAC) Not all fees are created equal — EAC is the real number to watch. Applies to retirement products, LISPs, and unit trusts — not to stockbrokers. 📊 Understand the difference: TER (Total Expense Ratio) TIC (Total Investment Cost) EAC (includes platform + advisor + product fees) 🍏🍏 Apples-to-apples: Compare funds using EAC. 🎯 Target an EAC between 1.1%–1.5%. 💬 Negotiate! Advisor and platform fees are often flexible. 🔍 Beware: Some brokers refuse to give the number — that’s a red flag. ❗ Platform...
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Oil bad news for global economy | Tariff D-Day is 3 weeks away
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
info_outline🧓 Warren Buffett Steps Down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
- Buffett officially steps aside as CEO at age 94, replaced by Greg Abel.
- Still remains Chairman
- Berkshire A shares up ~44,000% since the 80s
- No dividends ever paid, only share buybacks
- His legacy: simplicity, repeatable process, and long-term vision
- Emphasis on reading years of balance sheets and loving cash flow
- Fun fact: 96% of his net worth came after age 65
🏦 Investing Lessons from Buffett
- Stick to quality companies at reasonable prices
- Focus on permanent capital and compounding
- Keep your process simple and repeatable
- Don’t chase hype — focus on fundamentals
- South Africa's Chris Seabrooke noted as a local Buffett-like investor
🌸 "Sell in May and Go Away" – Myth Busted
- Simon critiques the old market adage.
- S&P returns from May–October average 0.49%, Nov–Apr average 1.02%
- Transaction costs, taxes, and missed rallies make timing unreliable
- Verdict: It's a nursery rhyme, not an investment strategy
🛢️ Oil Falling as OPEC Hikes Production
- OPEC+ accelerating production increases
- Brent now ~$60/barrel
Impacts:
- ✅ Good for fuel prices & oil consumers
- ❌ Bad for Sasol (though price hasn’t reacted much)
- 🏚️ Fracking rigs in US may shut down if prices fall further
- Possible geopolitical angle: helping Trump by lowering gas prices
💵 Rand Strengthens
- ZAR at R18.24/USD, nearing a key R18.30 technical level
- Boosted by stronger exports, higher gold prices
- Could trend toward R17 if momentum continues
🪙 Gold Surging Again
- Gold bouncing back above $3,000 after recent dip
- Driven by:
- Central bank buying
- Rebound in ETF inflows (especially in Europe, Asia, and US)
- General inflation and recession fears
- Upcoming FOMC decision adding fuel to the rally
🏛️ FOMC Decision This Week
- Fed expected to hold rates
- US inflation stickiness, strong jobs data, and political independence from Trump all in play
- Simon expects no change but criticizes SARB for being too hawkish despite low SA inflation (2.7%)
🧠 Palantir Results – Big Numbers, Big Risks
- Q1 Revenue up 39% YoY to $884M
- Customers up 39%, EPS (non-GAAP) at $0.13
- Price-to-book: 58x ⚠️
- EV-to-sales: 100x ⚠️
- Heavy stock-based comp = shareholder dilution
- Analysts split: mostly neutral or bearish
- You’re investing in Peter Thiel’s vision, not value metrics
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