Optasia, AI-enabled fintech business, listing on the JSE. Worth buying?
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
Release Date: 10/22/2025
Boxer's Blinder & The Pick & Pay Valuation That Makes No Sense
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
Boxer just posted ShopRite-level operating margins — so why is Pick & Pay, which owns 65% of it, trading at an implied negative enterprise value? Simon Brown unpacks the R10bn valuation paradox and whether it's a genuine opportunity. He also walks through his new AI-powered research workflow, using Claude and ChatGPT to produce and fact-check full initiating coverage reports on Balwin Properties and Raubex. Plus: gold miners Goldfields and AngloGold Ashanti on costs, Meta at its cheapest forward PE since 2022, and Open Router token data that shows xAI running a distant fourth behind...
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Hyperscaler Results, Berkshire's Cash Pile and Fuel Pain
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
Hyperscaler results from Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet produced numbers that almost don't seem real — combined remaining performance obligations of $1.46 trillion and Q1 capex of $112 billion. Simon unpacks where that money is going, why copper is the quiet beneficiary, and which JSE stocks give exposure. Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on $380 billion in cash, roughly 38% of its market cap — a meaningful drag while US markets sit at highs. The memory makers — Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron — are choosing pricing power over capacity, with SK Hynix on a forward PE of 4.5. Closer to home,...
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Tim Cook Out, Tariff Refunds In, Markets Back At Highs
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
US markets hit all-time highs this week even as $166 billion in Trump tariff refunds start processing — a windfall for retailers, but consumers who paid inflated prices at the till won't see a cent back. Tim Cook is stepping down at Apple with John Ternus taking over, Amazon is spending $11.57 billion to buy Globalstar and build a Starlink rival, and Netflix delivered Q1 results with a $2.8 billion Warner break fee buried in the numbers. Simon also breaks down the Fed Chair nomination battle, why market recoveries are getting faster, and the sixth anniversary of the day WTI oil went...
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The Hormuz "Blockade" Has Fine Print | So Does the SA Fuel Crisis
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
US results season opens with Goldman Sachs and Johnson & Johnson both beating expectations — but the more interesting story is what those results don't show yet: the full impact of Middle East conflict and Trump's drug pricing pressure. Simon also unpacks South Africa's looming fuel crisis and makes the economic case for working from home, a new 100% offshore ETF listing on the JSE from ETFSA, and an ASP Isotopes update for those holding a speculative position. FNB's FCA-mandated R11.9bn provision for undisclosed UK vehicle finance commissions gets a full breakdown, as does the nuanced...
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SA Retail Stocks: Where the Value Is Right Now
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
South African consumer stocks have been hammered. In Episode 673 of WorldWideMarkets, Simon Brown works through the JSE's food and clothing retailers — Shoprite, Boxer, Pick n Pay, SPAR, Pepkor, Foschini Group, Mr. Price, Lewis, and Woolworths — asking where genuine value has emerged and where cheap simply means broken. He also sets the macro scene with Trump's Wednesday deadline on Iran peace talks and what a Straits of Hormuz transit fee would mean for oil prices and inflation. Stock by stock: valuations, analyst targets, dividend yields, and Simon's honest take on what he holds and why....
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Six Space Stocks Reviewed, Which Ones Are Worth It?
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
Simon reviews six listed space stocks ahead of the expected SpaceX IPO, which could debut above $2 trillion as early as June. Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile, Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, Planet Labs and Spire Global each get a SWOT breakdown, with the Procure Space ETF (UFO) as a diversified alternative. On the local front, the JSE Top 40 just posted its worst month since September 2008, falling roughly 10 percent from all-time highs. A massive petrol price increase takes effect at midnight. Simon discusses investing into a falling market, revisits the Algorithm Holdings AI hype...
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Tariffs are Back with no Ceiling and Gold at $4,000
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
WorldWideMarkets episode 671 covers the return of US tariffs through Section 301 investigations targeting South Africa and 60 other countries — with no rate ceiling and no court precedent to stop them. Simon unpacks the Iran war's tentative ceasefire talks, why Goldman Sachs revised its Brent forecast to $85, and what happens to oil and interest rates if the conflict drags on. Monday's sharp gold selloff gets a post-mortem: leveraged FOMO unwinds, Turkey tapping reserves, and profit-taking after a year of doubling. Two stock ideas round out the episode: Rocket Lab (RKLB) for pure-play space...
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War, Fuel & Fertilizer: The Inflation Pipeline
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
Worldwide Markets — Episode 680 | 18 March 2026 Powered by Standard Bank, Global Markets, Retail and ⛽ Fuel Price Pain Coming Petrol 95 up ~R4.50/litre and diesel up ~R7.50/litre from the first Wednesday in April. On a 50-litre tank that's R200+ for petrol and close to R400 for diesel. Fill up before April if you can. 🛢️ Oil & The Iran War Brent holding above $100/barrel (currently ~$103.50) — briefly dipping to $99.80 on Monday before recovering. Markets are pricing in a short war. Some vessels — largely Iranian-linked ships — are still moving through the Strait of...
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As Uncertainty Rules, Rate Cuts are Gone
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
🌍 World Wide Markets – Episode 669 📅 11 March 2026 | Hosted by Simon Brown Powered by Standard Bank Global Markets, Retail & 🧭 Market Mood: Chaos Means Doing Nothing With geopolitical tensions and wild commodity moves, markets are extremely uncertain. Simon’s strategy right now? 🧘 Do nothing. Panic trading rarely helps. In times of chaos, sometimes the best move is to step back, ignore the noise, and let events unfold. 🛢️ Oil Shock: From $60 to $120 Oil has been incredibly volatile. 📊 Recent moves Early January: ~$60 Monday spike: ~$120 Tuesday: briefly below...
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Budget Boost, Oil Shock | SA's Two-Speed Week that Changed the Narrative
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
⚖️ Budget Boost: A Rare Win for Taxpayers 🇿🇦💰 This week kicked off with a surprisingly investor-friendly South African budget — and markets initially loved it. Key Changes: 📈 CGT annual exclusion: R40,000 → R50,000 🏠 Primary residence CGT exclusion: R2m → R3m 💼 Retirement contribution limit: R350k → R430k (or 27.5%) 🌍 Offshore SDA allowance: Doubled to R2m 🎁 Donations tax exemption: R100k → R150k 🧾 Tax-free savings annual limit: R36,000 → R46,000 🏢 VAT registration threshold: R1m → R2.3m After years of “tax by stealth,” this budget offered...
info_outline🌍 Worldwide Markets Ep. 653 – Gold Crashes, Markets Burn, and Optasia’s JSE Listing
🎙️ Hosted by Simon Brown
📅 Recorded: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
📈 Powered by Standard Bank Global Markets, Retail & Shyft – The global money app that puts travel, shopping, payments and investments in the palm of your hand.
💥 Local Markets Crushed
A brutal day on the JSE as the market closed down 2.5%, with resources tumbling 7.8% despite a steady rand (R17.43).
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Gold miners collapsed: Implats & Sibanye -10%, Gold Fields & Harmony -9%, AngloGold* -8%.
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PGMs also fell hard: Northam & Impala down over 7%.
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Retail pain: TFG* dropped a shocking 16.6% after a poor trading update, dragging down Pepkor, Mr Price*, and even WeBuyCars.
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U.S. markets were red but only mildly so — calm compared to SA’s bloodbath.
🪙 Gold: After 9 Green Weeks, the Pullback Arrives
Gold finally broke its 10-week winning streak, plunging from $4,378 to $4,122 — a $250 drop in two days 😬
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Simon notes this was inevitable after nine straight weeks of gains.
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Likely short-term support around $3,950–$4,000, with potential consolidation below $4,000.
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Despite the scare, the Satrix Resi is still up over 100% for 2025.
💡 Lesson: even in a bull run, sharp corrections are part of the journey.
🧠 Optasia: AI Fintech Listing on the JSE
A major new listing — Optasia (code: OPA) — is set to debut 3 November.
Valued at around R20–25 billion, it’s one of the largest fintech listings in years.
Key Facts:
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Business: Micro-loans & airtime credit to the unbanked and underbanked.
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Reach: 38 markets (Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe).
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Scale:
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120 million customers/month
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32 million loans/day
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$13m total daily loan value
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Average loan: $5 (microfinance) and $0.25 (airtime credit)
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Defaults: impressively low at 1.14% 💪
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Backers: Standard Bank, RMB, EcoBank, MTN, Vodacom, Airtel, Zain, and more.
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Listing price range: R15.50–R19.00 per share.
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Lockup: 180 days for sellers, 365 for directors.
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Existing shareholder exit: Ethos Capital (EPE) partially selling down.
Simon’s Take 🎯
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Solid business with real revenue and strong growth (≈90% YoY in 2025H1).
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But… valuation not cheap (PE ≈ mid-20s).
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Concerns over allocation uncertainty and currency/regulatory risks in frontier markets.
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💬 Verdict: “I’m not applying — great business, fair valuation, but not compelling enough.”
🚗 CMH* (Combined Motor Holdings): Excellent Results & Share Buyback
Vehicle sales hit their highest levels since 2015, and CMH delivered stellar numbers 🚙💨
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Headline earnings: +25%
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No dividend this time, but a 15% share buyback instead.
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Strong exposure to Indian & Chinese brands (nearly 50% of sales) plus Suzuki, now SA’s #2 brand.
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Legacy luxury brands are struggling.
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Historic returns:
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Share price last decade: 12%
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Dividend yield last decade: ~10%
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Combined ≈ 22% annual shareholder return over the past decade! 📊
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The Twist
Founder Jeb McIntosh (79) may be looking to gradually exit — Simon suspects the buyback could facilitate this.
Still, Simon’s holding: “I’m not selling — unless they offer me a crazy price.”
🏦 Upcoming Event: Standard Bank Client Migration
📢 Important for OST, WebTrader, and AutoShare Invest clients:
Standard Bank is migrating investment clients to Shift.
Join Simon Brown and Adish from Standard Bank on Tuesday, 28 October, 5:30 PM (Rosebank or Webcast).
🔗 Register at justonelap.com/events
💬 Final Thoughts
Markets can be messy, but knowledge is power.
Simon wraps up with his usual reminder:
“Look after yourself — and if you can, look after somebody else too.” ❤️
🔑 Episode Summary
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🪙 Gold’s epic run ends with a sharp pullback.
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📉 JSE hammered by resources & retailers.
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🤖 Optasia brings fintech AI excitement to the JSE.
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🚗 CMH delivers strong results and a massive buyback.
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🏦 Big changes coming for Standard Bank investing clients.