Barloworld gets more starch in its diet
The deal was originally announced in March. Barloworld would buy the Starch division from Tongaat Hulett for R5.35 billion in a critical move for Tongaat which is on a recovery road. As ever, the deal remained subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. The norm for corporate transactions is to include something called a Material Adverse Change clause, or MAC clause. …
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Print media on a downward spiral
Caxton and CTP Publishers, Printers and Distributors has a long name and a longer history, dating back to 1980 when it was founded by Terry Moolman and Noel Coburn. The company is one of the largest publishers and printers of books, magazines, newspapers and commercial print in South Africa. Unfortunately, this isn’t an industry with terrific fundamentals. It’s a R1.5bn …
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When the JSE can protect you in a delisting and when it can’t
Very few people understand what it means to be “listed” on a stock exchange. Perhaps more importantly, even fewer understand what a delisting means, even though this can become the reality for the likes of Comair, which will delist later this year as part of its approved Business Rescue plan. In this article, my intention is to explain some core …
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Naspers: Mind the gap
- Global, South Africa
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Bob van Dijk, Discount to NAV, Euronext Amsterdam, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, JSE, Koos Bekker, Naspers, Prosus, Tencent
- September 17, 2020
Do you have a pension? Do you have South African unit trusts? It’s more likely than not that you are a Naspers shareholder, albeit indirectly. Naspers made the news this week again, this time for an investment in Food Supply Network for an undisclosed sum. The company operates an independent business-to-business marketplace that improves the process of food delivery and …
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ARC: shareholders, can we have some more please?
African Rainbow Capital (ARC) Investments was “pleased to advise shareholders” that the board resolved to undertake a rights offer. That means they will tap into shareholders for another R750 million, which I’m sure shareholders can’t wait to give them after the ARC share price has dropped nearly 70% since listing. I’ll bet the board was pleased. So is anyone else …
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Making space for SPACs
Capital markets are fascinating. They are the arenas for gladiators to make and lose fortunes, all in the pursuit of business greatness. Traders in the stands mercilessly punish failure and support success, driving the gladiators to put everything on the line. Investors seek out the gladiators with real staying power; the ones that have figured out how to survive multiple …
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Aspen prescribes bolt-on acquisitions
Aspen Pharmacare is a R60bn pharmaceuticals giant that used to be a lot bigger. The share price is down over 57% in 5 years, reflecting an unsuccessful strategy to push into developed as well as emerging markets, all while steadily building up a debt pile. It’s a story that seems to play out over and over again: South African corporates …
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Luno pays off for Naspers and RMI
Cryptocurrency isn’t a topic you’ll read about often on The Finance Ghost. In fact, this is probably the first time I’ve written anything on it. My reasoning is simple: cryptocurrency is like religion; you either believe or you don’t. It’s not a topic for rational debate. I don’t invest in cryptocurrency because, to this day, nobody can give me a …
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The -51% GDP headline is misleading
Whoever writes the Stats SA GDP report wasn’t messing around this week. Reminiscent of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s rather colourful Twitter feed, the report opened with the following line: “The punch in the gut was severe.” When a governmental statistics agency writes with such emotive language, you know things are rough. The report immediately goes on to note that “perhaps …
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The -51% GDP headline is misleading
Whoever writes the Stats SA GDP report wasn’t messing around this week. Reminiscent of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s rather colourful Twitter feed, the report opened with the following line: “The punch in the gut was severe.” When a governmental statistics agency writes with such emotive language, you know things are rough. The report immediately goes on to note that “perhaps …
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