Global Markets – 4th quarter 2007 : Standard Bank – what’s the deal?

The market was caught completely by surprise in late October when Standard Bank announced that a 20% stake in the bank was being sold to the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) for R37bn or R120 per share. Most people in South Africa are unlikely to have ever heard of the I
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Global Markets – 3rd quarter 2007 :Inflation – a daily reality

We have all felt the impact of rising prices recently, most especially when filling up at the petrol station or shopping for groceries. This stands to reason as food and transport costs are the two largest components of the “inflation basket”, making up 28.62% and 15.20%,
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Global Markets – 2nd quarter 2007 : “TER” explained – what it is and why it’s a good thing

You may be asking yourself what “TER” is and, more importantly, what it means to us as investors. “TER” is the acronym for “Total Expense Ratio” and it came into effect on 1 May 2007. The “TER” of “a portfolio is a measure of the p
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Global Markets – 1st quarter 2007 : China powers ahead – but at what cost?

In 2006 the Chinese economy grew by 10.7%, which is the highest growth rate recorded since 1995, when growth of 10.9% was recorded. The main drivers of growth last year were investments and exports. After four consecutive years of growth above 10%, the government has been concerned ab
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