Bumper dividend from FirstRand despite economic headwinds

FirstRand says it will battle to achieve top line growth in an economy characterized by low domestic demand and pressure on personal incomes.

Sanlam expects no quick recovery in local market conditions

Sanlam is the latest large corporate to bemoan heightened political uncertainty and weak business and consumer confidence, following March’s cabinet reshuffle.

Corporate finance activity of the week

Vodacom shares being sold on the open market, Steinhoff Africa Retail announces IPO prior to listing on the JSE and Orion Minerals seeks listing on the...

African Rainbow Minerals springs back on higher commodity prices

African Rainbow Minerals has sprung back from a loss thanks to higher dollar commodity prices and a tight rein on costs. It’s paying shareholders a record...

Spur says social media fallout may have hurt sales

Spur says the social media fallout following a racist incident at one of its restaurants affected turnover in the last quarter of the year.

Clover sours on drought and rand volatility

Diary and drinks group Clover says results for the year to June are going to be even worse than previously expected due to a number of...

Who’s doing what in the South African & African M&A space?

Have a look at what's happening in the M&A space this week with JSE-listed companies, unlisted companies and companies in Africa.

Movers & Shakers - Tanya Seitz

Tanya Sietz is a senior associate in Baker McKenzie’s Johannesburg office. Her area of focus is mergers and acquisitions both public and private and corporate practice.

Thorts - Namibia; still a charming destination

Namibia, a country with an abundance of scenic views, landscapes and cultures, has secured its place among the elite tourist locations within sub-Saharan Africa.

Capitec update fails to impress

In a voluntary trading statement ahead of the release of half-year results later this month, Capitec said earnings per share and headline earnings per share for...

MMI maintains dividend after a tough year

MMI has managed to hold profits steady in a year it says was characterised by tough economic conditions, including a series of credit-rating downgrades, declining business...

Vodacom shares slump as Vodafone lightens its holding

Shares in Vodacom sank 7.9% to R164.28 yesterday after it said its parent company Vodafone had sold about 90 million of its shares, representing about 5.2%...

Op-Ed: Taking BRICS from economic pragmatism to reformed global governance

As the BRICS countries step up more in global issues, their credibility will be determined not only by their foreign policies but also their domestic stability...

The Foschini Group hopes to stay in fashion

The Foschini Group says after a tough 2017, the new financial year has started off much the same. However, it’s hopeful that its diversification and commitment...

Italtile shrugs off restrictions in tile merger

Italtile says it’s going ahead with its R3.5 billion takeover of the shares in Ceramic Industries it doesn’t already own, despite restrictions placed on the deal...

Op-Ed: UK companies must distance themselves from Bell Pottinger after SA malevolency

Bell Pottinger should be run right out of South Africa, and all public bodies and businesses in Britain for which it works should at the very...

Rhodes Foods in a jam over stronger rand

Rhodes Food Group has taken an almighty whack from the rand’s rally over the past year. The food producer and exporter says international turnover fell 21.9%...

DRDGold pays dividend despite challenges in shifting its operations

DRDGold’s decision a year ago to shift its operations from the west of Johannesburg closer to the east have hurt its 2017 earnings.

WBHO prospers in weak environment as Australia delivers

Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon says record activity levels in Australia over the past few years have continued, helping to buoy 2017 earnings.

PetroSA signs $400m deal with Russian company

The Russian-government owned geological company, Rosgeo, has landed a $400 million deal to develop oil and gas blocks off the Cape south coast.

Stor-age sets store in UK market

Stor-age is making its first foray into the UK self-storage market with the acquisition of Betterstore Self Storage, the owner of Storage King.

Fairvest’s shopping centres resilient in a tough economy

Fairvest says vacancies are on the rise as tenants come under pressure in a low growth environment. However, the shopping centre owner says its low-risk tenant...

ANC Leadership Race: Ramaphosa’s own smallanyana skeletons rattle his campaign, but what long-term damage?

It's smoke, mirrors and sex scandal time again as nominations for the ANC presidency got off to a false Spring Day start - and Deputy President...

Fairfax moves in on PPC as it tries to cement a merger with AfriSam

Shares in PPC have rallied after AfriSam reopened merger talks with the backing of Fairfax Africa, while two other companies have expressed interest in merging with...

Datatec rallies after it says it has cash to burn

Shares in Datatec rallied yesterday after the ICT solutions company said it had completed the sale of its Westcon-Comstor business in the Americas and said it...

EOH continues its decline as earnings growth slows

A trading statement from EOH today did little to stem the slide in the IT services group this year. The stock fell as much as 4.6%,...

US warns N Korea of 'massive military response' after nuke test

The United States has warned it could launch a "massive military response" to threats from North Korea following Pyongyang's provocative detonation of what it claimed...

Sirius recycles German assets as it makes it onto JSE indices

Sirius Real Estate says it’s finalised the sale of one of its mature properties in the north of Germany and bought two new properties as it...

Texton still expanding UK portfolio after Brexit

Texton Property Fund’s move to de-risk its portfolio by investing in the UK hasn’t helped over the past year, as the vote in favour of leaving...

#CyrilRamaphosaLeaks: What we should do about it

Even if the Nkosozana Dlamini-Zuma faction wins the December elective conference, the ANC's choice to use Cyril Ramaphosa as a sacrificial lamb would have cost it...

Mr Price back in fashion as it recovers lost market share

Mr Price Group says it's regaining lost market share in its apparel division and women’s clothing chain Miladys, which lagged the market last year.

Hyprop’s distribution jumps despite rising vacancies

The demise of Stuttafords this year has led to a more than doubling in vacancies in shopping centre owner Hyprop’s retail portfolio, while Sasol’s move from...

Pioneer shares toppled as CEO calls it a day

Pioneer Foods says CEO Phil Roux is retiring at the end of next month, sending shares in the food producer lower on Friday.

'Thanks Brexit': Pound nears euro parity

The Brexit-hit British pound threatens to reach parity with the euro -- and is already worth less than the European single currency for many travellers seeking...

Jasco trading statement sparks a share fall

Jasco has warned of a sharp fall in full-year earnings, sending its shares sharply lower on Friday. Apart from once-off costs, the electronics group has also...

Barloworld may sell underperforming Iberian business

Barloworld says it could put a for sale sign on its Iberian equipment business following a review of its operations...

US orders prototypes for Mexico border wall

The US Customs and Border Protection agency ordered prototypes for President Donald Trump's proposed wall on the US-Mexican border...