FirstRand confirms interest in UK bank

FirstRand plans to bulk up its UK business with the purchase of Aldermore Group in a deal worth close to R20 billion.

Group Five gets offer for European concessions business

Group Five rallied as much as 43% after it said it had received an unsolicited R1.6 billion offer from Greenbay Properties for its European business,

Calgro M3 hampered by social unrest and drought

Social unrest in Gauteng and drought in the Western Cape have hampered progress in Calgro’s Integrated Residential Development business.

Project UBU - A venture opportunity

There has been much hype around Bitcoin, the first digital currency to create a sensation amongst investors. Now we bring you Project UBU.

Sibanye-Stillwater says platinum merger has averted closures

Sibanye-Stillwater says it’s managed to achieve substantial synergies following the integration of the Rustenburg and Aquarius platinum operations into the group.

Combined Motors revs up to overtake tough economy

Combined Motor Holdings says it’s done well to grow profit under tough economic trading conditions.

Astral flies as it flags a spike in earnings

Astral says it expects a sharp increase in 2017 profits after trading conditions continued to improve in the last couple of weeks of the period.

The week ahead

A reminder to all IAS/CFA members that the annual CFA University Challenge will take place at the JSE at 17:30 on Tue 17 Oct.

Stadio teams up with Brimstone to buy Milpark Business School

In its first big deal since listing, Stadio and Brimstone Investments have joined up to buy private tertiary education group Milpark Education.

Aspen probed by UK watchdog for anticompetitive behaviour

Britain’s competition regulator is the latest to scrutinise Aspen Pharmacare for possible infringement of competition laws.

All Joy as AH-Vest’s tomato factory reduces imports and creates jobs

AH-Vest's new Tzaneen factory has started to meet its production targets, lifting revenue and reducing the need for tomato-paste imports to South Africa.

Zuma Spy Tapes Judgment Day cometh: Will Shaun Abrahams finally honour his oath of office?

Shaun Abrahams, head of the country's beleaguered National Prosecution Authority will find himself in the spotlight on Friday when the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein...

Another day, another NEPI Rockcastle deal

NEPI Rockcastle says it’s buying the Serenada shopping centre and the adjacent Krokus centre in Poland’s second-largest city, Krakow.

Super Group raises R500 million in oversubscribed book build

Super Group will use the proceeds to fund offshore acquisitions, including the UK dealership business Slough Motors and Spanish logistics group Ader.

Survivor: The White House Edition

In which J. BROOKS SPECTOR suffers the fate of Samuel Taylor Coleridge with a vivid dream. Only, instead of the immortal poem, "Kubla Khan", he imagines...

The week ahead

A reminder to all IAS/CFA members that the annual CFA University Challenge will take place at the JSE at 17:30 on Tue 17 Oct.

Taste hit by “brutal” decline in consumer spending

Taste says any operational gains made in the first half of its financial year were overshadowed by a “brutal and sustained decline in consumer spending”.

Harmony glistens on production update

Harmony Gold Mining says production from its South African underground operations will be 12% to 14% higher for the first quarter of its 2018 financial year.

Corporate finance activity of the week

Your corporate finance activity of the week includes Exxaro, Argent Industrial, Mass Real Estate and many more companies in the M&A space.

Equites rolls forward on logistics strategy

Equites Property Fund says it has benefited from continued demand for modern, well-located logistics facilities.

Verimark’s profit falls as it lures customers with new products

Verimark has managed to grow first-half sales, despite tough conditions for consumer-related businesses due to reduced consumer spending.

Thorts - Bitcoin

In the late 2000s, Bitcoin was counter-culture; revolution; anarchy; cypher-punk. It was anti-government, anti-control and commonly understood as the currency of the dark web and shady...

Vunani battles through tough economy

Vunani has weathered a tough first half, which saw performance fees decline and longer lead times to finalise advisory mandates.

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

Wondering whats happening in the M&A Space this week? Find out whats happening with JSE-listed companies, unlisted companies and companies in Africa.

Movers & Shakers - Govan Manuel

Manuel’s area of expertise is mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate re-organisations and restructurings, general corporate finance and empowerment transactions.

PSG’s earnings take a knock from Zeder, but the parts stack up

PSG's half-year earnings have taken a hit from its food investments, but high-flying Capitec has cushioned the fall.

Mondi warns it will “modestly” miss expectations

Mondi’s trading update for the third quarter of the year looked pretty good - up until the outlook statement.

Analysis: Hoping for a new lease of life, KPMG SA gets a new leadership

It takes time for the wheels of government to grind, so much more so when parts of that government are compromised at best and well and...

Sun International places its chips on Peru

Sun International is buying four casino resorts and a tract of land in Peru through its Latin American subsidiary Sun Dreams for $26 million.

Echo Polska doubles its Polish retail portfolio

Echo Polska Properties is buying a portfolio of 12 retail properties in a deal worth €692.1 million as it shifts its focus from the office sector.

Life Esidimeni: Deaths recounted, but will government hold its own accountable?

After two years of fighting, relatives of Life Esidimeni patients entered an arbitration process aimed at achieving truth, redress and closure on Monday. They have to...

Op-Ed: It’s time to acknowledge the impact of capital flight on developing countries

We know the story: Africa is poor, and it needs help from rich countries. And if Western powers have exploited the black continent through slavery, colonialism...

Dis-Chem rallies as it prescribes a sharp rise in first-half profit

Dis-Chem expects first-half earnings to be up as much as 39.5% as it continues to roll out new stores.

Santova shakes off Brexit and strong rand

Santova expects stronger earnings despite currency headwinds as it grows its offshore operations.

Product rollout costs Verimark

Verimark expects to report a slide in first-half earnings due to an increase in new products and the associated spend on advertising.

ANC Leadership Race: With Mpumalanga’s massive growth, it’s now David Mabuza, the decider. Be very afraid.

When trying to put together the complicated puzzle that is the ANC's leadership election equation, it is important to assign values to your pieces. You need...

Stor-Age beefs up Durban presence in fragmented market

Stor-Age is taking advantage of a fragmented self-storage industry in South Africa to make value-added acquisitions.

Datatec offloads Logicalis unit in non-core clean-up

Datatec says its Logicalis subsidiary has sold its service management consultancy business, Logicalis SMC, to DXC Technology for an undisclosed amount.

Rugby: Boks have improved, but only consistency in Europe will be their redemption

It's been a while since the All Blacks have had to work as they did at the weekend. And while there have been notable improvements for...