SABMiller - We'll Drink To That

Many South African companies have attempted to expand overseas. The failure rate is high and only few have succeeded. One company that stands out as having made a real success of its offshore ventures is SABMiller. CAROLYN LEVIN takes a closer look at this global brewing giant.

The January Effect

“The January Effect” purports to be a market phenomenon in which share prices rise in the calendar month of January. An alleged effect like this should prompt the simple question, “Why?” A US-centric explanation suggests that investors seek to create tax losses in December to offset capital gains earned during the preceding 11 months; in January, these transient sale transactions are reversed, leading to rises in share prices.

Big on BHP Billiton

Twenty years ago few would have believed that the largest mining company in the world would emerge from South Africa, yet not involve Anglo American or De Beers. BHP Billiton is that company and one that has consistently been among the largest holdings in Foord portfolios for the past five years.

A Decade Of Consistent Top Ranking Unit Trust Returns

Foord Unit Trusts launched its flagship unit trust portfolios ten years ago on 1 September 2002. Foord now legitimately enjoys a track record of unparalleled top-ranking returns in the unit trust industry that emulates its track record in managing pension fund portfolios since the early 1980s.

Are You Addicted To Risk Aversion?

The investment management industry, and indeed the average investor, is preoccupied with short-term performance. Funds are ranked by performance, judged monthly or quarterly, and awards are based on performance over relatively short time horizons. Assets often flow from funds that have underperformed over the short term to those that have outperformed over the same measurement period.

Setting Up Shop In Singapore

Fifteen years after its first foray into the global sphere in Guernsey, Foord launched its second foreign domiciled unit trust on 1 June in Singapore. CAROLYN LEVIN, managing director of Foord (Singapore), explains the strategy and the rationale behind the move.

Foord Equity Fund Takes The Performance Spotlight

The Foord unit trust funds continue to perform well relative to their benchmarks and within their sectors.

Save Regularly But Don't Fear Lump Sum Investment

Investors are often confronted with the conundrum of whether to invest a single lump sum at a specific point in time, or whether to contribute a regular amount to an investment. Mario Schoeman, Client Service Manager at Foord Asset Management, shows that both strategies have merit.

Stock Selection Key To Future Investment Returns

Many studies have proved that over the long term, listed share markets generally outperform other asset classes. An investment strategy constructed solely around this principle, however, is a dangerous gamble. In fact, investors working from the assumption that broader equity markets will always outperform in the long term run the risk of significant loss of capital.

How To Not Panic About Daily Market Fluctuations

Most investors will know that knotted feeling in the pit of their stomachs that happens every time there is a turn in market sentiment. And perhaps, as happens to many, such a gut reaction immediately prompts another involuntary response – that of, “Quick, I need to get out or get in, buy or sell, change my portfolio, go into cash or bonds… DO SOMETHING!”