Author Archives for gtis

Shifting expectations…

May 23, 2016 6:51 am Published by Comments Off on Shifting expectations…

Until late last week, investors were assigning only a very small probability to the US Fed hiking interest rates next month. But it all changed this past week as a drastic re-pricing caused the dollar to appreciate, US bond prices to fall and emerging market assets to sell off. The main trigger was the Fed’s minutes from their last meeting...


Friday the 13th…!

May 16, 2016 9:16 am Published by Comments Off on Friday the 13th…!

…and it seemed to have been a horror week for the local economy. It started off relatively well, with the feel good factor that Moody’s didn’t downgrade the country’s sovereign credit rating following their most recent review that was released at the end of last week They kept a negative outlook on the rating, but saw the glass as half...


A growth concern slide

May 9, 2016 12:50 pm Published by Comments Off on A growth concern slide

The global focus was on US employment data this week as the US Fed’s data dependent policy has  meant that  investors have increasingly turned more short-term orientated in their decisions. Some Fed members  spoke during the week, causing nervousness ahead of the release of the US non-farm payroll data as  they stressed that the next June meeting remained an open...


The US Fed – caught in a Goldilocks environment?

April 29, 2016 3:07 pm Published by Comments Off on The US Fed – caught in a Goldilocks environment?

The US Fed meeting on Wednesday was one of the key financial market events of the week. The Fed’s December rate hike was followed up with decidedly more dovish rhetoric at the March meeting and investors were anxious over any modification in the wording to signal a change in policy. Fed Chair Janet Yellen played it safe. She removed the...


The new equity market barometer?

April 25, 2016 8:49 am Published by Comments Off on The new equity market barometer?

Movements in the oil price is increasingly dictating equity market direction. This strong  correlation between the  daily directional moves in equity markets to those of oil prices has been in place since last year  November and continues to be until today. This week started on a poor footing as the world’s  largest oil suppliers couldn’t reach a compromise over production...


A synchronised bounce?

April 18, 2016 7:23 am Published by Comments Off on A synchronised bounce?

Merely two months ago, many market participants were predicting a global recession as equity  markets tumbled  and investors shied away from risky assets. Goldman Sachs reported that the oil price could plummet  to as low as  $20 a barrel. But in a very short space of time, markets have turned around and reached new highs  for the year. The recovery...


Pay back the Rand…

April 4, 2016 10:28 am Published by Comments Off on Pay back the Rand…

The Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s address to the Economic Club of New York on Tuesday was rather dovish, stating that the U.S. Central Bank should proceed with caution in adjusting monetary policy. In the December meeting the FOMC members saw rates between 1.25% and 1.5% at the end of 2016, and at 3.5% in the longer term. In the...


Technical Questionnaires 1

March 22, 2016 11:27 pm Published by Comments Off on Technical Questionnaires 1

The Municipal Councillors Pension Fund (MCPF) requires that all applicants for this tender to submit a Development Plan demonstrating how they will discharge the commitment made in the Contractors Development Value Summary (CDVS). The CDVS is a detailed narrative document explaining the applicant plan guided by specific requirements


Technical Questionnaires 2

March 22, 2016 11:12 pm Published by Comments Off on Technical Questionnaires 2

Technical Questionnaires for MCPF tender