Rational Radio

Flash Briefing 23 Jan: From Davos - Prince William, Attenborough, Bolsonaro, Pompeo, Du Toit.

In today's global headlines.. Sustainability was high on the agenda in Davos yesterday, with Britain’s Prince William’s professional interview with film-maker David Attenborough stealing the show. The focus on ESG – Environment, Social and Governance – was also a theme of the first foreign address by Brazil’s new president Jair…

22 Jan 2019 4 min

In Davos: Investec CEO Hendrik du Toit flexing brainpower. Must listen.

It’s been my privilege to have known the subject of today’s episode for many years, almost since the day arrived 27 years ago at a then small banking company with an idea of starting an asset management business. Deciding to back this one man and a briefcase was one of…

22 Jan 2019 27 min

Flash Briefing: Zim prez joins Davos no shows; AU backtracks on DRC; Edelmans 2019 Trust Barometer

Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa joined an already long list of Davos no shows that have taken a lot of shine off the 2019 annual meeting which kicks off tonight. The Ellermans Trust Barometer, which will be officially released in Davos tomorrow, shows a continued worsening of trust in governance institutions…

21 Jan 2019 5 min

Flash Briefing: Historic AU move on DRC; Intu woes grow; Netflix adds 8.8m; US/China war cooling.

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… The African Union today broke with an appeasing stance by Cyril Ramaphosa-led SADC, to strongly condemn the official results of the DRC presidential election. Hopes are growing that the trade war between the America and China, which threatens global economic growth, will be resolved during high…

18 Jan 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: Jack Bogle dies; Mrs May deals; SA holds DRC presidential key; Goldman sets aside $500m for 1MDB

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… Jack Bogle, the father of index investing and a crusader for private investor’s rights, has died. He was 89. Theresa May’s Conservative Party government narrowly survived a vote of no confidence last night, thanks to the support of the ten members of its Northern Irish ally,…

17 Jan 2019 4 min

True confessions of a 40-bagging Bitcoin Surfer

Peter McCormack is proof that there's a novel waiting to be written in every life. An advertising entrepreneur who fell into Bitcoin because of his terminally ill mother, he bought early, enjoyed a 40-fold return on investment, but stayed too long at the fairground. He shares this cautionary tale that…

16 Jan 2019 21 min

Flash Briefing: May won't resign; VW/Ford join forces; Big Bank CEO loses job; DRC election scandal grows

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… Reports from inside the UK cabinet say British Prime Minister Theresa May was persuaded to withdraw an offer to resign after yesterday’s crushing defeat of her Brexit plan. Once fierce rivals Volkswagen and Ford, the world’s second and fifth biggest motor manufacturers, are joining forces to…

16 Jan 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: More New Look misery for Brait; New gold giant created; Death knell for Brexit plan; Fresh peak for China's US trade surplus.

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… British Prime Minister Theresa May’s impassioned plea ahead of a key Parliamentary vote this evening appears to have fallen on deaf ears. US president Donald Trump is sure to draw additional support for his trade war on China after last night’s news that the 10% tariffs,…

15 Jan 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: Trump enhancing US skills-magnet visa; Pressure on SA to act on DRC election, Tuna Bond scandal; US profit growth dropping fast.

IN TODAY'S GLOBAL HEADLINES In the wake of the fastest growth in earnings in eight years, America’s biggest public companies are set to report significantly slower growth for the December quarter. Also in the US, after sending mixed messages ahead of and since his 2016 election victory, president Donald Trump…

14 Jan 2019 4 min

GM's pleasant 7% shock for investors, Mary Barra upbeat on future

The world’s fourth largest motor manufacturer certainly bucked an otherwise gloomy trend on Friday, giving investors news that sent its share price soaring. By close of trade the GM stock had gained 7% to over $37, taking it back to the where it traded before September’s market meltdown. Of the…

13 Jan 2019 17 min

The Editor's Desk: Davos, Trump, the wall, and the shutdown

DUBLIN – As the US government shutdown drags on to its 22nd day, making it the country’s longest ever, US President Donald Trump is focusing on issues at home. His decision to skip this year’s World Economic Forum meeting in Davos underscores the challenges he faces as the new Democratic-led House…

12 Jan 2019 13 min

Flash Briefing: Trump ditches Davos; Richemont jumps on good 4Q; Aussie housing slump; Ford slashes EU jobs

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… Ford EMEA is to overhaul its operations with actions including retrenchments, plant closures and stopping the production of low profit models. US president Donald Trump won’t be going to Davos after all as pressure rises against him on numerous fronts. Australian house prices fell just over…

11 Jan 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: Mobile bank N26 now EU's richest startup; Bezos divorce worries Amazon; DRC on tenterhooks; Six more years for Venezuelan tyrant

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro is to be sworn in for a fresh six year term this morning following his victory in an election last May.  Amazon’s founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, is to divorce after 25 years of marriage casting a shadow over the ownership structure…

10 Jan 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: IBM unveils first Quantum Computer; Trump raises heat on Wall, China talks; Jailed Mozam finmin denied bail by SA court;

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… US president Donald Trump held his first oval office television broadcast in almost two years last night in an attempt to gather popular support for a proposed $5bn wall along the country’s southern border.  Trump’s personality is also a major influence on critical trade talks in…

9 Jan 2019 4 min

Eurasia's Ian Bremmer picks 2019's biggest risks - for investors and citizens

Eurasia Group’s founder and chief executive Ian Bremmer tends to leave an impression. And owning his own powerful business gives him the rare luxury of being paid to tell uber truths that most other pundits steer away from.   I met him at an RMB conference in Cape Town two…

8 Jan 2019 15 min

Flash Briefing: Mick Davis back mining; Samsung hit worse than Apple; WeWork $6bn cash injection aborted; Amazon world's most valuable.

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… Apple’s global smartphone rival Samsung came up even shorter in the three months to end December, indicating this morning its revenues fell 11% and operating income was down by a quarter. Japanese New Economy venture capital group Softbank has cancelled a proposed $16bn deal with shared…

8 Jan 2019 4 min

Simon Sinek: What makes great leaders - and bad ones

Bestselling author Simon Sinek's 18 minute presentation on how great leaders inspire action has been watched by more than 42m people. That makes it one of the three most popular Ted Talks of all time. The author of two highly acclaimed books has an army of social media followers. In…

7 Jan 2019 31 min

Flash Briefing: Booming Ireland seeks Saffers; 3 African dictators pressured; Key trade talks; Gold demanded.

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… Trade officials from the US are meeting their Chinese counterparts in Beijing today in an attempt to hammer out an agreement that will reverse escalating trade war tensions. A report today from Canada’s Scotiabank says gold exchange traded funds increased their holdings of the metal by…

7 Jan 2019 4 min

The Editor's Desk: Behind the Apple-inspired market chaos

Global markets had a volatile week, plunging to the depths on the back of bad news from Apple before rebounding on the Fed's reassurances. It looks like market uncertainty is back and bigger than ever, which is a scary prospect for investors used to relative calm. In this episode, Alec…

5 Jan 2019 22 min

Flash Briefing: More Mozam deal arrests; S&P has worst start since 2000; De Beers flooding fake diamond market

The fallout from yesterday’s sales shortfall announcement by Apple Inc shook US markets last night. Anglo American subsidiary De Beers has moved aggressively into synthetic diamonds, dropping prices of the laboratory-made products in a bet that consumers will be prepared to pay premiums for the mined natural stones. The chances…

4 Jan 2019 3 min