Rational Radio

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

SLR's political lens: Looking ahead to a turbulent 2019 for CR, Trump and May

Kicking off the new year with a fresh approach to political punditry with our London-based columnist Simon Lincoln Reader, an obsessive follower of politics in South Africa, the UK and the USA. In this episode, Simon explains how Trump's Wall was a Democratic idea; unpacks who really runs Corbyn's Labour…

3 Jan 2019 24 min

Flash Briefing: Apple, Tesla punished after missing forecasts; Renewables tops in UK; Mark Bristow's plans

In today’s global business headlines…. Computer and smartphone giant Apple Inc’s share price dropped 7% in post market trade after it disclosed iPhone sales for the December quarter will be significantly below its official forecast of just two months ago. The share price of another US market darling, electric car…

3 Jan 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: Gold booming; SA business icon dies; "Tropical Trump" takes office; SA stocks worst year in a decade

In global business headlines: The gold price had a great finish to 2018 with bullion extending its winning streak to five days, edging towards $1 300, highest in six months. Brazil’s first right wing president in a generation, Jair Bolsonaro, promised to attack corruption and urged for unity in his…

2 Jan 2019 3 min

Flash Briefing: More good news for Tencent; Ellison joins Musk; Motor sector hit; Dell back on NYSE

In today’s global business headlines…. Analysis by automotive sector intelligence group Jato Dynamics shows the internal combustion engine is running out of steam much faster than expected. In related news, the world’s leading electric car maker Tesla landed a massive coup with Friday’s appointment of Oracle Group co-founder and executive…

31 Dec 2018 4 min

Flash Briefing: Wild swings in stocks; Gatwick sold to French; Spain moves right; Musk defends "pedo" tweet

In today’s global headlines…. Extreme recent volatility on Wall Street continued last night with share prices falling sharply before a powerful rally lifted them to the best close in a turbulent week.  While Brexit has frightened off some investors, French infrastructure operator Vinci regards it differently, describing today’s acquisition of…

28 Dec 2018 4 min

Flash Briefing; US stocks surge; Foreigners help UK retail; $8bn crypto crash; Naspers boosts A2X

In today’s global headlines…. After a bruising month, US stocks posted their best day in a decade yesterday as the three major indices rose over 5% with the Dow up more than 1 000 points for the first time in history.  Total UK retail footfall was down 3% year-on-year yesterday,…

27 Dec 2018 4 min

Flash Briefing: Trump's lawyer jailed; May wins; Tencent Music lists; SA State Capture in FT

In today’s global headlines…. British Prime Minister Theresa May saw off the long threatened challenge to her leadership by hard line Brexiteers within her own party, prevailing with 63% of the vote. American news media is giving blanket coverage to the jailing, for three years, of president Donald Trump’s confidante…

13 Dec 2018 4 min

Flash Briefing: Mrs May faces No Confidence vote tonight; Hyundai doubles down on fuel cells; $180m for Liquid Telecoms; Trade war latest

British Prime Minister Theresa May faces a vote of no confidence this evening after rebels in her Conservative Party secured the required 15% in written confirmations. China has made the first concrete move in the heralded flawing of its trade war with the US by cutting tariffs on US car…

12 Dec 2018 3 min