Renewed interest in emerging market investments and the move from growth to value are reflected in the stock picks of Amplify fund manager, Omri Thomas.

“While global markets look expensive, we still manage to find value in South Africa,” says Omri Thomas, portfolio manager of the Amplify SCI* Flexible Equity Fund and a director at Abax Investments, adding that the fund finds this value both in the hybrid space – with convertible bonds – and in some quality shares on the JSE. South African stocks remain relatively cheap and attractive, especially given the serious warning lights in global markets. To find out more about the fund’s top stocks picks.

An agile investment strategy tuned in to prevalent market dynamics will help investors find the silver lining in a new year where buoyant equity markets, vaccine roll-outs and easing lockdown measures provide impetus for a level of positivity in investment markets.

In terms of this strategy and with yields negative in global fixed income, equities are likely to produce positive returns in 2021, according to Laurium Capital, which manages Amplify Investment Partners’ Amplify SCI* Balanced Fund.

A new year is upon us with revitalised hopes, aspirations and dreams. It’s a time to look ahead, plan accordingly and help our clients achieve their financial goals.

Joanne Baynham of AssetTV hosts this multi-asset Masterclass with Brian Thomas, Portfolio Manager of the Amplify SCI* Balanced Fund.

While the economic lockdown was arguably the most economically disastrous event in living memory, the JSE All Share Index and major global indices have recovered to similar, and in some cases, higher levels than before the crash started in mid-February, even though the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on economies. Marthinus van der Nest, head of Amplify Investment Partners, says: “As much as we keep saying that keeping a cool head is the cornerstone of investing, many investors act impulsively when faced with a crisis, believing that the current event is different to those of the past. 2020 showed us that even an event that takes down all economies simultaneously could be ridden out as equity markets are resilient, with agile and responsive fund managers who continue to find opportunities.”

The SA Medium Term Budget Policy (MTBPS) is of particular importance this year off the back of spiraling debt and a lockdown that’s had a catastrophic impact on the growth of our economy. Together with a bloated wage bill, record-high unemployment and lower tax collections, how will Finance Minister Tito Mboweni keep South Africa from falling off the fiscal cliff?

The evolution of impact investing will see ESG considerations align with growth and improved investment returns.

The pandemic has forced all of us to reconsider what we value. Our priorities have been rearranged from a world of excess to where livelihood is as valuable as a quick win. ESG and Impact Investing enable investors to get more than just financial returns. But just how much is known about these two principles, how they are applied and more importantly, how they can help investors drive value.

It is time to change what we value, to question investment practices and re-evaluate the concept of meaningful contribution. Amplify is in the business of helping its clients grow their money so that they can achieve their goals, and, equally, in the business of making a meaningful social and environmental impact and helping to preserve our environment for future generations.

Glacier Invest recently launched its Living Annuity Income Solutions, an industry first which encompasses a unique approach to portfolio construction. We’ve put together a series of four videos where the Glacier Invest portfolio managers engage with the asset managers of the funds in the Income Solutions to better understand how they manage their funds.

Optimism feels justified as more economies start to move through the worst of the COVID-19 recession and reopen. Now the debates clearly shifts from the depth of the contraction to the shape of the recovery. We are thrown headfirst into the alphabet soup of scenarios – V, U, L and W. The one constant across the various scenarios is uncertainty. How do you construct an investment portfolio that is protected from another dip but does not sacrifice unrealised market recoveries? More importantly, how do you still achieve your clients’ long-term savings goals without further capital loss?

As investors remain wary of the sustainability of the rapid recovery in financial markets this year, South Africa’s top fund managers are successfully navigating the fine line between managing ongoing risks and taking advantage of the significant opportunities that the volatility has presented to them.

Who’s the fairest of them all?
Plunging corporate earnings and an unprecedented surge in global debt, because of the coronavirus-related stall in activity, will weigh heavily on a rebound in global economic growth. Across major economies, governments face slumping tax revenues and soaring stimulus costs. South Africa is not immune with an already fragile economy and low growth prospects. As such, which world economies will fully reopen soonest and what will be the long-term impact of the great lockdown recession? Have risk assets in certain regions run ahead of their underlying macroeconomic narrative?

The pandemic will deliver a long-lasting shock to South Africa. When the outbreak struck, the economy was already in recession. The drastic containment measures implemented to curb the spread of the virus have deepened the contraction and resulted in ballooning government debt. Will it be the death of the once competitive and beloved SA Inc. or will the recovery of other regions leave us behind?

The financial shocks of the past few months have provided a glaring reminder of the critical importance of saving.

Considering skewed fundamentals, where are the opportunities in equity type investments?
Omri Thomas, portfolio manager for the Amplify SCI* Flexible Equity Fund, discusses how the unbundling of list companies unlocks value for your investment.

Hedge funds are showing their mettle as markets continue to experience significant volatility, uncertainty and poor performances across asset classes due to the coronavirus pandemic. By their nature, these funds are geared towards producing relatively superior risk-adjusted returns regardless of market condition. The proof has not always been in the pudding, but recent statistics have validated their raison d’être, and rewarded investors for their faith in an often overlooked and misunderstood asset class.

Why the downgrade is important and what it means for South Africa.

The confluence of a global shutdown and falling financial markets due to the coronavirus pandemic with country-specific issues such as South Africa’s GDP contraction and credit rating downgrade make it difficult for investors to keep a cool head.