Niël Hougaard of Glacier Invest chats to two of our managers, Lourens Pretorius (co-manager of the Amplify SCI* Defensive Balanced Fund) and Iain Power (manager of the Amplify SCI* Wealth Protector Fund) providing a better understanding of their diverse views in managing their respective funds.
The benefits of high quality, liquid instruments in multi-asset income funds.
21 Feb 2024
Investor sentiment towards Naspers and Prosus appears to be warming in early 2024 after uncertainty over Chinese tech company Tencent weighed heavily on these shares in 2023. Naspers and Prosus trade at significant discounts to Tencent, in which they have a significant shareholding, and to their own net asset value. Their inability to unlock this value, and uncertainty over Tencent and the Chinese economy, has resulted in nervousness among investors, especially given their dominance in terms of value and trade on the JSE. In December 2023, the introduction of proposed draft gaming regulations by the Chinese regulator saw Naspers lose 9.7% and Prosus lose 10.6%, while Tencent was down 13% in rand terms. But there has been some recovery in January, after fund managers bought into the dip. Managers of Amplify Investment Partners funds consider Naspers and Prosus good value at current levels, and some used the opportunity to buy.
06 Feb 2024
Amplify’s managers say the trajectory or outcome of various events that are already known in 2024 hold high risks and uncertainties. These include local national elections, the power crisis, Transnet’s rail and ports crisis, war in Ukraine and the Middle East, US GDP growth and the Fed’s response and Chinese economic recovery.
There is generally consensus among Amplify’s managers that the key lies in a balanced and adaptable approach with a diversified portfolio. Geopolitical risk globally, elections (notably in the US, Russia and the EU), local elections and continued local economic pressures point to continued uncertainty and volatility, and a relatively defensive portfolio positioning. Amplify’s managers, who have proven their ability to perform well during volatility, remain active and true to their philosophy and practice and remain cautiously optimistic for 2024.
02 Feb 2024
Low risk instruments provide attractive returns with limited risk, and a more conservative position in the current environment is suitable. SA equities are extremely cheap compared to history, global markets, and emerging markets. There has been a structural change in terms of capital flow as Regulation 28 changes saw a lot of local managers increase offshore exposure at the expense of local, while foreign investors are not convinced on SA’s prospects. This leaves lots of opportunities on the local market, with companies on 6 or 7 PEs and decent dividend yields, and with some growth and prospects determined by themselves rather than macro conditions. This is positive for local equities, relative to especially the US which expensive, and the fund has increased its allocation.
18 Dec 2023
By taking inspiration from the natural world, we can navigate unpredictable waters with greater clarity and purpose. A predatory compass helps guide us to resilience, growth, success and more.
12 Dec 2023
Our story isn’t just about managing assets; it’s about blazing a trail through market dynamics with purpose and deep commitment. Intelligence meets impact, made meaningful. That’s the Amplify story.
12 Dec 2023
Our story isn’t just about managing assets; it’s about blazing a trail through market dynamics with purpose and deep commitment. Intelligence meets impact, made meaningful. That’s the Amplify story.
12 Dec 2023
Our story isn’t just about managing assets; it’s about blazing a trail through market dynamics with purpose and deep commitment. Intelligence meets impact, made meaningful. That’s the Amplify story.
08 Nov 2023
For content creators, passion leads to financial freedom and ultimately, wealth. Knowing what drives them, what matters and how they define impact, can lead to even greater success.
07 Nov 2023
Amplify Investment Partners’ global equity funds are new to the market, but infused with the DNA of a fund with a 27 year history of outperformance.
Nico Janse van Rensburg, head of positioning at Amplify, said in a recent webcast on Amplify’s offshore developments that the Amplify Global Equity Fund (USD) and Amplify SCI* Global Equity Feeder Fund (ZAR) aim to invest in dominant companies in structurally-attractive industries which will grow their earnings at sustainable above average rates.
While benchmarked against the MSCI World index, the fund is run as benchmark agnostic, as the index is not used as a starting point to portfolio construction. The portfolio holds between 35 to 55 companies, of which the top 10 make up 40% to 50%. The focus is on industry-leading multinationals with large market caps and high daily trading volumes with sustainable, above average growth in earnings, cashflow and dividends
31 Oct 2023
With a widening deficit and rising debt-to-GDP ratio, can government afford to convert the Covid-19 social grant into permanent basic income? Can it balance the books and avoid future strain?
30 Oct 2023
Content creation is a whole new kind of business. Understand what drives creators and how the right advice can lead to the kind of success they’re after, and you can enable more than success.
20 Oct 2023
There’s evident upside risk to the inflation outlook. Does a recent uptick in the price of oil begin to cast a shadow over positive inflation trajectory? Are rate cuts still in the cards for 2024?