The retail sector isn't just a critical source of employment and consumer goods in every economy in the world. No, it's also a major contributor to stock indices and portfolio strategies that look for strong underpins that can give protection against inflation.

Analysing retailers requires a nuanced approach that includes an understanding of margins, working capital and other balance sheet concepts. With a discussion that includes topics like category-level gross margin and the importance of omnichannel strategies to trading density, this episode of Magic Markets gives a useful overview of some of the key concepts used by professional analysts when they assess retailers.

As always, this podcast is a way to share our ideas with listeners and drive debate. It is for informational purposes only and should not be treated as financial advice.

Stablecoins are highly topical at the moment, with important new legislation in the US and many discussions taking place around the world with regulators. But why do they matter so much in the world of blockchain and crypto?

To explain the importance of stablecoins and to talk through critical concepts like yield-bearing stablecoins and the various use cases of this technology, Connie Bloem of Mesh.Trade joined us on this podcast.

We also touched on the recently launched SLVR token that allows investors to gain access to silver, an interesting follow-up the gold product that launched on Mesh.Trade earlier this year.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to your personal financial advisor. Mesh Trade SA (Pty) Ltd is a licensed Financial Services Provider (53710) and an Accountable Institution registered with the Financial Intelligence Centre.

Stocks like Microsoft, Meta and Netflix have been strong winners in our portfolios (although we've had different exposures to them at different times). These stocks are great case studies to deal with two important questions.

The first relates to letting winners run. How do we think about having long-term vs. tactical positions and potentially trimming them over time?

The second relates to winners in a different context, being stocks in sectors with winner-takes-all or winners-take-most economics. Does this change the way we think about them over time?

As always, this podcast is a way to share our ideas with listeners and drive debate. It is for informational purposes only and should not be treated as financial advice.

Earlier this week, Mpact gave the South African market a positive surprise. The packaging group is a major supplier to the agri sector, particularly for the export of agricultural products from South Africa like citrus. At a time when the market was expecting doom and gloom thanks to US tariffs, Mpact gave a positive outlook around agricultural activity and the share price rallied in response.

To find out whether this bullish outlook is warranted, we asked Wandile Sihlobo to join us on the show. Despite the last minute decision to go this route, he graciously accepted the invite and brought his expert voice to the discussion.

It turns out that the real story on SA agriculture is a lot more bullish than you might think.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to your personal financial advisor.

Are consumers still having fries with that, or have changes in consumer preferences (like more awareness of health and nutrition) given fast food stocks a knock?

Quick-service restaurants are businesses that can scale quickly, usually through a franchise model, which is why they've historically done well. They don't all take this route though, as evidenced by Chipotle that we just covered in Magic Markets Premium - and that's one of the best names in this sector. Clearly, there are important nuances here.

Aside from the global names, how have Spur and Famous Brands been doing on the JSE? And what are some of the core differences in their strategies?

You listen to this show on an empty stomach at your own risk. You can also expect to hear a brief argument about Italian milkshakes.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to your personal financial advisor.

After covering the financials sector on the JSE last week and with our latest Premium research being on Goldman Sachs, we decided to talk about bank balance sheets and some of the key concepts.

This includes elements like capital adequacy, non-performing loans and portfolio tilts across various products. If you've ever wondered why mortgage originators even exist in the first place, you'll enjoy this show.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to your personal financial advisor.

The financials sector on the JSE is a substantial contributor to the overall index. Although banks make up the bulk of the sector, there are also major businesses in areas like insurance and wealth management.

With South Africa's difficult macro backdrop, there isn't a rising tide that lifts all boats in this sector. Instead, it tends to reward stock pickers who understand the nuances across the various businesses, including their relative exposure to South Africa vs. offshore markets.

In this episode, we dig into some of the key concepts to keep in mind when looking at the banks, large diversified financial services groups and businesses that earn fees from assets under management.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to your personal financial advisor.

The "capital stack" refers to the mix of debt and equity that provides the funding for a business. With so many options on the spectrum from senior debt to pure equity, companies and investors come together in search of optimal solutions for all involved.

Westbrooke's approach makes use of various funding mechanisms, with hybrid capital as a particular favourite. This aims for debt-like risk and equity-like returns, while providing capital for lower- to mid-market deals in markets like the UK.

Dino Zuccollo, Head of Investor Solutions at Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management, joined us on this episode to update us on the alternative asset market, recent deal trends across markets and the exciting news of the R3.8 billion WDO UK Fund II, raised by Westbrooke in partnership with RMB.

To learn more about Westbrooke and to connect with the team, visit their website here. Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management is an authorised Financial Services Provider, FSP number 46750. This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Please speak to your personal financial advisor.