JSEDirect with Simon Brown

US results season opens with Goldman Sachs and Johnson & Johnson both beating expectations — but the more interesting story is what those results don't show yet: the full impact of Middle East conflict and Trump's drug pricing pressure. Simon also unpacks South Africa's looming fuel crisis and makes the economic case for working from home, a new 100% offshore ETF listing on the JSE from ETFSA, and an ASP Isotopes update for those holding a speculative position. FNB's FCA-mandated R11.9bn provision for undisclosed UK vehicle finance commissions gets a full breakdown, as does the nuanced reality of the Straits of Hormuz "blockade" — it has T's and C's. Plus a long-overdue Bitcoin check-in. WorldWideMarkets is part of JustOneLap.com.

South African consumer stocks have been hammered. In Episode 673 of WorldWideMarkets, Simon Brown works through the JSE's food and clothing retailers — Shoprite, Boxer, Pick n Pay, SPAR, Pepkor, Foschini Group, Mr. Price, Lewis, and Woolworths — asking where genuine value has emerged and where cheap simply means broken. He also sets the macro scene with Trump's Wednesday deadline on Iran peace talks and what a Straits of Hormuz transit fee would mean for oil prices and inflation. Stock by stock: valuations, analyst targets, dividend yields, and Simon's honest take on what he holds and why. Topics covered: JSE retail sector, food retailers, clothing retailers, Iran oil risk, consumer inflation, SA discretionary spending. WorldWideMarkets is part of JustOneLap.com.

Simon reviews six listed space stocks ahead of the expected SpaceX IPO, which could debut above $2 trillion as early as June. Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile, Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, Planet Labs and Spire Global each get a SWOT breakdown, with the Procure Space ETF (UFO) as a diversified alternative. On the local front, the JSE Top 40 just posted its worst month since September 2008, falling roughly 10 percent from all-time highs. A massive petrol price increase takes effect at midnight. Simon discusses investing into a falling market, revisits the Algorithm Holdings AI hype collapse, and explains why CrowdStrike's CEO selling stock is not worth losing sleep over. WorldWideMarkets is part of JustOneLap.com.

WorldWideMarkets episode 671 covers the return of US tariffs through Section 301 investigations targeting South Africa and 60 other countries — with no rate ceiling and no court precedent to stop them. Simon unpacks the Iran war's tentative ceasefire talks, why Goldman Sachs revised its Brent forecast to $85, and what happens to oil and interest rates if the conflict drags on. Monday's sharp gold selloff gets a post-mortem: leveraged FOMO unwinds, Turkey tapping reserves, and profit-taking after a year of doubling. Two stock ideas round out the episode: Rocket Lab (RKLB) for pure-play space exposure and Franco Nevada (FNV) as a low-risk gold streaming alternative to miners. Plus the MPC rate decision preview and a quick plug for the new AI in the Wild column. WorldWideMarkets is part of JustOneLap.com.

Worldwide Markets — Episode 680 | 18 March 2026 Powered by Standard Bank, Global Markets, Retail and Shyft ⛽ Fuel Price Pain Coming Petrol 95 up ~R4.50/litre and diesel up ~R7.50/litre from the first Wednesday in April. On a 50-litre tank that's R200+ for petrol and close to R400 for diesel. Fill up before April if you can.

⚖️ Budget Boost: A Rare Win for Taxpayers

This special broadcast is the recording of the Budget Panel 2026 with AJM, Baker Tilly Greenwoods, and FNB.   Simon Brown hosts and his guests are; The Hon Ashor Sarupen Dep Fin Minister Mamello Matikinca chief economist at FNB Dr Christo Wiese – business man Dr Albertus Marais – Partner AJM

Worldwide Markets - Episode 666

For the thirteenth year in a row Keith McLachlan, Marc Ashton and Simon Brown kick off the new year with a predictions show. First they check in and mark what they said last year. Then they each offer three predictions for the year ahead and a view on the Top40 and Rand/ Find last years show here.

Worldwide Markets – Episode 659 Show Notes "It's Been a Year… But Markets Loved It"

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Worldwide Markets — Episode 657 (19 November 2025)

Worldwide Markets – Episode 656 (12 November) Powered by Standard Bank Global Markets and Shyft – the global money app that puts travel, shopping, payments and investments in the palm of your hand

🌠Worldwide Markets Ep. 646 – 3 September 2025 ðŸŽ™ï¸ Hosted by Simon Brown Powered by Standard Bank & Shyft, the global money app ðŸ'³ðŸŒ 📈 Key Topics This Week 🌠Emerging Markets: 20 Years of Poor Returns EM ETFs have underperformed vs. the US and gold 20-year CAGR: 📊 NASDAQ: +1,400% (14.5% CAGR) 🟡 Gold: +700% (10.9% CAGR) 🇺🇸 S&P 500: +440% (8.7% CAGR) 🌠Emerging Markets: +193% (5.5% CAGR) BRIC dream (Brazil, Russia, India, China) never delivered ðŸ'­ Headwinds: financial crises, currency depreciation ðŸ'¸, weaker governance 📉 🟡 Gold & ⚪ Silver Running Gold futures hit $3,560/oz 🚀 Central banks now hold more gold than US Treasuries Silver back above $40, near 2011 highs Stagflation worries (low growth, high inflation, debt) → gold demand surges Gold weekly chart | 02 September 2025 ðŸ›' Shoprite* Results & 60/60 Growth Checkers 60/60 delivered R18.9bn revenue ðŸŽðŸ“¦ That's nearly 20% of Checkers' sales & close to Pick n Pay's market cap Strong results, inflation at just 2.3% ✅ Stock price up ~5% 🚗 Record August Vehicle Sales 51,880 units sold, highest since Oct 2019 Brands leading: 🚙 Toyota (13k+) 🚗 Suzuki (~6.5k) 🇨🇳 Rising share from Chinese brands (GWM, Chery, JAC) Trend: consumers keeping cars longer, turning to cheaper imports ðŸ·ï¸ 🧪 ASP Isotopes JSE Listing Listed ahead of Renergen* takeover Local pricing looks wildly inflated at R1,100 vs. realistic ~R165 📉 Very thin volumes; caution urged âš ï¸ ðŸŒ Geopolitics: New World Order India 🤠Russia 🤠China meeting – cooperation on energy, fertilizers, space & security Growing shift away from USD towards RMB in oil settlement US power not gone yet, but cracks in global dominance showing ðŸ›ï¸ 🔑 Takeaways EM equities have disappointed; US tech dominance continues ðŸ'» Gold remains a hedge in uncertain times 🟡 Shoprite Sixty60 is now a R20bn business 🚚 Car sales at record highs, boosted by affordable Chinese brands 🚘 Watch out for weird valuations in new listings 👀 Geopolitics shifting – 2025 could be a turning point 🌠📌 Next week's episode will be late – Simon's at LeaderX on Tuesday. Come say hi if you're there! 🙌 Simon Brown * I hold ungeared positions. All charts by KoyFin | Get 10% off your order

Simon's on holiday in sunny Durban

The Year So Far

This week, Simon Brown unpacks the numbers behind a recovering South African consumer, an attractive new renewable energy listing, and the latest moves in platinum group metals (PGMs). Plus, CrowdStrike's results, Omnia's cash pile (and SARS headache), and what falling bond yields mean for SA. In this episode:

Simon has been doing a key note address over the last week and in this weeks podcast he takes a slightly different tack to what he usually presents. This time he is delivery his key note. He looks back over almost forty years of market crises that he's invested through. He shares the lessons he learnt, what caused the crisis and what the response was. This includes; 1987, EM Tigers of 1998, the DotCom bust in 2000, Global Financial Crisis of 2008/9, the 2020 pandemic and finally the 2025 Trump tariff crisis.

SARB inflation target

Gold Pullback in Focus Gold surged to $3,500 before a sharp pullback to $3,321. Simon breaks down what caused the spike — including comments from Trump about Powell and rate cuts. Weekly chart shows potential kangaroo tail reversal — possible zone to watch: $2,800–$3,000. Gold | Weekly | 23 April 2025 Trump, Powell & IMF Forecast Downgrades Trump critiques Powell and Fed policy while possibly setting up a scapegoat. IMF cuts global growth forecasts from 3.2% to 2.8%. South Africa's expected GDP is now at 1% — far below Treasury's 1.9% target. Rare Earths: Not So Rare, Still Strategic China's dominance in rare earths: 69% production, 90% processing. Simon looks at the VanEck Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) as a thematic play. Pros & cons of investing in rare earths — not fully sold on the ETF himself. Flashback: 5 Years Since Negative Oil Remember April 2020? Oil went negative (-$40.32)! Breakdown of why it happened (physical settlement, lack of storage). One of the wildest moments in market history. 21 April 2020 | WTO goes negative New Battery Tech from China's CATL Sodium-ion batteries could rival lithium: cheaper, safer, fast-charging. CATL is profitable and pays a dividend, but listed in Shenzhen, making access tricky. Aspen's R2 Billion Hit Brief mention of Aspen's contract dispute and loss. Lack of transparency continues to damage trust in management. Simon Brown * I hold ungeared positions. All charts by KoyFin | Get 10% off your order