STEPHEN CRANSTON: Finance’s twin guardians
When it comes to the age-old question of who guards the guards, in the Prudential Authority’s case it is nobody
STEPHEN CRANSTON: The secret of Santam’s climb to the top
Having had little competition, Stalker Hutchison Admiral has regularly been a major contributor to Santam’s bottom line
STEPHEN CRANSTON: The value of disclosure
As Vince Lombardi would have put it, investment returns aren’t everything – they’re the only thing
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Making a prudent(ial) punt
Prudential Investment Managers is one of the crop of boutique managers that has grown more slowly than others but is now one of the larger players, with more ...
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Sanlam’s puzzling decisions
It is puzzling that Sanlam has set up yet another life office. Some cannibalisation is inevitable
STEPHEN CRANSTON: How Coronation remains on the road
It is a mature business and assets under management are unchanged at R586bn, with international assets at R170bn
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Consumers turn to banking ombud in their numbers
The ombudsman for banking services has been getting busier; its call centre fielded 26,970 calls in 2018, 58% more than in 2016
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Conducting an investment orchestra
The asset consulting industry is severely compromised. It is now a sales channel
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Consumers in the soup
Those who are more dependent on income than assets are having a tougher time with a higher tax burden
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Favourites fall below par
The recovery of some large caps such as Naspers and BAT is starting to help managers
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Quilter poised for growth
Quilter has a vertically integrated model and operates in more sectors than its peers
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Slow, steady and sure
It’s true that past performance doesn’t always repeat, but there is no doubt that bad performance persists far more than good
STEPHEN CRANSTON: The active-passive line
It is not just active managers who are threatened by the growth of index funds
STEPHEN CRANSTON: It’s hard to make the top fund managers list
According to Alexander Forbes, the list of the top seven fund managers — and even the order in which they appear — remains unchanged
STEPHEN CRANSTON: The trouble with family businesses
It is hard to imagine who would have done a better job of building Anglo American than Ernest Oppenheimer’s son Harry
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Old Mutual and Sanlam’s oh so different businesses
Old Mutual and Sanlam have facilitated the birth of two very different businesses, both of which reported results last week
STEPHEN CRANSTON: Real expertise needed at life insurers
While Liberty’s relationship with Standard Bank gets more claustrophobic every year, MMI no longer supplies product to FirstRand
STEPHEN CRANSTON: We all know her name — Magda Wierzycka
Wierzycka is naturally mercurial and not naturally patient, but she has brought professional management into the business
