1. Equity: Which SA Equity Benchmark do professional investors prefer?
(3 minute video)
We asked some of our most savvy investors which SA equity benchmarks they prefer and why. The S&P South Africa 50 index came out favourably. It comprises the largest 50 companies by float-adjusted market cap (with a 10% cap) from the S&P South Africa Composite. Here’s why three professional investors prefer this index as their Beta benchmark. Click here to go directly to the CoreShares Top50 fund page.
2. Preference Shares: CoreShares Preftrax ETF
The CoreShares Preference Share ETF (share code: PREFTX) is the only Preference Share ETF available in South Africa and thereby offers access to a unique asset class. This ETF tracks the performance of the FTSE/JSE Preference Share Index and is part of our equity income range. It is useful within a diversified income strategy, particularly for high marginal tax payers as it pays a dividend and not income.
Preference shares pay yields comparable to those of corporate bonds from the same company, but being dividends, are more tax efficient than interest, and they are more secure than ordinary shares. The dividends tend to be more consistent and higher than those of ordinary shares, because the dividends are contractual in nature and companies must pay out dividends to preference shareholders before they can pay dividends to ordinary shareholders. This is one of the major advantages of investing in preference shares.
3. Property: CoreShares SA Property Income ETF
(30 minute video)
While many investors are feeling nervous about growth assets in the current environment, it pays to be informed and ready to take advantage of the cheap entry opportunities that weaker markets present. Listed property fulfils a pragmatic role in portfolios. Property brings healthy income and inflation protection to a post-retirement portfolio, and acts as an essential building block for a pre-retirement portfolio, improving diversification even as it brings exposure to a growth asset class. This presentation is a concise introduction to the CoreShares SA Property Income ETF (share code: CSPROP) in under 30 minutes, explaining how we selected an index that maximises yield while remaining well-diversified and liquid.
4. Why have some professional investors in South Africa not yet embraced passive investing?
(3 minute video)
Passive investing offers lower fees, superior returns and more effective asset class allocation. Why haven’t all South Africa professional investors embraced passive yet? We asked a chief investment officer, the MD of an asset management firm and a portfolio manager. Here’s what they think.