End of an era for Eskom, and tens of thousands protest in Germany
On Sunday, 1 November, the South African rand reached R16.72 to the United States dollar.
South African markets face a busy week of corporate results, with several major companies reporting earnings and sales figures.
Locally, Altron is expected to report stronger interim earnings, with continuing operations headline earnings per share forecast to increase by 11% to 17%.
Redefine Properties will release its full-year results after reporting an 8.3% increase in interim funds from operations.
Gold Fields and Sibanye-Stillwater will also report quarterly sales, following strong performances supported by higher commodity prices.
AngloGold Ashanti is expected to release its third-quarter results, while Sappi and The Foschini Group will report their full-year and interim results, respectively.
On the corporate actions front, Prosus, Bytes Technology Group, Equites Property Fund, PSG Financial Services, Telemasters Holdings and Vunani will trade ex-dividend on Wednesday, 4 November.
In the United States (US), the third-quarter earnings season continues, with 225 S&P 500 companies having reported results so far. Of these, 79% beat earnings expectations and 58% reported better-than-expected revenue.
Next week, investors will watch results from Berkshire Hathaway, Apple, Eaton, Booking Holdings, McDonald’s, Uber Technologies and Airbnb.
Apple is expected to report revenue of $113.5 billion, while Uber’s revenue is forecast to increase 8.9% year-on-year to $14.7 billion. Airbnb is also expected to report strong growth, with revenue forecast to rise 16% to $4.8 billion.
In Europe, Ferrari, Novo Nordisk, Smith & Nephew and Diageo are scheduled to report results or sales figures.
Ferrari is expected to report third-quarter revenue growth of 7.9%, while Novo Nordisk’s revenue is forecast to decline 2.3%. Investors will also watch Diageo’s first-quarter sales following a decline in its annual organic net sales.
In the Asia-Pacific region, DBS Group Holdings is expected to report third-quarter results after recording a 9% increase in second-quarter net profit to S$3.08 billion.
On the economic front, the latest FNB Estate Agents Survey will examine why South Africans are selling their homes, with a focus on households adjusting to changing financial circumstances, life stages and lifestyles.
Important finance and investing news
End of an era for Eskom: Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reported progress in defining the costs and funding for unbundling Eskom. He noted ongoing collaboration with the Presidency and National Treasury to finalise policies that ensure fair market value for grid asset transfers. [SABC News]
Germany hit with riots: Hooded rioters looted stores in Frankfurt late Saturday as tens of thousands protested in Germany’s largest cities, demanding better education and lower living costs. This follows widespread Gen Z-led demonstrations across Europe this year, including student activism in Serbia that helped unseat the longtime leader, and escalating protests in France that have turned violent. [Reuters]
Taxi Council denies go-slow claims: The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Western Cape has dismissed claims of an unofficial taxi go-slow in Cape Town. The Western Cape Mobility Department reported limited taxi operations at several ranks, prompting it to send teams to assist commuters with long wait times and provide alternative travel options. [EWN]
South Korea’s export boom: South Korea’s exports showed strong growth in October, reflecting the robust boom driven by artificial intelligence that has supported the economy. However, a recent decline in technology stocks has raised concerns about the sustainability of the global AI trade. [Bloomberg]
Wall Street hits a slump: In 2026, Wall Street analysts heavily favoured Buy ratings for AI companies, but less-followed stocks outperformed. Michael Kantrowitz, chief investment strategist at Piper Sandler, noted that S&P 500 stocks with the most Buy ratings have generally lagged those with fewer ratings this year. This trend represents the third-worst performance recorded in Piper’s data since 1995. [Yahoo Finance]
