Year: 2026

Investing that protects people and the planet is growing: new study maps the progress in South Africa

South Africa’s Sustainable Investing Growth: New Study Reveals Progress

In South Africa, progress has been tangible, though it remains inconsistent. Ongoing structural constraints, missing data and limited demand still hinder substantial impact.Across the last twenty years, the investment sphere has been reshaped in notable ways, with major institutional investors—from pension funds to insurers and asset managers—gradually extending their attention beyond pure financial performance. More and more, they assess companies not just for earnings potential and expansion opportunities but also for their environmental conduct, social impact and governance practices. As a result, environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors have shifted from being peripheral elements in portfolio strategies to becoming central…
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Trump the ‘demolition’ man of world order, European security experts warn

Trump and European Security: A Growing Concern

The international system that has underpinned decades of relative stability is facing mounting stress. A new global security assessment warns that aggressive political disruption, driven largely by US leadership, is accelerating the erosion of long-standing rules, alliances, and shared norms.According to the Munich Security Report 2026, the world is now experiencing what it labels “wrecking-ball politics,” a governing style in which forceful disruption takes precedence over stability and collective agreement, and the report contends that this shift is putting unprecedented pressure on the postwar international order, exposing it to its most significant challenges since its inception and generating repercussions that…
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How do investors compare value, growth, and quality styles over a full cycle?

Decoding Investor Styles: Value, Growth, Quality in a Full Cycle

Investors often categorize equities into value, growth, and quality styles to structure portfolios and expectations. Comparing these styles over a full market cycle—from expansion to peak, contraction, and recovery—helps investors understand why leadership rotates and how diversification can improve outcomes. A full cycle typically spans several years and includes changing economic growth, inflation, interest rates, and risk appetite.Defining the Three StylesValue: Stocks offered at comparatively modest prices relative to fundamentals like earnings, book value, or cash flow, often assessed through measures such as price-to-earnings or price-to-book ratios.Growth: Companies anticipated to increase revenues and earnings at a pace exceeding the market…
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How do companies measure productivity gains from AI copilots at scale?

Measuring AI Copilot Productivity: A Scalable Approach

Productivity gains from AI copilots are not always visible through traditional metrics like hours worked or output volume. AI copilots assist knowledge workers by drafting content, writing code, analyzing data, and automating routine decisions. At scale, companies must adopt a multi-dimensional approach to measurement that captures efficiency, quality, speed, and business impact while accounting for adoption maturity and organizational change.Clarifying How the Business Interprets “Productivity Gain”Before measurement begins, companies align on what productivity means in their context. For a software firm, it may be faster release cycles and fewer defects. For a sales organization, it may be more customer interactions…
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Why are secondaries becoming a mainstream private market strategy?

The Mainstreaming of Secondaries in Private Market Strategies

Secondaries refer to transactions in which investors buy and sell existing interests in private market funds or assets, rather than committing capital to new, primary investments. Historically, these transactions were niche, often driven by distressed sellers seeking liquidity. Today, secondaries have evolved into a core private market strategy, spanning private equity, private credit, real assets, and venture capital.The rise of secondaries signals broader shifts in the functioning of private markets, in the way investors oversee their portfolios, and in how capital pursues efficiency amid an unpredictable macroeconomic environment.The Structural Forces Driving Mainstream AdoptionSeveral long-term forces explain why secondaries have moved…
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France: How companies finance innovation while managing labor and compliance obligations

Financing Innovation in France: Legal Guide

France combines a large public safety net and relatively protective labor rules with a rich ecosystem of public incentives, bank financing, venture capital, and corporate R&D. That mix creates both opportunity and constraint: companies can access multiple financing channels for innovation, but they must manage significant labor-related costs and compliance obligations that affect the economics and timing of innovation projects.Scope and settingR&D intensity: France’s overall spending on research and development typically sits a bit above 2 percent of GDP, falling short of the 3 percent benchmark pursued by certain European Union members. As a result, public incentives remain a crucial…
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