Bulls out-muscle bears in 2013 capital markets
Friday, December 20, 2013

By the end of November, the equity market - the local capital market’s more liquid and active component - had grown by 17.9 percent pointing to the local bourse’s best performance in recent years.
By comparison, the Domestic Companies Index appreciated by 7.74 percent last year and 8.7 percent in 2011, shed 11.4 percent in 2010, experienced a modest rise of 2.9 percent in 2009 and a sharp drop of 16.5 percent in the recession year of 2008.
Instead, it has sparked a storm of accusations, denials, and unresolved questions about the influence of De Beers on the nation’s politics. Former president Mokgweetsi Masisi’s claims that the diamond giants bankrolled his removal to dodge taxes – and that the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government watered down a favourable diamond deal – are explosive matters. But without evidence, they risk becoming a toxic distraction from...