Platinum Market's ‘Deep' Tightness Shows Little Sign of Relief
Following a record rally last month, spot prices have soared to fresh all-time highs and the implied cost of borrowing the metal for one month has hit the steepest level in data going back to 2002. The inflow of platinum into facilities linked to the New York Mercantile Exchange on Thursday was the second-highest on record.
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Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2 cheap penny stocks for savvy investors to consider in August
Purchasing penny stocks can supercharge the growth prospects of an investor's portfolio. But issues like limited scale, inconsistent revenues, and thinner balance sheets — not to mention the added threat of share price volatility — can also make these small caps risky stocks to buy. Investors can manage the danger they take on, however, by snapping up penny shares that command low valuations. This pricing cushion can offer protection from share price drops if the company's growth plan doesn't pan out as expected. With this in mind, here are two top shares to consider this month. Screen idol The threat to cinema operators is severe as streaming companies like Netflix change the way we consume movies. Yet Everyman Media (LSE:EMAN) continues performing strongly, even as pressure on consumers' spending power persists. Everyman — which operates 48 theatres across the country — isn't your bog-standard multiplex owner. It offers a well-rounded experience, showing niche, independent, and foreign films alongside the usual blockbusters. What's more, patrons can grab a drink at its bars and go for a meal at its in-house restaurants, too, offering everything people need for a good night out. This value-added strategy is paying off handsomely. In the 26 weeks to 3 July, group revenues leapt 21%, to £56.5m. Admissions increased 15% from the same 2024 period; ticket prices rose 6%; and food and beverage spend per head was up 5.9%. Consequently, group EBITDA shot 33% higher over the period, to £8.2m. Everyman is confident its 'whole experience' model will continue delivering the goods, and is eyeing further expansion to its estate — it 'plans to open two additional venues in 2026', it's said, and enjoys 'a strong pipeline of future developments' too. Naturally, the ongoing streaming revolution will remain a threat to businesses like Everyman for the foreseeable future. But in the case of this penny stock, my view is the danger is more than baked into the cheapness of its shares. The screen idol's enterprise value (EV) to EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) ratio is just 2.8 times. Any reading below 10 suggests a share could be undervalued. Property for pennies The second top penny share to consider is Schroder European Real Estate Investment Trust (LSE:SERE). Unlike many small caps, it offers the possibility of a large passive income as well as growth, which reflects its classification as a REIT. Under sector rules, at least 90% of rental-related profits must be paid out in dividends each year. Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice. That's all well and good on paper. But with eurozone economies struggling for growth and inflationary pressures persisting, the trust's returns could theoretically disappoint in the near term. Such dangers wouldn't necessarily put me off if I had cash to invest, however. Over the long term, the company — which owns retail, office, and industrial assets, among others — has the potential to deliver spectacular earnings growth. Its focus on 'winning' cities with strong economies, robust infrastructure, and attractive environments (like Paris and Berlin) gives it an edge achieving impressive rental income growth. And, today, the trust offers excellent all-round value. It trades at an 31.8% discount to its net asset value (NAV) per share. As for those dividends, its forward yield is an enormous 7.6%. The post 2 cheap penny stocks for savvy investors to consider in August appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Royston Wild has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Office rents slip 0.3% q-o-q in 2Q2025 wiping out gains in previous quarter
Overall rents in Singapore's office market fell by 0.3% q-o-q in 2Q2025, broadly erasing the marginal quarterly gain of 0.3% that it recorded in the first three months of this year, according to the latest URA statistics published on July 25. On a yearly basis, the rental performance of the office market contracted 1.4% compared to the same period last year. This is the first annual decline the office market has registered since 3Q2021. Leonard Tay, head of research at Knight Frank Singapore, observes that office rents in the first half of this year reflect a broad trend of rent stabilisation. He adds that most occupiers opted to renew leases rather than expand or relocate to avoid high office fit out costs. Read also: Strata office floor in Suntec Tower for sale at $40.95 mil The latest office market figures released by URA indicate that office rents in the Downtown Core and Orchard Road Planning area declined 3.2% q-o-q to $11.68 psf/per month (pm) in 2Q2025, down from $12.07 psf/pm in the first quarter of this year. The fall in rents in this submarket came amid a slight improvement in vacancy rates, largely attributed to the strong take-up rate at IOI Central Boulevard Towers which is about 85% leased to date. On the other hand, office rents outside of the Downtown Core and Orchard Road registered its third consecutive quarterly increase, with median rents rising 2.7% q-o-q in 2Q2025 following up from a 1% q-o-q increase in 1Q2025. Tricia Song, head of research, Southeast Asia at CBRE, says that the opposite directions of rental movements in these two submarkets reflect cautious sentiment among tenants and landlords amid the ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty. She adds that cost-efficient buildings are gaining favour among most tenants. According to CBRE Research, core Grade A office rents increased 1.3% over the first six months of this year, broadly defying concerns that global economic headwinds would dampen rental gains. CBRE projects that office rents may increase 2%-3% over the whole of 2025. Global uncertainties have spurred most landlords to focus on keeping occupancies high. As a result, office occupancy levels, especially in high-quality Grade A buildings, remained tight and rents did not significantly increase, says Tay. Read also: One Raffles Quay secures $1.13 bil sustainability-linked loan to reduce carbon footprint Islandwide office occupancy in 2Q2025 was 88.6%, an improvement of 0.3 percentage points compared to 88.3% recorded in 1Q2025. But the figure is less than the 89.2%occupancy rate that was recorded in 2Q2024. To support occupancy rates, some landlords have begun to carve out smaller spaces to rent or offer a variety of incentives to bridge gaps in rental expectations, says Catharine He, head of research, Singapore, at Colliers. 'Such strategies have proven to be effective in driving momentum for take-up in new developments such as IOI Central Boulevard that is near full occupancy,' she says. While large corporations are unlikely to make significant office relocation plans in the coming months, small- and medium-sized companies may make selective flight-to-quality moves to capitalise on the rental environment, says Tay. Corporate real estate managers have moved away from static space strategies and are focused on portfolios that comprise flexible work arrangements which are better positioned to support a degree of business disruption without dragging down operations, says Tay. Echoing this sentiment, He adds that businesses are likely to delay leasing decisions until concerns over the US-China trade war and monetary policies in several key economies clarifies. Looking ahead, the supply of new office space is expected to be relatively muted until 2028 when about 3.08 million sq ft is set to enter the market. Overall vacancy rates look set to tighten over the next two years but cultivates a conducive investment environment amid falling interest rates, says He. Read also: Healthy take-up in new Grade A office space, but rents to stay stable: Morgan Stanley The latest extension to the CBD Incentive scheme and Strategic Development Incentive scheme leaves open the possibility that some office supply may leave the market and redeveloped into future mixed-use projects, she says. 95 mil One Raffles Quay secures $1.13 bil sustainability-linked loan to reduce carbon footprint Healthy take-up in new Grade A office space, but rents to stay stable: Morgan Stanley En Bloc Calculator, Find Out If Your Condo Will Be The Next en-bloc HDB Resale Flats Up For Sale, Affordable Units Available
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Trump's tariffs are sending African countries into China's hands
Tariffs Asia China AfricaFacebookTweetLink Follow Africa is adjusting to the new reality of US President Donald Trump's tariffs, with countries on the continent facing some of the highest export charges. But what could become a crisis is an opportunity for United States rival China, which has long courted African countries and is now offering them a lifeline. 'We (Africa) are going straight into the hands of China,' Nigerian economist Bismarck Rewane told CNN. 'That is the unfortunate outcome,' Rewane said of Africa's expected further shift toward China, which has emerged in recent years as the continent's largest bilateral trading partner. Four African nations - Libya, South Africa, Algeria and Tunisia - face some of the steepest tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, with charges on exports ranging from 25% to 30%. Eighteen other countries from the continent were hit with 15% levies, a modified tariff package released Thursday by the White House showed. In April, when the US import levies were first announced, Trump pitched them as 'reciprocal' and targeting countries that he said had trade deficits with the US. But Trump instead based his tariffs on countries' trade deficits with the United States – not the tariffs they charge. South Africa, one of the continent's powerhouses, challenged the imposition of a 30% tariff on its US-bound exports, saying Trump's decision was not based on 'an accurate representation of available trade data.' China has offered to soften the impact of US tariffs on Africa, saying in June it would halt charges on imports for nearly all its African partners. 'There is no other opportunity for African countries to strengthen South-South trade (among developing nations) than now,' South African researcher Neo Letswalo told CNN, while urging countries to 'solely turn to China and make it the next US.' 'America is gradually forfeiting its global leadership status,' Letswalo said, adding that the more countries 'become less dependent on the US, the greater opportunity for China to become an alternative.' Before the tariff deadline, the US did not make a trade deal with any African nation despite efforts from the continent to avoid the tariffs, underscoring Africa's place on the White House's priority list. Letswalo described America's failure to negotiate a deal with Africa as 'an open goal for China.' The impact of Trump's tariffs is already being felt in some of Africa's most buoyant economies and some of the continent's poorest, such as Lesotho, which was slapped with a 15% tariff. It had previously been hit with a 50% tariff – one of the steepest rates – before the charges were modified. Lesotho's Prime Minister Samuel Matekane said in June that the huge tariff, combined with the halt of US aid to the nation of just over 2 million people, 'have crippled industries that previously sustained thousands of jobs.' Trump has described Lesotho, a landlocked nation surrounded by South Africa, as a country 'nobody has ever heard of' – even though trade between the US and Lesotho totaled over $240 million last year, mostly in textiles. Before the tariffs, Lesotho benefited from a US trade agreement that allowed it and other eligible sub-Saharan countries to export goods to the US duty-free. Authorities in Lesotho have declared a two-year national state of disaster over the tariffs, as the country braces for their impact, with the textile industry already grappling with massive job losses. Thousands of roles are also threatened in Lesotho's richer neighbor, South Africa, where citrus growers said they were gripped with 'great anxiety' ahead of the August 1 tariff deadline. In a statement this week, the country's Citrus Growers' Association (CGA) warned that 'job losses will be a certainty' if the tariffs came into effect. It added that, 'hundreds of thousands of cartons of citrus are ready in packhouses to be shipped to the US over the next few weeks,' and that implementing the charges 'will mean most of this fruit will be left unsold.' Other industries in South Africa, such as the automobile sector, also face the risk of economic shocks, analysts said. 'Already, we have companies within the automobile sector threatening to leave (the country) as a result of plummeting business,' Letswalo said. 'The tariffs will add to the burden of pre-existing issues, and if these entities decide to exit South Africa, our already existing unemployment calamities will worsen,' he said. Gwede Mantashe, South Africa's minister of mineral and petroleum resources, told reporters Tuesday that other routes are being sought for South African goods. 'If the US imposes high tariffs, we must look for alternative markets,' he said. 'Our biggest trading partner is China, not the US. The US is number two,' Mantashe added. As South Africa scouts for broader opportunities, however, the citrus growers' group has voiced its reservations, specifically that their products suit designated markets so finding another is not straightforward. Its CEO, Boitshoko Ntshabele, told CNN in a statement that 'the US market remains a priority, and so should improving access to China' and elsewhere. 'There is a deep appreciation of South African citrus by US consumers. Since 2017, our exports to that market have almost doubled. The market has immense potential,' Ntshabele added. Letswalo believes there are accompanying risks behind the enticing option of relying on Beijing to cushion the impact of Trump's tariffs. Alternating US with China 'could be risky,' he said, 'especially for some nascent industries within the (African) countries.' 'If they're not protected, Chinese products will flood and outcompete them as many African countries are price sensitive markets,' he warned. China has imposed some imbalanced trade deals of its own in Africa with trade deficits skewed in its favor, according to the China-Global South Project (CGSP), an organization monitoring China's engagement with developing countries. Additionally, the bulk of Beijing's exports to Africa comprise mainly manufactured products, while the continent's exports to China are commonly raw materials. South Africa's Ramaphosa advocated for balanced trade with China when he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing last year. Letswalo advised that, while Africa leans on China for trade, it must also seek domestic alternatives. He recommended a swift implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an agreement signed by nations on the continent to boost trade among themselves. Although established in 2020, implementing AfCFTA has been slow, with just over 20 countries of the continent's 55 trading under the deal. Rewane believes that the US tariffs could inspire Africa 'to build economic resilience and be less dependent on lopsided trade.' Above all, he added, the continent must be 'more inward-looking rather than outward-dependent.'
