Investec Investec Focus Radio SA

NOW Ep116: Markets in dissonance | What 2025 taught us

Loading player...
The year-end episode of the No Ordinary Wednesday podcast confronts a familiar contradiction: markets that looked buoyant, and an economy that often didn’t. In conversation with our Chief Investment Strategist Chris Holdsworth, we dissect the year’s dissonance and the lessons it leaves behind - above all, that in a noisy world, valuation discipline and diversification remain the investor’s most dependable anchors.

Podcast key moments:

00:00 - Introduction
01:51 - What is the Global Investment Strategy Group (GISG)?
02:59 - What are the core principles that anchor the GISG investment philosophy?
04:20 - What defined global markets in 2025?
06:04 - Why hold back at a time when markets appear optimistic
07:04 - What does the GISG expect for the global economy in 2026?
08:03 - What are the big risks ahead?
08:52 - Outlook for the dollar
09:49 - How should investors be thinking about constructing portfolios
10:14 - What is South Africa’s risk score?
11:10 - How does the GISG investment philosophy guard against behavioural errors?
11:58 - What has 2025 taught you about investing in uncertain times?

Read more on www.investec.com/now

Hosted by seasoned broadcaster, Jeremy Maggs, the No Ordinary Wednesday podcast unpacks the latest economic, business, and political news in South Africa, with an all-star cast of investment and wealth managers, economists and financial planners from Investec. Listen in every second Wednesday for an in-depth look at what's moving markets, shaping the economy, and changing the game for your wallet and your business.
Chapters
  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:51 What is the Global Investment Strategy Group (GISG)?
  • 02:59 What are the core principles that anchor the GISG investment philosophy?
  • 04:20 What defined global markets in 2025?
  • 06:04 Why hold back at a time when markets appear optimistic
  • 07:04 What does the GISG expect for the global economy in 2026?
  • 08:03 What are the big risks ahead?
  • 08:52 Outlook for the dollar
  • 09:49 How should investors be thinking about constructing portfolios
  • 10:14 What is South Africa’s risk score?
  • 11:10 How does the GISG investment philosophy guard against behavioural errors?
  • 11:58 What has 2025 taught you about investing in uncertain times?
2 Dec 2025 English South Africa Business · Investing

Other recent episodes

Everything Counts | Episode 53: Tips for tax filing season in South Africa

In this episode of Everything Counts, we unpack one of the most overlooked opportunities to improve your financial position: your tax return. Many people treat tax filing season as a simple compliance exercise and move on. But as our experts explain, your SARS tax return is actually a powerful financial…
11 Aug 28 min

Macro Monday Ep126: Slowing momentum in global equities

While global equities are up strongly over the last year, there’s been a clear slowing in momentum in the last six months. According to Chris Holdsworth, Global Chief Investment Officer, Investec Investment Management, this implies that much of the strong US earnings performance has been priced into the market.
3 Aug 9 min

No Ordinary Wednesday Ep 132: Investing in AI's next chapter

Artificial intelligence is moving faster than almost anyone expected. After attending two of the world's biggest technology conferences in Boston and San Francisco, Investec global equity analysts David Smith and Zane Bezuidenhout unpack what they learned from the executives shaping AI's future. From surging demand and infrastructure bottlenecks to agentic…
28 Jul 16 min

Everything Counts | Episode 52: Has saving lost its meaning?

We've all heard the advice. Save more. Spend less. Start earlier. In this episode of Everything Counts, Motheo Khoaripe is joined by Investec's Nirvashni Rajkumar (KZN team leader for the Investec financial planning team) and Dorothy Asomaning (Investec Wealth & Investment Wealth Manager) to explore why saving is about much…
28 Jul 27 min

Macro Monday Ep125: Excellent earnings season so far

Although US earnings for the second quarter have mostly beaten expectations, markets appear to have wanted more. Chris Holdsworth, Global Chief Investment Officer, Investec Investment Management, says even companies such as Alphabet that have beaten forecasts have seen declines in their prices after results.
27 Jul 7 min
All episodes