Clear market notes built around the JSE, the rand, and what matters locally.

2026-09-30 08:32 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective

The article recommends Walmart (WMT) and Waste Management (WM) as long-term buy-and-hold stocks due to their recession-resistant business models. Walmart has raised its full-year outlook with strong e-commerce growth and expanding high-margin advertising and membership businesses. WM benefits from predictable trash collection demand and has increased its dividend for 23 consecutive years while generating strong free cash flow.

Axe note: Consider Walmart for its booming e-commerce and Waste Management for steady cash flow.

2026-09-30 08:14 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective

Under CEO Satya Nadella's leadership since 2014, Microsoft stock has surged 14-fold with a 23% annual return, transforming the company into a cloud computing powerhouse through Azure. While AI investments and heavy spending on data centers pose concerns about future growth sustainability and free cash flow, the article argues Microsoft is well-positioned to benefit from AI adoption with predictable returns from long-term contracts and $678 billion in contracted revenue, potentially supporting continued ~20% annual earnings growth.

Axe note: Microsoft's remarkable growth under Nadella is tied to AI but raises questions for South African investors.

2026-09-30 08:12 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective

Wall Street analysts project the S&P 500 will surge 21% to 9,275 over the next year, driven by strong corporate earnings growth of 32% in 2026, particularly from AI infrastructure spending. The article recommends investors consider buying low-cost S&P 500 index funds like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, citing Warren Buffett's endorsement and the difficulty of beating the index even for professional fund managers.

Axe note: Wall Street's AI-driven surge in the S&P 500 offers a chance to rethink local exposure but watch the rand.