BN Portfolio Update: Alphabet’s AI comeback, Tesla’s chip bet, Gold vs Bitcoin, and local winners

Alec Hogg breaks down Alphabet’s AI momentum, Tesla’s $16.5bn chip move, and Palantir’s 16x gain. He also shares views on Afrimat, uranium, ASP Isotopes, Gold vs Bitcoin and the rand’s resilience as August’s tariff deadline looms.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.The auditorium doors will open for BNIC#2 on 10 September 2025 in Hermanus. For more information and tickets, click here..Watch here:.BizNews Reporter.In the July 2025 edition of the BizNews Share Portfolio webinar, Alec Hogg offered a detailed overview of both the long-standing Global Portfolio and the more recent Shyft Portfolio, highlighting notable developments, strategic shifts, and key stock movements.One of the standout stories this month is the resurgence of Alphabet (Google). Once feared to be a casualty of the AI revolution, the tech giant is now being re-evaluated as one of its prime beneficiaries. Hogg explained how Alphabet’s advanced AI infrastructure - especially via DeepMind and the Gemini engine - is changing perceptions. A Davos session featuring DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, a Nobel Prize winner, reinforced Hogg’s belief in Alphabet’s long-term AI edge. BizNews doubled down on the stock, buying a second tranche at $171.14.Apple, meanwhile, has been on a more turbulent ride. Its share price has fluctuated between $190 and $215, partly due to trade tensions stirred by Donald Trump’s tariff threats. However, Hogg believes investors are adapting to Trump’s style - taking him seriously but not literally - and sees Apple as regaining momentum.Palantir remains the star performer in the Shift Portfolio, now a 16-bagger, accounting for 12% of the portfolio’s value. Despite selling half the position twice as it surged, the remaining holding continues to soar. Tesla, another strong performer, gained attention for its $16.5 billion chip partnership with Samsung to power its robo-taxis. Although recent results were less impressive than Alphabet’s, Hogg remains bullish on Elon Musk’s vision and track record.Among South African stocks, Purple Group, Sasol, and Prosus have performed well. Lesaka, with its newly acquired banking license, is seen as a high-potential play on the informal economy. Anglo American delivered solid returns following value-unlocking moves, while AfriMat is seen as a long-term infrastructure bet - particularly with its acquisition of Lafarge’s cement plant.The Global Portfolio, now in its 11th year, saw increased positions in both Apple and Alphabet. It also retains a legacy stake in Valterra Platinum - unbundled from Anglo American - based on the view that post-listing selling pressure could lead to better value later.On currency, Hogg pointed out that the rand’s relative stability near R18 to the dollar is more a function of dollar weakness than rand strength, especially as August 1 looms with possible US tariffs on R250 billion worth of South African exports. He criticised South Africa’s non-tariff barriers - such as BEE requirements and local vehicle subsidies - as self-inflicted wounds in the global trade landscape.The webinar also included a Q&A segment, covering Berkshire Hathaway’s cash hoarding, Cloudflare vs. Alphabet, and the prospects of ASP Isotopes, uranium, and Orion Minerals. Hogg concluded with an endorsement of Bitcoin over gold as a modern store of value, praising its 2% to 10% portfolio growth.As always, BizNews continues to look through the noise to identify structural trends, reminding investors to think long term and look beyond the headlines.

BN Portfolio Update: Alphabet’s AI comeback, Tesla’s chip bet, Gold vs Bitcoin, and local winners

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