BN Portfolio Update: Prosus turnaround, Apple’s staying power, and SA stocks rebound - June 2025

In the June BizNews Share Portfolio webinar, Alec Hogg highlights Prosus' breakout under new leadership, defends Apple’s innovation credentials, and explains why SA stocks remain resilient despite political missteps..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.Prosus momentum, Alphabet reload, and SA resilience: June BizNews Share Portfolio UpdateThe June edition of the BizNews Share Portfolio webinar, hosted by Alec Hogg and Stuart Lowman, offered subscribers a rich update on the global and local investment landscape - from resilient South African equities to renewed confidence in tech giants like Alphabet and Apple. As always, the monthly session was both a portfolio review and a primer on investing philosophy..South African resilience amid political noise.Despite political embarrassment during the Oval Office meeting with President Trump, Alec noted that South African stocks - as reflected by the MSCI South Africa ETF - have recovered since the May 21 debacle. The resilience suggests global investors may already have priced in South Africa’s political risks, or are focusing elsewhere amid global instability.Alec raised concerns over the potential impact of US tariffs - particularly a proposed 30% duty on SA automotive exports - which could devastate sectors like wine and motor vehicles. Yet, from an investor perspective, local equities like Sasol and Purple Group have shown solid returns in recent months. Sasol, for instance, appears to be rebounding from over-sold levels, while Purple Group is quietly benefiting from strong fundamentals and a scalable, tech-driven business model..Global Portfolio Highlights: Apple, Alphabet, and Prosus.One of the major portfolio updates this month is the decision to add a second tranche of Alphabet and Apple stock. While both companies experienced recent price dips - Alphabet down from $210 to under $150, and Apple from $250 to $170 - Alec sees this as an opportunity to buy quality at a discount. Alphabet’s future lies not just in Google Ads, but in YouTube and its robotaxi venture Waymo. Apple, remains underappreciated as a deeply integrated ecosystem.Addressing a viewer’s concern about Apple’s lack of innovation, Alec argued that the company’s value lies in its consistency, customer experience, and ability to improve iteratively - much like BizNews itself. “They don’t produce garbage,” he said. “They take time, but they do it right.”Prosus also earned a bullish nod, thanks largely to its new CEO Fabricio Bloisi. Alec praised Bloisi’s entrepreneurial background and pointed to the company's first instance of generating free cash flow excluding Tencent - a major milestone. Market confidence in Bloisi is growing, and Process’s share price has already responded positively in recent months..Patience and Portfolio Construction.Throughout the webinar, Alec returned to a core theme: the importance of long-term thinking. Whether discussing the explosive performance of Palantir or the slower-burning potential of companies like AfriMat and Kinetiko, his message was clear - good businesses take time. Afrimat, for instance, is in the midst of turning around a neglected cement plant acquired from Lafarge. Kinetiko, with its promising gas reserves, may become increasingly relevant as Sasol’s Mozambique gas winds down.In closing, Alec emphasized that the BizNews portfolios are built on conviction, not hype. Investors are encouraged to do their homework - reading annual reports, watching interviews with CEOs, and understanding the businesses behind the tickers. “If you wouldn’t buy a house without knowing the neighbourhood,” he said, “why would you do that with a stock?”The next webinar is set for the final Tuesday of July.

BN Portfolio Update: Prosus turnaround, Apple’s staying power, and SA stocks rebound - June 2025

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