At Prescient Securities (PSec) we pride ourselves on being an independent, dynamic and progressive, client-focused stockbroking business.
Our vision:
- To be recognised as the leading full-service BEE stockbroker in SA by 2020
- To be seen as an innovator in the SA stockbroking space
Our value proposition stands on five pillars:
- Quality Execution
- Focused Value-Add Research (incl. bespoke solutions)
- Strong BEE Credentials
- Innovation / New Services
- Confidentiality
Our business model is based on hiring A-Players and making our clients our primary focus.
PSec is an agency broker, and therefore has no potential conflict of interest with clients. Our highly valued client relationships are based on integrity and trust.
Black Economic Empowerment
51% Black Ownership
In 2017 PSec attained 53.7% Black Ownership and qualifies as a Black Stockbroker as defined in the draft Financial Sector Charter (FSC) Codes.
This means that trading with us also allows investment managers to claim points under the Enterprise Development elements of the draft codes.
Our strategic BEE shareholder is ICE Fund Management (Pty) Ltd – a well-recognized product provider to the financial services industry with a 10-year track record.
View our BEE certificate
Equity Broking and Research
We provide focused research across asset classes coupled with fundamental and strategic research tailored to client needs. PSec also offers risk management and quantitative analysis services and has systems to assist clients in these areas.
The sole focus of the PSec Equity Research Division is to produce research that is highly informative and adds value to our clients. Our independence and size allows us the flexibility to focus on enriched research only, rather than covering areas where little value can be added.
Investment Strategy
PSec is actively and increasingly involved in assisting institutional clients with the science of investments; essentially aiding clients to understand their sources of value-add better, and also their areas of alpha slippage or investment process inefficiencies. The majority of this work is done on both a bespoke and proprietary basis for larger institutional clients.
Derivative Broking and Research
The derivatives team provides clients with dedicated and innovative bespoke investment trading solutions. We offer our clients the platform to efficiently take advantage of trading opportunities within the equity-based derivatives markets.
Fixed Income Broking
The bond trading team works on an agency basis, relying on good market information, technical and trading knowledge to generate and execute orders for clients. We take pride in our honesty, integrity and deal-execution skills to get the best deals for our clients.
PSec Gears
PSec General Excel and Research Software (GEARS for short) represents a confluence in technological innovation and the multiple sources of PSec value-add. PSec GEARS is a cutting-edge delivery platform that provides clients with access to various useful analytical tools (across asset-classes), the entire ambit of our research product (including increasingly popular high-frequency market intelligence), as well as tried-and-tested investment applications – all accessible within Excel. It has been benchmarked and tested to industrial standards. The product is free to clients, and due to its growing popularity, is also now available for stand-alone or enterprise-level licensing.
Visit www.psecgears.co.za to download and install.
Administration
Administration is a core competency and supports the equities, futures and fixed interest traders, ensuring the timeous and effective settlement of all the traded instruments. In addition, we provide portfolio valuations and trade report services to our institutional and private clients.
Tax-Free Savings Account
The South African National Treasury has approved the implementation of a tax-free savings account (TFSA) as an incentive to encourage individuals to save. The aim is to increase saving over and above retirement based-savings through a more accessible, tax-free product. Individual investors can invest up to R33 000 a year in tax-free savings accounts. While the capital investment will be capped at R500 000 over the investor’s lifetime, all proceeds earned (interest, dividends and capital growth) will be 100% tax-free.
PSec offers a Tax-Free Savings Broker Account where clients can make annual contributions up to the regulated limit and choose a portfolio of shares that suit their individual needs. Clients selecting a Tax-Free Savings Broker Account must have the knowledge to choose shares and understand and be able to tolerate the associated capital risk.
Capital Raising / Debt Origination
PSec, together with Bree Street Capital Proprietary Limited, raises substantial capital at competitive rates for listed corporates on a private placement basis from larger asset managers and institutions. The investment is in the form of a straightforward note and does not involve a formal listing programme. The notes are dematerialised and settled through the STRATE payment system. The term is from call to long dated.
PSec acts as calculation agent on these notes and manages the administration thereof.
Wayne Smith, who has many years of experience as a legal advisor in banking and in structured finance, can be contacted on 021 700 5315 or wayne@prescient.co.za
NKC Independent Economists (NKC)
PSec and NKC entered into a multi-year strategic alliance in June 2011. Accordingly, NKC’s research is available to institutional fund managers through PSec. NKC is a political and economic research unit, with a focus on Africa.
Our Credentials
2018 Financial Mail Ranking the Analysts
- #1 – Computing and Electronics
- #1 – Risk Management
- #2 – Quantitative Analysis
- #2 – Derivatives Analysis
- #2 - Execution: Derivatives
- #3 - Young Analyst of the Year
- #3 - Hotels, Travel & Leisure
- #3 - Forestry & Paper
- #5 - Resources Small & Medium Cap
- #8 - Execution: Fixed Interest
2017 Financial Mail Ranking the Analysts
- #2 – Derivatives Research [#2 in 2016]
- #2 – Risk Management [#5 in 2016]
- #2 – Quantitative Research [did not feature in 2016 except for Firm Ranking at #6]
- #2 – Hotels, Travel and Leisure [#3 in 2016]
- #3 – Derivatives Dealing [#2 in 2016]
- #3 – Young Analyst Award (Non-Equities)
- #4 – Computing and Electronics
- #5 – Resources Small and Medium Cap
- #5 – Credit Analysis
- #6 – Financial and Industrial Small and Medium Cap
2016 Spire Awards (October 2016)
- #1 – Best Agency Broker – Listed Interest Rate Derivatives
- #2 – Best Agency Broker – Listed FX Derivatives
- #3 – Best Agency Broker House – Overall (previously #1)