Business Maverick has selected its top stocks for investment in 2026, highlighting opportunities in gold, platinum group metals, telecoms, fintech, and international names like Netflix and Birkenstock. The team's previous picks delivered a 44.1% return from December 2024 to December 2025, outperforming the FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index's 36.7%. Emphasis falls on commodities driven by AI and electrification demands.
The Business Maverick team annually identifies promising stocks for the coming year. Their 2024 selections, starting with R10 per stock across 10 local companies in December 2024, grew to R144.10 by 17 December 2025, yielding a 44.1% return. This surpassed the FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index's 36.7% performance over the same timeframe.
For 2026, analysts advocate deep investment in gold and copper, fueled by artificial intelligence and electrification trends. Gold prices surged to $4,000 per ounce in October 2025, supported by political uncertainty under US President Donald Trump, central bank buying in emerging markets, and industrial applications including AI. JSE-listed miners such as Harmony Gold, Gold Fields, Sibanye-Stillwater, and AngloGold Ashanti are positioned to benefit, with share prices yet to fully mirror the metal's rise.
Platinum group metals (PGMs) are also rebounding, with South Africa holding about 70% of global reserves. Demand spans the hydrogen economy and beyond. Sibanye-Stillwater operates in both gold and PGMs, while Valterra Platinum stands out for its integrated mining, processing, and marketing model. Anchor Capital praises Valterra's cost efficiencies at Mogalakwena and technologies like the Jameson cleaner circuit, noting its recovery from 1Q25 flooding at Amandelbult. The firm highlights Valterra's low debt, liquidity, and dividends as keys to sustained returns.
In telecoms, Cell C emerges as a listed entity with a clean capital structure after debt-to-equity conversions, tax losses, valuable spectrum, and a strong management team. Anchor Capital's Mike Gresty cautions on dependencies with Vodacom and MTN but sees upside from its forward price-earnings multiple of 4.5, assuming execution.
Afrimat gains from new mining rights for iron and manganese at Farm Doornfontein 446, vital for steel and batteries. Capitec, selected for the third year, leads with over 25 million customers and recently acquired Walletdoc for R400 million to enhance digital payments.
Fintech Optasia plans a JSE listing and potential merchant loans in South Africa by late 2026 or early 2027, targeting 860 million underserved users via telecom data. Anchor Capital's Keagan Higgins values its data-driven credit models as a moat.
Internationally, Netflix's 10-for-1 stock split on 17 November 2025 lowered shares to about $110, inviting retail investors, amid pursuits of Warner Bros Discovery content. Birkenstock expects 18% annual revenue growth, margin expansion, and debt reduction post-2023 listing.