| A number of companies have managed to escape the worst of Covid-19 - or at least mitigate the impact of the pandemic on their operations. Many had already taken remedial action prior to last year's outbreak, including Bidvest and RCL FOODS. Bidvest says a clean-up of its portfolio of businesses, started after the 2016 unbundling of foodservices group Bidcorp, is almost complete. Changes have seen it growing its global hygiene operations, which worked in its favour over the past year due to Covid-19. Meanwhile, RCL is setting up its Chicken business as a separate, focused division after consolidating its former Consumer and Sugar and Million divisions into a single Food Division in 2019. Sugar and Baking reported strong first-half performances, making up for weakness in Chicken. More on those stories to follow in today's newsletter, along with results from Hyprop Investments, Sea Harvest and technology group Alviva. If you missed it yesterday, follow this link for the latest Magic Markets podcast. The Finance Ghost and Mohammed Nalla take their signature unconventional approach to last week's budget speech by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. And with the large banks all due to report results in the next few weeks, Ingham Analytics' latest Banks Monitor, "Budget Blues", is a must read. More details down below. I hope you have a good day. Stephen Gunnion Managing Editor, InceConnect
The latest from Ingham Analytics Ingham Analytics have issued their latest Banking Monitor entitled "Budget blues" in which they update their view on the sector. One not such fun fact - in three years total bank impairments have risen by 126%. "Booming along" talks to another world in this context whilst "Dividend delight" is about BHP and its bumper payout and "Carnival or just a Bloody Circus?" is about life on the ocean wave. | 
