Here's a Monday reveal about Vestact: most of us show up to the office every day in shorts and slip-slops.

50 years ago, people working at financial institutions would not have dreamed of going to work in anything less than a dark suit and tie. They'd be judged by how early they arrived at work and how late they stayed.

We work flexibly, and are not very formal. Our top priorities are replying to customer queries, processing daily deposits and withdrawals, and carrying out trade instructions on the market. The rest of our time is dedicated to reading and writing. The goal is to develop fresh ideas, and to develop the intuition needed to find, buy and hold the best stocks. That's best done in comfortable attire.

Vitaliy Katsenelson said: "Professional investing is not an idea-per-hour profession; it more likely results in a few ideas per year."

Everyone has to pay taxes but people deal with them in very different ways. We manage money for a variety of clients and it is very interesting to see how people view being taxed. Most people hate sending money to the government.

One valuable lesson from watching others which I think is worth sharing with our readers: don't let taxes be the main reason for an investment decision. I have seen far too many people put their money into average products because they are tax efficient, only to experience awful returns over a long period of time. Another common mistake is not wanting to sell something because of the capital gains bill.

You will end up with much more after-tax money if you invest in a transparent portfolio and manage it sensibly, paying occasional taxes and then moving on. I know it is a bitter pill to swallow but don't let your dislike for paying taxes result in bad investment decisions.

Last week, Alibaba announced that it is partnering with Apple to roll out the latter's AI offering in China. Given how politically sensitive data processing and AI capabilities are at the moment, it makes sense that Apple has chosen to partner with a local company. It is interesting that they aren't partnering with DeepSeek.

Apple has also been working with Baidu, another large Chinese company, on developing more AI capabilities. The strategy seems similar to what they have done in the rest of the world, not wanting to be locked into one company's ecosystem. In the western world, Apple is primarily using OpenAI, but they are also working with Google's AI team.

Partnering with Alibaba, who are a titan in China, is sure to have some secondary positive effects. They will gain extra insights into their customers, and Apple will improve their political connections. Hopefully, the partnership will also result in more iPhone sales.

EssilorLuxottica delivered another solid quarter, with sales beating estimates thanks to strength in North America and momentum in high-growth categories like smartglasses and myopia management. Fourth-quarter revenue came in at EUR6.8 billion, up 9.2% year-on-year, outpacing the forecast of 5.86%.

The company's North American business, which makes up about 40% of total revenue, grew 7.8%, helped by a rebound in sunglass sales, particularly at Sunglass Hut. China was another bright spot, with Stellest myopia lenses seeing a 50% surge in sales. Meanwhile, the integration of the Supreme brand, acquired for $1.5 billion, is adding another avenue for growth.

On the innovation front, Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses are gaining traction, with 2 million pairs sold since their 2023 launch. The company plans to scale up production to 10 million units annually by the end of next year. In the med-tech space, EssilorLuxottica is making a push into clinical ophthalmology, having acquired Germany's Heidelberg Engineering and Canada's Cellview Imaging, alongside receiving regulatory approval for its Nuance Audio eyewear.

EssilorLuxottica is positioning itself beyond traditional eyewear, leveraging AI, smart glasses, and medical technology for long-term growth. The company offers a mix of steady earnings from its core business and upside potential from these innovations.

This one would be a good portfolio addition, if you are looking for something new.

First it was cat videos. Now it's niche plumbing - Why unclogging videos on YouTube are so satisfying.

Humans aren't rational. Companies are getting wise to our cognitive biases when marketing products - Mc Donald's pricing techniques.

Asian markets got a boost from AI excitement, with tech stocks leading the charge. Tencent jumped as much as 7.8% in Hong Kong. The broader MSCI Asia-Pacific index hit its highest level since November, helped by gains in Japan and Taiwan.

In local company news, tech company iOCO, formerly EOH, flagged a nearly fourfold jump in half-year profit, sending the stock up 10.6% on Thursday and then 8.9% on Friday to levels last seen three years ago.

US markets will be closed today for Presidents' Day. Trading resumes on Tuesday. The Rand is looking stronger at around R18.36 to the greenback.

Have a good start to the week. Attack that task list.