List of companies traded on the JSE
M
Table:
Stock symbol

Company

Notes

External link

MCU

M Cubed Holdings Limited

financial services

MDN

Madison Property Fund Managers Holdings Ltd

MKL

Makalani Holdings Limited

holding company; finance

MSS

Marshalls Limited

commercial and light industrial property; parking garages

MAS

Masonite (Africa) Limited

forestry, construction materials

MSM

Massmart Holdings Limited

MTZ

Matodzi Resources Limited

diamonds in Lesotho

MDC

Medi-Clinic Corporation Limited

MRF

Merafe Resources Limited

mining, metallurgy, chromium

MTL

Mercantile Bank Holdings Limited

MTA

Metair Investments Limited

motor vehicle components for the vehicle assembly industry

MML

Metmar Limited

direct mail, logistics

MEMTX

Metorex Limited

mining, support to the mining industry

MFL

Metrofile Holdings Limited

information management, document management, archiving

MET

Metropolitan Holdings Limited

MMG

Micromega Holdings Limited

financial services, information technology, automotive

MMH

Miranda Mineral Holdings Limited

prospecting: diamonds, coal, gold, silver, base metals

MLA

Mittal Steel South Africa Limited

Arcelor-Mittal, a global steel company

MMI

MMI Holdings Limited

life insurance, employee benefits, medical scheme, health insurance, asset management

mmiholdings.co.za

MOB

Mobile Industries Limited

marine cargo industry, including beer kegs, transponders and software solutions

By analysing the table as well as the supplementary paragraphs provided at the end.

Give the answer to the question: What activity does the company that received a takeover bid by the Jinchuan Group of China carry out ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

Financial services are the economic services provided by the finance industry , which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money , including credit unions , banks , credit-card companies , insurance companies , accountancy companies , consumer-finance companies , stock brokerages , investment funds , individual managers and some government-sponsored enterprises . Financial services companies are present in all economically developed geographic locations and tend to cluster in local , national , regional and international financial centers such as London , New York City , and Tokyo .
A holding company is a company that owns other companies ' outstanding stock . A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself ( with no eponymous consumer-facing brand at most times ) ; rather , its purpose is to own shares of other companies to form a corporate group . However , in many jurisdiction of the world , holding companies are usually termed as parent companies who besides holding stock in other companies can conduct trade and other business activities itself . Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow the ownership and control of a number of different companies . Holding companies are also created to hold assets such as IP and trade secrets that are protected from the operation company . This creates a smaller risk when it comes to litigation . In the United States , 80% of stock , in voting and value , must be owned before tax consolidation benefits such as tax-free dividends can be claimed . That is , if Company A owns 80% or more of the stock of Company B , Company A will not pay taxes on dividends paid by Company B to its stockholders , as the payment of dividends from B to A is essentially transferring cash from one company to the other . Any other shareholders of Company B will pay the usual taxes on dividends , as they are legitimate and ordinary dividends to these shareholders . Sometimes a company intended to be a pure holding company identifies itself as such by adding Holding or Holdings to its name .
Finance is the study of money and how it is used . Specifically , it deals with the questions of how an individual , company or government acquires the money needed - called capital in the company context - and how they then spend or invest that money . Finance is , correspondingly , often split into three areas : personal finance , corporate finance and public finance . At the same time , finance is about the overall system - i.e . the financial markets that allow the flow of money , via investments and other financial instruments , between and within these areas ; this flow is facilitated by the financial services sector . A major focus within finance is thus investment management - called money management for individuals , and asset management for institutions - and finance then includes the associated activities of securities trading , investment banking , financial engineering , and risk management . More abstractly , finance is concerned with the investment and deployment of assets and liabilities over space and time : i.e . it is about performing valuation and asset allocation today , based on risk and uncertainty of future outcomes , incorporating the time value of money ( determining the present value of these future values , discounting , requires a risk-appropriate discount rate ) . As an academic field , finance theory is studied and developed within the disciplines of management , ( financial ) economics , accountancy and applied mathematics . Correspondingly , given its wide application , there are several related professional qualifications , that can lead to the field . As the debate to whether finance is an art or a science is still open , there have been recent efforts to organize a list of unsolved problems in finance .
Property in the abstract is what belongs to or with something , whether as an attribute or as a component of said thing . In the context of this article , it is one or more components ( rather than attributes ) , whether physical or incorporeal , of a person 's estate ; or so belonging to , as in being owned by , a person or jointly a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation or even a society . Depending on the nature of the property , an owner of property has the right to consume , alter , share , redefine , rent , mortgage , pawn , sell , exchange , transfer , give away or destroy it , or to exclude others from doing these things , as well as to perhaps abandon it ; whereas regardless of the nature of the property , the owner thereof has the right to properly use it ( as a durable , mean or factor , or whatever ) , or at the very least exclusively keep it . In economics and political economy , there are three broad forms of property : private property , public property , and collective property ( also called cooperative property ) . Property that jointly belongs to more than one party may be possessed or controlled thereby in very similar or very distinct ways , whether simply or complexly , whether equally or unequally . However , there is an expectation that each party 's will ( rather discretion ) with regard to the property be clearly defined and unconditional , [ citation needed ] so as to distinguish ownership and easement from rent . The parties might expect their wills to be unanimous , or alternately every given one of them , when no opportunity for or possibility of dispute with any other of them exists , may expect his , her , its or their own will to be sufficient and absolute . The Restatement ( First ) of Property defines property as anything , tangible or intangible whereby a legal relationship between persons and the state enforces a possessory interest or legal title in that thing . This mediating relationship between individual , property and state is called a property regime . In sociology and anthropology , property is often defined as a relationship between two or more individuals and an object , in which at least one of these individuals holds a bundle of rights over the object . The distinction between collective property and private property is regarded as a confusion since different individuals often hold differing rights over a single object . Important widely recognized types of property include real property ( the combination of land and any improvements to or on the land ) , personal property ( physical possessions belonging to a person ) , private property ( property owned by legal persons , business entities or individual natural persons ) , public property ( state owned or publicly owned and available possessions ) and intellectual property ( exclusive rights over artistic creations , inventions , etc .
A multistorey car park ( UK English ) or parking garage ( US English ; also called a multistorey , parkade ( mainly Canadian ) , parking structure , parking ramp , parking deck or indoor parking ) is a building designed for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place . It is essentially an indoor , stacked car park . Parking structures may be heated if they are enclosed . Design of parking structures can add considerable cost for planning new developments , and can be mandated by cities or states in new building parking requirements . Some cities such as London have abolished previously enacted minimum parking requirements .
Forestry is the science and craft of creating , managing , using , conserving , and repairing forests , woodlands , and associated resources for human and environmental benefits . Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands . The science of forestry has elements that belong to the biological , physical , social , political and managerial sciences . Modern forestry generally embraces a broad range of concerns , in what is known as multiple-use management , including the provision of timber , fuel wood , wildlife habitat , natural water quality management , recreation , landscape and community protection , employment , aesthetically appealing landscapes , biodiversity management , watershed management , erosion control , and preserving forests as sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide . A practitioner of forestry is known as a forester . Other common terms are : a verderer , or a silviculturalist . Silviculture is narrower than forestry , being concerned only with forest plants , but is often used synonymously with forestry . Forest ecosystems have come to be seen as the most important component of the biosphere , and forestry has emerged as a vital applied science , craft , and technology . Forestry is an important economic segment in various industrial countries . For example , in Germany , forests cover nearly a third of the land area , wood is the most important renewable resource , and forestry supports more than a million jobs and about €181 billion of value to the German economy each year .
This is a list of building materials . Many types of building materials are used in the construction industry to create buildings and structures . These categories of materials and products are used by architects and construction project managers to specify the materials and methods used for building projects . Some building materials like cold rolled steel framing are considered modern methods of construction , over the traditionally slower methods like blockwork and timber . Many building materials have a variety of uses , therefore it is always a good idea to consult the manufacturer to check if a product is best suited to your requirements .
CEO Mitchell Slape ( 2019- ) Massmart Holdings Limited ( JSE : MSM ) is a South African firm that owns local brands such as Game , Makro , Builder 's Warehouse and CBW . It is the second-largest distributor of consumer goods in Africa , the largest retailer of general merchandise , liquor and home improvement equipment and wholesaler of basic foods . As of 31 January 2020 , Massmart operated 442 stores in South Africa and 12 other Sub-Saharan countries . Its head offices are in the Massmart House in Sandton , Johannesburg .
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic . At room temperature and pressure , another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form , but diamond almost never converts to it . Diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any natural material , properties that are utilized in major industrial applications such as cutting and polishing tools . They are also the reason that diamond anvil cells can subject materials to pressures found deep in the Earth . Because the arrangement of atoms in diamond is extremely rigid , few types of impurity can contaminate it ( two exceptions being boron and nitrogen ) . Small numbers of defects or impurities ( about one per million of lattice atoms ) color diamond blue ( boron ) , yellow ( nitrogen ) , brown ( defects ) , green ( radiation exposure ) , purple , pink , orange or red . Diamond also has relatively high optical dispersion ( ability to disperse light of different colors ) . Most natural diamonds have ages between 1 billion and 3.5 billion years . Most were formed at depths between 150 and 250 kilometres ( 93 and 155 mi ) in the Earth 's mantle , although a few have come from as deep as 800 kilometres ( 500 mi ) . Under high pressure and temperature , carbon-containing fluids dissolved minerals and replaced them with diamonds . Much more recently ( tens to hundreds of million years ago ) , they were carried to the surface in volcanic eruptions and deposited in igneous rocks known as kimberlites and lamproites . Synthetic diamonds can be grown from high-purity carbon under high pressures and temperatures or from hydrocarbon gas by chemical vapor deposition ( CVD ) .
Lesotho ( /ləˈsuːtuː/ ( listen ) , Sotho pronunciation : [ lɪˈsʊːtʰʊ ] ) , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho ( Sotho : 'Muso oa Lesotho ) , is an enclaved country within the border of South Africa . Along with the Vatican City and San Marino , it is one of only three independent states completely surrounded by the territory of another country , and the only one outside of the Italian peninsula . Lesotho is just over 30,000 km2 ( 11,583 sq mi ) in size and has a population of around 2 million . Its capital and largest city is Maseru . Lesotho was previously the British Crown Colony of Basutoland , but it declared independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966 . It is now a fully sovereign state that is a member of the United Nations , the Commonwealth of Nations , and the Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) . The name Lesotho roughly translates to the land of the brown-skinned people .
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth , usually from an ore body , lode , vein , seam , reef or placer deposit . These deposits form a mineralized package that is of economic interest to the miner . Ores recovered by mining include metals , coal , oil shale , gemstones , limestone , chalk , dimension stone , rock salt , potash , gravel , and clay . Mining is required to obtain any material that can not be grown through agricultural processes , or feasibly created artificially in a laboratory or factory . Mining in a wider sense includes extraction of any non-renewable resource such as petroleum , natural gas , or even water . Mining of stones and metal has been a human activity since pre-historic times . Modern mining processes involve prospecting for ore bodies , analysis of the profit potential of a proposed mine , extraction of the desired materials , and final reclamation of the land after the mine is closed . Mining operations usually create a negative environmental impact , both during the mining activity and after the mine has closed . Hence , most of the world 's nations have passed regulations to decrease the impact . Work safety has long been a concern as well , and modern practices have significantly improved safety in mines . Levels of metal recycling are generally low . Unless future end-of-life recycling rates are stepped up , some rare metals may become unavailable for use in a variety of consumer products .
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements , their inter-metallic compounds , and their mixtures , which are called alloys . Metallurgy encompasses both the science and the technology of metals . That is , the way in which science is applied to the production of metals , and the engineering of metal components used in products for both consumers and manufacturers . Metallurgy is distinct from the craft of metalworking . Metalworking relies on metallurgy in a similar manner to how medicine relies on medical science for technical advancement . A specialist practitioner of metallurgy is known as a Metallurgist . The science of metallurgy is subdivided into two broad categories : chemical metallurgy and physical metallurgy . Chemical metallurgy is chiefly concerned with the reduction and oxidation of metals , and the chemical performance of metals . Subjects of study in chemical metallurgy include mineral processing , the extraction of metals , thermodynamics , electrochemistry , and chemical degradation ( corrosion ) . In contrast , physical metallurgy focuses on the mechanical properties of metals , the physical properties of metals , and the physical performance of metals . Topics studied in physical metallurgy include crystallography , material characterization , mechanical metallurgy , phase transformations , and failure mechanisms . Historically , metallurgy has predominately focused on the production of metals .
Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24 . It is the first element in group 6 . It is a steely-grey , lustrous , hard and brittle transition metal . Chromium is the main additive in stainless steel , to which it adds anti-corrosive properties . Chromium is also highly valued as a metal that is able to be highly polished while resisting tarnishing . Polished chromium reflects almost 70% of the visible spectrum , with almost 90% of infrared light being reflected . The name of the element is derived from the Greek word χρῶμα , chrōma , meaning color , because many chromium compounds are intensely colored . Ferrochromium alloy is commercially produced from chromite by silicothermic or aluminothermic reactions and chromium metal by roasting and leaching processes followed by reduction with carbon and then aluminium . Chromium metal is of high value for its high corrosion resistance and hardness . A major development in steel production was the discovery that steel could be made highly resistant to corrosion and discoloration by adding metallic chromium to form stainless steel . Stainless steel and chrome plating ( electroplating with chromium ) together comprise 85% of the commercial use . In the United States , trivalent chromium ( Cr ( III ) ) ion is considered an essential nutrient in humans for insulin , sugar and lipid metabolism .
Mercantile Bank Limited is a South African commercial bank , founded in 1965 . ( previously Bank of Lisbon International . The bank is headquartered in Sandown Sandton , South Africa , and provides products and services in retail banking , corporate finance , asset management , equity brokerage and security . It is a fully owned subsidiary of Mercantile Bank Holdings Limited , which in turn owned by the holding company registered in Portugal - Caixa Geral de Depósitos S.A.however Capitec Bank bought Mercantile Bank South Africa in 2019 ( CGD ) . In October 2019 , the Minister of Finance of South Africa and other Regulatory Authorities have formally approved Capitecs purchase and acquisition of Mercantile Business Bank . As of November 2019 , Capitec Bank bought all the shares of Mercantile Bank Ltd from CGD and serves as its business banking branch . It has more than 15 branches in South Africa , and employs between 501-1000 employees .
A motor vehicle , also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle , is a self-propelled vehicle , commonly wheeled , that does not operate on rails ( such as trains or trams or 4-wheelers ) and is used for the transportation of people or cargo . The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor , usually an internal combustion engine or an electric motor , or some combination of the two , such as hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids . For legal purposes , motor vehicles are often identified within a number of vehicle classes including cars , buses , motorcycles , off-road vehicles , light trucks and regular trucks . These classifications vary according to the legal codes of each country . ISO 3833:1977 is the standard for road vehicle types , terms and definitions . Generally , to avoid requiring handicapped persons from having to possess an operator 's license to use one , or requiring tags and insurance , powered wheelchairs will be specifically excluded by law from being considered motor vehicles . As of 2011 , there were more than one billion motor vehicles in use in the world , excluding off-road vehicles and heavy construction equipment . Global vehicle ownership per capita in 2010 was 148 vehicles in operation per 1000 people . China has the largest motor vehicle fleet in the world , with 322 million motor vehicles registered at the end of September 2018 . The United States has the highest vehicle ownership per capita in the world , with 832 vehicles in operation per 1000 people in 2016 . Also , China became the world 's largest new car market in 2009 . In 2011 , a total of 80 million cars and commercial vehicles were built , led by China , with 18.4 million motor vehicles manufactured .
Manufacturing is the production of products for use or sale using labor and machines , tools , chemical or biological processing or formulation and is the essence of secondary industry . The term may refer to a range of human activity from handicraft to high tech but is most commonly applied to industrial design , in which raw materials from primary industry are transformed into finished goods on a large scale . Such finished goods may be sold to other manufacturers for the production of other more complex products ( such as aircraft , household appliances , furniture , sports equipment or automobiles ) , or distributed via the tertiary industry to end users and consumers ( usually through wholesalers , who in turn sell to retailers , who then sell them to individual customers ) . Manufacturing engineering or manufacturing process are the steps through which raw materials are transformed into a final product . The manufacturing process begins with the product design , and materials specification from which the product is made . These materials are then modified through manufacturing processes to become the required part . Modern manufacturing includes all intermediate processes required in the production and integration of a product 's components . Some industries , such as semiconductor and steel manufacturers use the term fabrication instead . The manufacturing sector is closely connected with engineering and industrial design . Examples of major manufacturers in North America include General Motors Corporation , General Electric , Procter & Gamble , General Dynamics , Boeing , Pfizer , and Precision Castparts . Examples in Europe include Volkswagen Group , Siemens , FCA and Michelin . Examples in Asia include Toyota , Yamaha , Panasonic , LG , Samsung and Tata Motors .
Advertising mail , also known as direct mail ( by its senders ) , junk mail ( by its recipients ) , mailshot or admail , is the delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail . The delivery of advertising mail forms a large and growing service for many postal services , and direct-mail marketing forms a significant portion of the direct marketing industry . Some organizations attempt to help people opt out of receiving advertising mail , in many cases motivated by a concern over its negative environmental impact . Advertising mail includes advertising circulars , plastic mailers , coupon envelopes ( Money Mailer , Valpak ) , catalogs , CDs , pre-approved credit card applications , and other commercial merchandising materials delivered to homes and businesses . It may be addressed to pre-selected individuals , or unaddressed and delivered on a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood basis .
Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation . In a general business sense , logistics is the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet requirements of customers or corporations . The resources managed in logistics may include tangible goods such as materials , equipment , and supplies , as well as food and other consumable items . The logistics of physical items usually involves the integration of information flow , materials handling , production , packaging , inventory , transportation , warehousing , and often security . In military science , logistics is concerned with maintaining army supply lines while disrupting those of the enemy , since an armed force without resources and transportation is defenseless . Military logistics was already practiced in the ancient world and as modern military have a significant need for logistics solutions , advanced implementations have been developed . In military logistics , logistics officers manage how and when to move resources to the places they are needed . Logistics management is the part of supply chain management and supply chain engineering that plans , implements , and controls the efficient , effective forward , and reverse flow and storage of goods , services , and related information between point of origin and point of consumption to meet customer 's requirements . The complexity of logistics can be modeled , analyzed , visualized , and optimized by dedicated simulation software . The minimization of the use of resources is a common motivation in all logistics fields . A professional working in the field of logistics management is called a logistician .
Metorex is a mining company based in Johannesburg , South Africa . It has assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( DRC ) , Zambia and elsewhere . A recent takeover bid by the Jinchuan Group of China valued the company at US $ 1.1 billion .
Information management ( IM ) concerns a cycle of organizational activity : the acquisition of information from one or more sources , the custodianship and the distribution of that information to those who need it , and its ultimate disposition through archiving or deletion . This cycle of organisational involvement with information involves a variety of stakeholders , including those who are responsible for assuring the quality , accessibility and utility of acquired information ; those who are responsible for its safe storage and disposal ; and those who need it for decision making . Stakeholders might have rights to originate , change , distribute or delete information according to organisational information management policies . Information management embraces all the generic concepts of management , including the planning , organizing , structuring , processing , controlling , evaluation and reporting of information activities , all of which is needed in order to meet the needs of those with organisational roles or functions that depend on information . These generic concepts allow the information to be presented to the audience or the correct group of people . After individuals are able to put that information to use , it then gains more value . Information management is closely related to , and overlaps with , the management of data , systems , technology , processes and - where the availability of information is critical to organisational success - strategy . This broad view of the realm of information management contrasts with the earlier , more traditional view , that the life cycle of managing information is an operational matter that requires specific procedures , organisational capabilities and standards that deal with information as a product or a service .
A document management system ( DMS ) is a system used to track , manage and store documents and reduce paper . Most are capable of keeping a record of the various versions created and modified by different users ( history tracking ) . In the case of the management of digital documents such systems are based on computer programs . The term has some overlap with the concepts of content management systems . It is often viewed as a component of enterprise content management ( ECM ) systems and related to digital asset management , document imaging , workflow systems and records management systems .
An archive is an accumulation of historical records or the physical place they are located . Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization 's lifetime , and are kept to show the function of that person or organization . Professional archivists and historians generally understand archives to be records that have been naturally and necessarily generated as a product of regular legal , commercial , administrative , or social activities . They have been metaphorically defined as the secretions of an organism , and are distinguished from documents that have been consciously written or created to communicate a particular message to posterity . In general , archives consist of records that have been selected for permanent or long-term preservation on grounds of their enduring cultural , historical , or evidentiary value . Archival records are normally unpublished and almost always unique , unlike books or magazines for which many identical copies exist . This means that archives are quite distinct from libraries with regard to their functions and organization , although archival collections can often be found within library buildings . A person who works in archives is called an archivist . The study and practice of organizing , preserving , and providing access to information and materials in archives is called archival science . The physical place of storage can be referred to as an archive ( more usual in the United Kingdom ) , an archives ( more usual in the United States ) , or a repository . When referring to historical records or the places they are kept , the plural form archives is chiefly used . The computing use of the term 'archive ' should not be confused with the record-keeping meaning of the term .
Information technology ( IT ) is the use of computers to store , retrieve , transmit , and manipulate data or information . IT is typically used within the context of business operations as opposed to personal or entertainment technologies . IT is considered to be a subset of information and communications technology ( ICT ) . An information technology system ( IT system ) is generally an information system , a communications system or , more specifically speaking , a computer system - including all hardware , software and peripheral equipment - operated by a limited group of users . Humans have been storing , retrieving , manipulating , and communicating information since the Sumerians in Mesopotamia developed writing in about 3000 BC , but the term information technology in its modern sense first appeared in a 1958 article published in the Harvard Business Review ; authors Harold J. Leavitt and Thomas L. Whisler commented that the new technology does not yet have a single established name . We shall call it information technology ( IT ) . Their definition consists of three categories : techniques for processing , the application of statistical and mathematical methods to decision-making , and the simulation of higher-order thinking through computer programs . The term is commonly used as a synonym for computers and computer networks , but it also encompasses other information distribution technologies such as television and telephones . Several products or services within an economy are associated with information technology , including computer hardware , software , electronics , semiconductors , internet , telecom equipment , and e-commerce . [ a ] Based on the storage and processing technologies employed , it is possible to distinguish four distinct phases of IT development : pre-mechanical ( 3000 BC - 1450 AD ) , mechanical ( 1450-1840 ) , electromechanical ( 1840-1940 ) , and electronic ( 1940-present ) . This article focuses on the most recent period ( electronic ) .
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design , development , manufacturing , marketing , and selling of motor vehicles . It is one of the world 's largest economic sectors by revenue . The automotive industry does not include industries dedicated to the maintenance of automobiles following delivery to the end-user , [ citation needed ] such as automobile repair shops and motor fuel filling stations . The word automotive comes from the Greek autos ( self ) , and Latin motivus ( of motion ) , referring to any form of self-powered vehicle . [ clarification needed ] This term , as proposed by Elmer Sperry [ need quotation to verify ] ( 1860-1930 ) , first came into use with reference to automobiles in 1898 .
Prospecting is the first stage of the geological analysis ( second - exploration ) of a territory . It is the physical search for minerals , fossils , precious metals or mineral specimens , and is also known as fossicking . Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised , large scale effort undertaken by commercial mineral companies to find commercially viable ore deposits . Prospecting is physical labour , involving traversing ( traditionally on foot or on horseback ) , panning , sifting and outcrop investigation , looking for signs of mineralisation . In some areas a prospector must also make claims , meaning they must erect posts with the appropriate placards on all four corners of a desired land they wish to prospect and register this claim before they may take samples . In other areas publicly held lands are open to prospecting without staking a mining claim .
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic . At room temperature and pressure , another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form , but diamond almost never converts to it . Diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any natural material , properties that are utilized in major industrial applications such as cutting and polishing tools . They are also the reason that diamond anvil cells can subject materials to pressures found deep in the Earth . Because the arrangement of atoms in diamond is extremely rigid , few types of impurity can contaminate it ( two exceptions being boron and nitrogen ) . Small numbers of defects or impurities ( about one per million of lattice atoms ) color diamond blue ( boron ) , yellow ( nitrogen ) , brown ( defects ) , green ( radiation exposure ) , purple , pink , orange or red . Diamond also has relatively high optical dispersion ( ability to disperse light of different colors ) . Most natural diamonds have ages between 1 billion and 3.5 billion years . Most were formed at depths between 150 and 250 kilometres ( 93 and 155 mi ) in the Earth 's mantle , although a few have come from as deep as 800 kilometres ( 500 mi ) . Under high pressure and temperature , carbon-containing fluids dissolved minerals and replaced them with diamonds . Much more recently ( tens to hundreds of million years ago ) , they were carried to the surface in volcanic eruptions and deposited in igneous rocks known as kimberlites and lamproites . Synthetic diamonds can be grown from high-purity carbon under high pressures and temperatures or from hydrocarbon gas by chemical vapor deposition ( CVD ) .
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock , formed as rock strata called coal seams . Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements ; chiefly hydrogen , sulfur , oxygen , and nitrogen . Coal is formed when dead plant matter decays into peat and is converted into coal by the heat and pressure of deep burial over millions of years . Vast deposits of coal originate in former wetlands - called coal forests - that covered much of the Earth 's tropical land areas during the late Carboniferous ( Pennsylvanian ) and Permian times . As a fossil fuel burned for heat , coal supplies about a quarter of the world 's primary energy and two-fifths of its electricity . Some iron and steel making and other industrial processes burn coal . The extraction and use of coal causes many premature deaths and much illness . The coal industry damages the environment , including by climate change as it is the largest anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide , 14 gigatonne ( Gt ) in 2016 , which is 40% of the total fossil fuel emissions and almost 25% of total global greenhouse gas emissions . As part of the worldwide energy transition many countries have stopped using or use less coal , and the UN Secretary General has asked governments to stop building new coal plants by 2020 . To meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming to well below 2 °C ( 3.6 °F ) coal use needs to halve from 2020 to 2030 . The largest consumer and importer of coal is China . China mines almost half the world 's coal , followed by India with about a tenth .
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au ( from Latin : aurum ) and atomic number 79 , making it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally . In its purest form , it is a bright , slightly reddish yellow , dense , soft , malleable , and ductile metal . Chemically , gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element . It is one of the least reactive chemical elements and is solid under standard conditions . Gold often occurs in free elemental ( native ) form , as nuggets or grains , in rocks , in veins , and in alluvial deposits . It occurs in a solid solution series with the native element silver ( as electrum ) and also naturally alloyed with copper and palladium . Less commonly , it occurs in minerals as gold compounds , often with tellurium ( gold tellurides ) . Gold is resistant to most acids , though it does dissolve in aqua regia , a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid , which forms a soluble tetrachloroaurate anion . Gold is insoluble in nitric acid , which dissolves silver and base metals , a property that has long been used to refine gold and to confirm the presence of gold in metallic objects , giving rise to the term acid test . Gold also dissolves in alkaline solutions of cyanide , which are used in mining and electroplating . Gold dissolves in mercury , forming amalgam alloys , but this is not a chemical reaction . A relatively rare element , gold is a precious metal that has been used for coinage , jewelry , and other arts throughout recorded history .
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag ( from the Latin argentum , derived from the Proto-Indo-European h₂erǵ : shiny or white ) and atomic number 47 . A soft , white , lustrous transition metal , it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity , thermal conductivity , and reflectivity of any metal . The metal is found in the Earth 's crust in the pure , free elemental form ( native silver ) , as an alloy with gold and other metals , and in minerals such as argentite and chlorargyrite . Most silver is produced as a byproduct of copper , gold , lead , and zinc refining . Silver has long been valued as a precious metal . Silver metal is used in many bullion coins , sometimes alongside gold : while it is more abundant than gold , it is much less abundant as a native metal . Its purity is typically measured on a per-mille basis ; a 94-pure alloy is described as 0.940 fine . As one of the seven metals of antiquity , silver has had an enduring role in most human cultures . Other than in currency and as an investment medium ( coins and bullion ) , silver is used in solar panels , water filtration , jewellery , ornaments , high-value tableware and utensils ( hence the term silverware ) , in electrical contacts and conductors , in specialized mirrors , window coatings , in catalysis of chemical reactions , as a colorant in stained glass and in specialised confectionery . Its compounds are used in photographic and X-ray film . Dilute solutions of silver nitrate and other silver compounds are used as disinfectants and microbiocides ( oligodynamic effect ) , added to bandages and wound-dressings , catheters , and other medical instruments .
A base metal is a common and inexpensive metal , as opposed to a precious metal such as gold or silver . A long-time goal of alchemists was the transmutation of a base ( low grade ) metal into a precious metal . In numismatics , coins often derived their value from the precious metal content ; however , base metals have also been used in coins in the past and today .
ArcelorMittal S.A. ( French pronunciation : ​ [ aʁsəlɔʁ mital ] ) is a multinational steel manufacturing corporation headquartered in Luxembourg City . It was formed in 2006 from the takeover and merger of Arcelor by Indian-owned Mittal Steel . ArcelorMittal is the world 's largest steel producer , with an annual crude steel production of 92.5 million metric tonnes as of 2018 [ update ] . It is ranked 123rd in the 2017 Fortune Global 500 ranking of the world 's largest corporations .
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon , and sometimes other elements . Because of its high tensile strength and low cost , it is a major component used in buildings , infrastructure , tools , ships , trains , automobiles , machines , appliances , and weapons . Iron is the base metal of steel . Iron is able to take on two crystalline forms ( allotropic forms ) , body centered cubic and face-centered cubic , depending on its temperature . In the body-centered cubic arrangement , there is an iron atom in the center and eight atoms at the vertices of each cubic unit cell ; in the face-centered cubic , there is one atom at the center of each of the six faces of the cubic unit cell and eight atoms at its vertices . It is the interaction of the allotropes of iron with the alloying elements , primarily carbon , that gives steel and cast iron their range of unique properties . In pure iron , the crystal structure has relatively little resistance to the iron atoms slipping past one another , and so pure iron is quite ductile , or soft and easily formed . In steel , small amounts of carbon , other elements , and inclusions within the iron act as hardening agents that prevent the movement of dislocations . The carbon in typical steel alloys may contribute up to 2.14% of its weight . Varying the amount of carbon and many other alloying elements , as well as controlling their chemical and physical makeup in the final steel ( either as solute elements , or as precipitated phases ) , slows the movement of those dislocations that make pure iron ductile , and thus controls and enhances its qualities . These qualities include the hardness , quenching behavior , need for annealing , tempering behavior , yield strength , and tensile strength of the resulting steel . The increase in steel 's strength compared to pure iron is possible only by reducing iron 's ductility .
Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Limited , formerly MMI Holdings Limited , is a South African based financial services group that is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange .
Life insurance ( or life assurance , especially in the Commonwealth of Nations ) is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer or assurer , where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money ( the benefit ) in exchange for a premium , upon the death of an insured person ( often the policy holder ) . Depending on the contract , other events such as terminal illness or critical illness can also trigger payment . The policy holder typically pays a premium , either regularly or as one lump sum . Other expenses , such as funeral expenses , can also be included in the benefits . Life policies are legal contracts and the terms of the contract describe the limitations of the insured events . Specific exclusions are often written into the contract to limit the liability of the insurer ; common examples are claims relating to suicide , fraud , war , riot , and civil commotion . Modern life insurance bears some similarity to the asset management industry and life insurers have diversified their products into retirement products such as annuities . Life-based contracts tend to fall into two major categories :
Employee benefits and ( especially in British English ) benefits in kind ( also called fringe benefits , perquisites , or perks ) include various types of non-wage compensation provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries . Instances where an employee exchanges ( cash ) wages for some other form of benefit is generally referred to as a salary packaging or salary exchange arrangement . In most countries , most kinds of employee benefits are taxable to at least some degree . Examples of these benefits include : housing ( employer-provided or employer-paid ) furnished or not , with or without free utilities ; group insurance ( health , dental , life etc . ) ; disability income protection ; retirement benefits ; daycare ; tuition reimbursement ; sick leave ; vacation ( paid and unpaid ) ; social security ; profit sharing ; employer student loan contributions ; conveyancing ; domestic help ( servants ) ; and other specialized benefits . The purpose of employee benefits is to increase the economic security of staff members , and in doing so , improve worker retention across the organization . As such , it is one component of reward management . Colloquially , perks are those benefits of a more discretionary nature . Often , perks are given to employees who are doing notably well or have seniority . Common perks are take-home vehicles , hotel stays , free refreshments , leisure activities on work time ( golf , etc . ) , stationery , allowances for lunch , and - when multiple choices exist - first choice of such things as job assignments and vacation scheduling . They may also be given first chance at job promotions when vacancies exist .
Health insurance is an insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses , spreading the risk over numerous persons . By estimating the overall risk of health care and health system expenses over the risk pool , an insurer can develop a routine finance structure , such as a monthly premium or payroll tax , to provide the money to pay for the health care benefits specified in the insurance agreement . The benefit is administered by a central organization such as a government agency , private business , or not-for-profit entity . According to the Health Insurance Association of America , health insurance is defined as coverage that provides for the payments of benefits as a result of sickness or injury . It includes insurance for losses from accident , medical expense , disability , or accidental death and dismemberment ( p. 225 ) .
Asset management refers to systematic approach to the governance and realization of value from the things that a group or entity is responsible for , over their whole life cycles . It may apply both to tangible assets ( physical objects such as buildings or equipment ) and to intangible assets ( such as human capital , intellectual property , goodwill and/or financial assets ) . Asset management is a systematic process of developing , operating , maintaining , upgrading , and disposing of assets in the most cost-effective manner ( including all costs , risks and performance attributes ) . The term is commonly used in the financial sector to describe people and companies who manage investments on behalf of others . Those include , for example , investment managers that manage the assets of a pension fund . It is also increasingly used in both the business world and public infrastructure sectors to ensure a coordinated approach to the optimization of costs , risks , service/performance and sustainability . The International Standard , ISO 55000 , provides an introduction and requirements specification for a management system for asset management .
A keg is a small barrel . Traditionally , a wooden keg is made by a cooper and used to transport items such as nails , gunpowder , and a variety of liquids . In recent times , a keg is often constructed of stainless steel . It is commonly used to store , transport , and serve beer . Other alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks , carbonated or non-carbonated , may be housed in a keg as well . Carbonated drinks are generally kept under pressure in order to maintain carbon dioxide in solution , preventing the beverage from becoming flat .
In telecommunication , a transponder is a device that , upon receiving a signal , emits a different signal in response . The term is a portmanteau of transmitter and responder . It is variously abbreviated as XPDR , XPNDR , TPDR or TP . In air navigation or radio frequency identification , a flight transponder is an automated transceiver in an aircraft that emits a coded identifying signal in response to an interrogating received signal . In a communications satellite , a satellite transponder receives signals over a range of uplink frequencies , usually from a satellite ground station . The transponder amplifies them , and re-transmits them on a different set of downlink frequencies to receivers on Earth , often without changing the content of the received signal or signals .
Computer software , or simply software , is a collection of data or computer instructions that tell the computer how to work . This is in contrast to physical hardware , from which the system is built and actually performs the work . In computer science and software engineering , computer software is all information processed by computer systems , programs and data . Computer software includes computer programs , libraries and related non-executable data , such as online documentation or digital media . Computer hardware and software require each other and neither can be realistically used on its own . At the lowest programming level , [ clarification needed ] executable code consists of machine language instructions supported by an individual processor - typically a central processing unit ( CPU ) or a graphics processing unit ( GPU ) . A machine language consists of groups of binary values signifying processor instructions that change the state of the computer from its preceding state . For example , an instruction may change the value stored in a particular storage location in the computer - an effect that is not directly observable to the user . An instruction may also invoke one of many input or output operations , for example displaying some text on a computer screen ; causing state changes which should be visible to the user . The processor executes the instructions in the order they are provided , unless it is instructed to jump to a different instruction , or is interrupted by the operating system . As of 2015 [ update ] , most personal computers , smartphone devices and servers have processors with multiple execution units or multiple processors performing computation together , and computing has become a much more concurrent activity than in the past . The majority of software is written in high-level programming languages .