usdaed

Alphabet, you see, is a bit like a grand sorcerer, waving its wand and conjuring up all sorts of digital magic. They’ve become rather good at this AI business, especially with a clever little creation called Gemini. It’s a brainy language model, capable of answering questions and generally showing off. They’ve stuffed it into Google Search, hoping it’ll attract more clicks and, naturally, more money. And their cloud computing unit, Google Cloud, is growing at a rate that would make a beanstalk blush. It’s all very impressive, though one wonders if the beanstalk will ever reach the giant’s castle.

However, there’s a curious phenomenon unfolding. A new breed of financial entity – the fintech companies – are attempting to disrupt this established order. They’re offering a bewildering array of digital banking services, attracting customers with the promise of convenience and, occasionally, actual innovation. (It’s worth noting that the definition of “innovation” in the financial sector often involves simply putting something online. A truly revolutionary concept, that.) These companies, rather than being weighed down by decades of tradition and physical infrastructure, are…nimble. Like particularly motivated digital badgers. Let’s examine two of them – SoFi and Nu – and consider the rather improbable possibility that a thousand dollars invested today might, just might, blossom into something considerably larger over the next decade.

The recent dip in share price at the start of the year, a decline exceeding 5%, should not be dismissed as mere market volatility. It is, perhaps, a belated recognition that enthusiasm alone cannot sustain a company. The question is whether this correction is a temporary pause, or the beginning of a more fundamental reassessment.

Should the inclination to acquire a small portion of this digital coin prove irresistible, there exists, at least, a defensible rationale. However, a more prudent course might be to maintain a judicious reserve, and it is to both arguments that we shall now turn our attention.

This morning brought news that enrollment for their Anktiva therapy exceeded expectations in a trial for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Which, let’s be honest, isn’t a phrase you hear every day. It means they might be able to submit something to the FDA by year’s end. My aunt Mildred has been battling bladder issues for years, and I immediately texted her the news. She responded with a single question: “Will it make me need less ice?” I didn’t have an answer, and frankly, I doubted ImmunityBio did either.

These ETFs, these carefully constructed baskets of shares, promise diversification, a shield against the inevitable storms. They are, in essence, a collective denial of risk, a communal fantasy of stability. And, in fairness, they often deliver. Take, for instance, the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD 0.48%). A respectable specimen, yielding a comfortable 3.8%, a trifle above the general market murmur of 1.1%. Its expense ratio, a mere 0.06%, is almost…modest. One wonders if they aren’t giving the money away. It invests in companies with a certain…sturdiness, a preference for those who reliably generate cash. A sensible, if unimaginative, approach. The problem, of course, is the quarterly distribution. A mere three times a year. For some, that will simply not suffice. They require a monthly drip, a constant reassurance that the machine is still functioning.

But today’s sudden leap – a whopping 19% surge, mind you – wasn’t just about keeping everyone’s thumbs busy. Oh no. It seems these chaps have been handed a rather important job by the very people who worry about things going boom. A national security program, they call it. As of this afternoon, the shares were still bobbing along, up a good 16.8% on the news. Curious, isn’t it, how a bit of government money can make things… perk up?

Look, these Bitcoin miners, they built these massive energy-guzzling facilities. All that hardware, all that electricity… for what? To solve puzzles? It’s just… exhausting to think about. Now, suddenly, it’s “Oh, AI needs data centers! Let’s rent this stuff out!” It’s convenient. Almost too convenient. It’s like admitting defeat, but with a press release.

The consensus, whispered among analysts, suggests a profit of fifty-five cents per share, a respectable increase, perhaps. Revenue, they estimate, will reach eleven billion, nine hundred and seventy million. Numbers. They dance before the eyes, offering the illusion of clarity, while obscuring the deeper, more troubling questions. Will this be enough to satisfy the insatiable appetite of Wall Street? One doubts it.

The firm, you see, is attempting a rather ambitious undertaking: building a constellation of satellites with the intention of beaming internet connectivity directly to one’s mobile telephone. A dashedly clever notion, if I may say so. And, just recently, they’ve received a nod from the U.S. government, granting them permission to bid on contracts for the somewhat mysteriously named “Golden Dome” security system. As of Friday, January 16th, at precisely 12:41 PM EST, the stock was up a respectable 18.6%. A most agreeable state of affairs, wouldn’t you agree?