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By the closing bell, the stock had gained a little over 4%. A small victory, perhaps, in a world overflowing with larger, more insistent concerns.

The current surge isn’t simply about sparkle, you see. It began around the time certain geopolitical arrangements… shifted. Specifically, when a large nation decided to have a firm word with another, and then promptly froze its access to funds. A rather blunt instrument, really. It sent tremors through the central banking community, who, being a cautious bunch, started accumulating gold. Not as a symbol of wealth, oh no. More as a sort of… insurance policy. A way to diversify away from a currency that suddenly seemed a bit… weaponizable. Russia, China, India – they all started buying. One imagines a quiet, frantic auction in the back rooms of international finance.

Viavi reported revenue of $369 million for the quarter, a 36% year-over-year increase. Non-GAAP net income reached $51.5 million, or $0.22 per share, representing a 75% increase. These figures exceeded analyst expectations, which projected revenue of approximately $365 million and adjusted earnings per share of $0.19.

The numbers themselves weren’t dreadful, mind you. A revenue of $3.65 billion, up 26% from last year. Seems grand, doesn’t it? But let’s unpack this a bit. You see, Las Vegas Sands ain’t much concerned with Las Vegas these days. They’ve packed up their chips and moved the game across the Pacific, settin’ up shop in Macao and Singapore. Five properties in Macao, one grand resort in Singapore. And while most are doin’ alright, it’s the story behind the numbers that’s got a fella scratchin’ his head.

The transaction, dutifully recorded with the SEC on January 29th, represents a new venture for S.A. Mason. One assumes they’ve done their due diligence, though one is always a touch skeptical of those who claim to predict the market. It now constitutes 1.17% of their reportable U.S. equity holdings. A tidy sum, even for them.

The first, C3.ai (AI 6.63%), is a curious case. Artificial intelligence, they proclaim! The future is now! And yet, the results resemble less a triumphant march toward innovation and more a bewildered retreat. A change in leadership, you see, is often a symptom, not a cure. Stephen Ehikian now holds the reins, succeeding the venerable Thomas Siebel. One wonders if he inherited a stable of thoroughbreds or a collection of particularly stubborn donkeys.

The filing with the SEC – those dry, official documents that rarely tell the whole story – revealed the acquisition of 158,863 shares. A substantial sum, yes, but it’s the why of it that lingers. It wasn’t a gambler’s throw of the dice, but a considered addition, nudging their stake in the fund to 1.77% of their reportable holdings. A small thing, perhaps, but a careful hand adds stones to the foundation, not just to the walls.

The paperwork, filed with the SEC on the 28th of January, shows they unloaded 96,518 shares of this here FTSM. Calculated by the last figures they declared, it amounted to that $5.78 million. Seems a bit like selling off the rocking chair to buy a steam engine, if you ask me, but who am I to judge a man’s spending habits?

Then came the iPhone 17. Or whatever number we’re on now. It’s a phone. It makes calls. It takes pictures of your lunch. But, oh, the demand. The breathless reports. You’d think they’d invented sliced bread, or, you know, something genuinely useful. Frankly, I was bracing for disappointment. I mean, it’s Apple. They’re very good at making us want things we don’t need.

The fund, managed by Mr. Jones, has seen a rather vulgar surge in its gold allocation – nearly half again. The SPDR Gold ETF, a convenient vessel for those seeking refuge from…well, from everything, has blossomed. It ascended by a preposterous 64% last year, and already shows a disturbing eagerness to climb further in 2026. The metal itself has breached the $5,000 mark – a psychological barrier, no doubt, but one built on foundations of…what exactly? Hope? Fear? The dwindling faith in paper promises? It is a question best left to the theologians.