usdaed

Both funds, it is asserted, target the technology sector. A convenient categorization. As if the vast, amorphous entity known as ‘technology’ could be neatly contained within the boundaries of a portfolio. [XLK] spreads its tendrils across the established giants, a seemingly diversified approach. [CHAT], however, concentrates its resources on a single, volatile current – a gamble predicated on the continuation of a prevailing enthusiasm. The logic, if one can call it that, appears to be this: isolate the trend, amplify the exposure, and pray the trend does not…dissipate.

For years, Japan was stuck in what they politely called a “period of adjustment.” I call it a decades-long nap! But the Nikkei 225? It’s woken up! Reached a new high, folks. A new high! And the Tokyo Stock Price Index, the TOPIX? Up 93.3% in five years! Beats the S&P 500 by a country mile. The S&P, bless its heart, only managed 79.2%. It’s like watching a tortoise race a caffeinated cheetah. And I, as a seasoned dividend hunter, am very interested in cheetahs.

The U.S. government, in a move that suggests either remarkable foresight or a profound misunderstanding of economics, took a 9.9% stake. Followed by Nvidia, who, in a display of either generosity or strategic maneuvering, invested five billion dollars. (Five billion dollars. It’s a number, isn’t it? A large one. It could buy a lot of tea.) This infusion of capital is intended to propel Intel’s foundry business and its fledgling AI endeavors. The new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, is attempting to streamline operations, reduce costs, and generally make the company less… bureaucratic. (Imagine a bureaucracy trying not to be bureaucratic. The inherent paradox is quite delightful.)

Revenue came in at $4.42 billion, a ten percent rise year over year. Close, but not quite the $4.45 billion the analysts were expecting. Earnings per share dipped two percent to $1.27, falling short of the predicted $1.29. They tacked on a six-cent hit for some accounting adjustments, the usual corporate housekeeping. But numbers, like faces, can lie. And the street wasn’t interested in the past, only the direction.

The stock emerged in 2021, blinking in the harsh light of the market. Since then, it’s mostly stumbled, despite a persistent, almost stubborn growth. Two-thirds of its initial promise has evaporated, discarded like a worn-out boot. The numbers, however, tell a different tale, a quiet defiance.

So, when someone suggests a company with a yield that actually sounds good, my first instinct is to reach for the Pepto-Bismol. But, apparently, we’re supposed to look at Enbridge. Yes, that Enbridge. The Canadian pipeline people. They’re offering a 5.6% dividend yield. Which, in the current interest rate climate, is like finding a perfectly ripe avocado. Suspiciously perfect.

AT&T, it appears, has managed to entice a further 421,000 souls into the habit of monthly bill-paying – a modern form of serfdom, if one considers the obligations involved. These ‘postpaid’ customers, as they are rather clinically termed, are, of course, the most agreeable sort – those who demonstrate a consistent willingness to part with their funds. Furthermore, a respectable 283,000 have succumbed to the allure of fiber optics, and another 221,000 to the promises of 5G fixed wireless. One wonders if they appreciate the irony of chasing wireless freedom through a wired infrastructure.

The question, therefore, is not merely how much one must accumulate, but what constitutes a sensible composition for a portfolio intended to provide for years of ease. Let us consider, with due diligence, the requirements for a comfortable cessation from labor, and then assess the potential, however speculative, of a newcomer to the financial landscape.

Twenty-six started quiet. A single percent uptick. Not a roar, more of a sigh. But sighs can turn into something else. A few things are brewing, little currents that might just steady the ship. Or at least keep it from hitting the rocks.