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The question, as always, is whether this potential kerfuffle – a bit of regulatory bother, if you will – poses a genuine threat to Dutch Bros’ rather sprightly growth story. One must admit, the company’s fondness for sugary concoctions could become a bit of a pickle if the authorities decide to get particularly zealous. But, and this is a rather important “but,” Dutch Bros isn’t simply relying on the public’s unwavering appetite for sweetness. They’ve been quietly building a rather ingenious infrastructure, a sort of digital fortress, if you will, that allows them to adapt to changing tastes and, dare one say, regulatory whims with remarkable agility.

There’s a new hunger now, born of these humming server farms, these digital towns that demand a relentless flow of electricity. Artificial minds need to be fed, and the current grid, patched and strained, seems ill-suited to the task. It’s a simple equation, really: more thinking machines mean more power needed. And the question isn’t if we can provide it, but how, and at what cost to the land and the future.

Coca-Cola. P&G. They’re basically the beige of the stock market, and I say that as a compliment. Coca-Cola, as you may know, makes everything from the actual Coke to…well, a surprising number of things you didn’t realize Coke owned. P&G? They’re the reason your bathroom cabinet isn’t just a pile of empty tubes and bottles. But here’s the kicker: both of these companies are “Dividend Kings.” It’s a fancy title, awarded to companies that have increased their dividend payments every year for at least 50 years. Fifty years! That’s longer than most of our careers, and frankly, a little intimidating. It means they’re not just making money, they’re making money consistently, even when everyone else is panicking. It’s like they have a secret pact with the universe to avoid major financial disasters.

His recent letter to shareholders confirmed this. No wild swings, no sudden urges to invest in artisanal pickle companies. Instead, a commitment to the existing holdings, including the likes of American Express and Coca-Cola. And that brings us to a few other stocks, the ones Buffett favored, and which, if you squint a bit, still look…reasonable. Chevron (CVX 0.08%), Domino’s Pizza (DPZ +1.91%), and DaVita (DVA 1.61%). Let’s have a look, shall we?

Over the last six months, Bitcoin has shed 37% of its luster, while Solana has performed a rather more dramatic plunge, losing 61%. A bargain hunter, naturally, rubs his hands at such discounts. But discerning which offers the greater potential requires a degree of calculation, and perhaps, a touch of cynicism. The question isn’t simply which is cheaper, but which is likely to hold its value when the music stops – or, in this case, when the servers inevitably hiccup.

Following this judicious divestment, the aforementioned Nuveen fund now constitutes a mere 0.17% of RiverNorth’s reported assets. A trifle, one might say, a rounding error in the grand ledger of their holdings. Yet, even the smallest coin can reveal the character of the collector. Consider their remaining treasures:

Now, there are a number of hopefuls in this field, dabbling in the arcane arts of superposition and entanglement. But two, for reasons that are currently baffling even the most seasoned observers of the Guild of Alchemists and Venture Capitalists¹, have caught my eye: IonQ (IONQ +0.09%) and D-Wave Quantum (QBTS 1.46%). They’re small, admittedly. More akin to promising apprentices than fully-fledged masters. But if they manage to pull it off – if they actually manage to build something that doesn’t just emit impressive sparks and vaguely threatening hums – the returns could be… substantial. Enough to fund a rather impressive collection of garden gnomes, at the very least.