For years, the stock drifted, a forgotten vessel on a vast, indifferent sea. But the currents have shifted, and now, the vessel cuts through the water with a renewed purpose, its sails filled with a favorable wind. It has reached a height not seen in nearly three years, a fact that has stirred a certain restlessness among the investors, a questioning murmur: is it too late to climb aboard?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, that stoic patriarch of American commerce, had swelled under this new order, its ascent mirrored by the broader S&P 500 and the restless, ever-youthful Nasdaq Composite. From January 2017 to January 2021, the numbers told a story of prosperity—a 57% climb for the Dow, a bolder 70% for the S&P, and an almost fantastical 142% leap for the Nasdaq. It was a time when fortunes were made not through patient industry, but through the sheer force of expectation, as if the market itself had succumbed to a collective hallucination.
Palantir, a name redolent of mystery and intrigue, fashions software to sift through the complexities of data, assisting both the public and private spheres. They claim a mastery of analytics and artificial intelligence, a veritable alchemy of information. Indeed, Forrester Research and the International Data Corporation (IDC) have deemed them leaders in their field. But leadership, alas, does not guarantee lasting prosperity.
Axon, or TASER as the more pedestrian amongst us know it, has rather cleverly reinvented itself. It’s no longer simply a purveyor of… persuasive devices for law enforcement. It’s an entire public safety platform, powered by artificial intelligence. Quite the transformation, wouldn’t you agree? One almost feels sorry for the villains.
Look, nothing new under the sun with Bitcoin. It’s still Bitcoin. But here’s the kicker: those spot Bitcoin ETFs? They’re suckin’ up over a billion dollars since February 17th! A BILLION! It’s like a hungry monster with a taste for digital gold. And corporations are hoarding it like squirrels with nuts. Over 190 public companies now hold Bitcoin on their balance sheets. They’re buildin’ semi-permanent allocations, which means this stuff isn’t comin’ back onto the market anytime soon. Smart fellas, these corporate types… or maybe just gamblers with expense accounts.
Target’s articulated plan – centering on style, design, and value – is, on its face, logically sound. The emphasis on a trend-forward assortment and elevated guest experience is consistent with prevailing retail best practices. However, the plan’s potential efficacy is contingent upon a crucial, and increasingly precarious, assumption: consumer willingness and ability to spend.
Three observations, it seems to me, warrant particular attention, like islands rising from the fog.
President Trump, a man who regards tariffs as a form of economic alchemy, insists he’s conjured an American miracle. The figures, however, whisper a different tale. GDP growth of a mere 2.2%? Job creation stalled at 181,000? It’s a performance that would barely qualify as a brisk walk, let alone a sprint towards prosperity. One begins to suspect the miracle involves a rather elaborate sleight of hand.
The initial reports, trumpeting Paramount’s supposed ‘win’, were particularly nauseating. As if accumulating debt and integrating disparate, often failing, assets constitutes success. The price, a staggering sum exceeding one hundred billion dollars, is, of course, merely a detail. Accountants will fret, shareholders will murmur, but the senior executives will, as always, secure their bonuses. The choreography is depressingly familiar.
Some investors, the ones who like to pick through the rubble, are looking at this. A thousand dollars. Could it make you richer? Well, that depends on your definition of rich. And your luck. Mostly luck.