As of this late hour, shares are up 12.7%, almost back to where they began the week. One is reminded of a particularly clumsy bear attempting to regain its footing on a patch of ice. The question, of course, is whether this is genuine momentum, or merely a twitch before another plunge.
The January 2026 Consumer Price Index (CPI), released Feb. 13 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed headline inflation rising 0.2% month over month and 2.4% year over year, below economist forecasts. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, increased 0.3% on the month and 2.5% annually, matching expectations but remaining above the Fed’s 2% target.
Thus, we find ourselves contemplating two companies – IonQ and Celestica – which, if one might be so bold, possess the potential for a rather spirited ascent. A parabolic trajectory, if you will. They’re growing at a rate that would make a beanstalk blush, and a shrewd investor might do well to give them a closer look.
As of this morning, around ten-thirty, if you please, the shares are up a cheerful 6.2%, putting them right back where they were on Wednesday. A most agreeable state of affairs, wouldn’t you agree? The company, you see, isn’t just about gold; they dabble in copper, silver, lead, and zinc, a diversified portfolio that one can only applaud.
They’re down 6%, which, in the grand scheme of things, is like losing a nickel in a Cadillac. A minor inconvenience. And let’s be honest, in this market, a company that doesn’t have a little wobble now and then is probably being held up by carrier pigeons and wishful thinking.
They say the market recovers. Historically, sure. But “historically” doesn’t pay my bills when my portfolio looks like a dropped ice cream cone. And don’t even get me started on these earnings reports. They’re always worded to be…optimistic. Like, “slightly below expectations” is somehow a good thing. It’s a miss. It’s not a nuanced performance review.
One might have expected such a maneuver from a fledgling enterprise, a kingdom scrambling for resources. But Alphabet, at the time, possessed a treasury swollen with more than one hundred and twenty-six billion dollars in cash and short-term investments – a fortune that could have paved the streets of a thousand cities. Yet, the decision was made, the bonds issued, the debt incurred. It was as if the company, despite its wealth, was compelled by a force beyond mere accounting, a premonition of insatiable hunger.
The company’s pronouncements, and the anticipated guidance for 2026, have momentarily stayed the hand of doubt. A 20.5% gain as of this hour is a reprieve, certainly. But what is a reprieve in the face of the abyss? It is a breath held, a moment’s pause before the inevitable plunge. The figures whisper of 62,000 to 67,000 EVs delivered this year – a 50% improvement over the previous year’s 42,247. A laudable ambition, to be sure, but ambition, like faith, is a fragile thing.
Units of Coffee Consumed While Watching Charts: 7. Hours Spent Questioning Life Choices: 6. Number of Times I’ve Considered Becoming a Beekeeper: 3.
The solution, naturally, is another Exchange Traded Fund. Because that’s always the answer. Invesco’s S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP +0.62%) tries to spread the wealth. Gives every stock a roughly equal slice of the pie. It’s $86.3 billion worth of pretending things are fairer than they are. Turns 23 in April. A whole lifetime in the stock market. So it goes.