usdaed

Realty Income. The name sounds like a threat from a loan shark, but they deal in real estate, not broken kneecaps. Since 1969, they’ve been handing out monthly checks, a steady drip in a world of quarterly storms. Thirty years of annual increases. That’s not luck; that’s a business built on solid ground. They’re a REIT, which means they’re legally obligated to share the wealth, paying out at least 90% of their taxable income. Currently, they’re offering around 4.92% annually, a decent enough return in a world where savings accounts are practically decorative.

Gemini released its preliminary figures for the year ahead, a glimpse into a future still shrouded in mist. Revenue, they project, will reach between $165 and $175 million—a harvest not unlike the previous year’s $141 million. Though respectable, it echoes the consensus, a quiet affirmation rather than a triumphant surge. The numbers, like the turning of the seasons, are predictable, yet hold their own melancholy beauty.

Ondas’s subsidiary, Sentrycs, has successfully deployed its counter-unmanned aircraft systems to our friends in Germany. They’ll be tasked with safeguarding large events and sensitive missions, a duty that suggests a certain lack of faith in humanity’s better impulses. One hopes they’ll be used to protect art, rather than simply prevent its disruption. Though, given the current state of artistic endeavour, the distinction is becoming increasingly blurred.

Trading volume was a rather robust 56.6 million shares, about 50% above the three-month average. Which, when you think about it, is a lot of shares changing hands. Vale itself has been around since 2002 – a mere blink in geological time, but a decent run for a publicly traded company – and has, since its IPO, grown by a rather impressive 607%. It’s enough to make one ponder the sheer scale of the global iron ore market. Truly.

The question, as it invariably does present itself, is whether the company’s continued prosperity is entirely dependent upon a single, exceptional mind. One might venture to suggest that such reliance, while flattering to the departed leader, is scarcely conducive to lasting stability. It remains to be seen if Mr. Abel will prove a suitable successor, capable of maintaining both the financial health and the distinctive character of Berkshire Hathaway.

The trading volume was…enthusiastic. Eighty-point-eight million shares traded, which, as far as I can tell, is a lot. It’s like everyone suddenly realized they were participating in a real-life version of Monopoly, only with potentially devastating consequences. Transocean has been around since 1993, which is practically ancient in stock market years. And it’s down 61% since then. That’s…a choice. A bold one. My uncle would have loved it.

One must acknowledge the inherent folly in predicting the future with certainty. The market, like a restless sea, is governed by tides of sentiment, fear, and greed. Yet, a discerning eye can discern patterns, and a thoughtful mind can assess the relative strengths of those who navigate these waters. The following observations are offered not as pronouncements of fate, but as reasoned assessments of the landscape as it appears today.

For years, banks have relied on this FICO score thing. It’s like a credit personality test, deciding if you’re worthy of a loan. Very judgmental. Upstart thinks it’s a bit… simplistic. Which is putting it mildly. They’ve built this algorithm, this digital brain, that looks at 2,500 data points. Two. Thousand. Five. Honestly, it sounds exhausting just thinking about it. It’s supposed to be better at figuring out if someone will actually pay you back. Which, let’s face it, is the whole point of lending.

Apparently, Elliott Investment Management took a rather large interest – over 10%, which, in the world of high finance, is like turning up to a party and buying the entire bar. They’re launching what they call an “activist campaign.” Which, translated from corporate speak, means they’re going to shake things up. Which, translated from my perspective, means volatility. And I’m already bracing myself.