qfx

I propose, with a degree of detached curiosity, a consideration of The Trade Desk (TTD 6.49%). It is, at first glance, a thoroughly unremarkable concern, dealing as it does in the placement of advertisements – a trade generally associated with the shadier corners of commerce. Yet, it possesses a peculiar combination of growth and, dare one say, value, that warrants a closer inspection. Whether it will, in fact, double your money by the end of 2026 is, of course, a matter for the gods of speculation to decide. But the conditions, as they stand, are not entirely unfavourable.

But Palantir just dropped its quarterly numbers, and… well, let’s just say it wasn’t a polite cough. It was more of a full-throated roar. They beat expectations on pretty much everything, and are now predicting revenue growth that would make even the most optimistic venture capitalist raise an eyebrow. It’s like they’re actively trying to disprove the laws of financial gravity.

The filing dates back to February 2nd. Pilgrim Partners Asia trimmed its ETHA holdings during the fourth quarter. Sixteen point two million vanished into the ether, if you’ll pardon the expression. The ETF itself took a hit too – almost twenty million off the books, combining sales and the usual market dance. Numbers don’t lie, but they rarely tell the whole story. This one whispers of portfolio discipline.

One observes that Ms. Wood doesn’t merely invest; she rescues. She’s a modern-day Pygmalion, attempting to breathe life into ventures that have, shall we say, experienced a slight…cooling of enthusiasm. The market, that capricious mistress, has cast them aside, and our heroine gathers them up, convinced she can polish them to a shine. It’s a charming delusion, though one rarely rewarded by the cold logic of quarterly reports.

The cause, as reported, was the securing of contracts – a sum of $65 million, to be precise – for the design and delivery of simulators and training solutions. These are to be employed in the preparation of those who pilot and maintain the machines of war – the Chinooks, Blackhawks, and Hueys – and for the benefit, it is said, of both our nation and unnamed allied powers. One cannot help but reflect on the irony: we create instruments of destruction, then dedicate resources to preparing those who will wield them, and further resources to those who will repair them when they inevitably break. It is a cycle as old as humanity itself.

That decision, viewed in retrospect, possesses the clarity of a preordained outcome. The subsequent surge in silver valuations has, predictably, benefited the company, establishing it as a focal point for those seeking refuge in tangible assets. But let us not mistake correlation for foresight. It was not brilliance, but a simple alignment with the currents of economic reality.