qfx

The stock, a volatile beast, has indeed performed a curious dance. A surge, a peak, then a… settling. Like a samovar cooling after a particularly lively evening. Concerns, naturally, have arisen. One cannot simply conjure capacity from thin air, you understand. And the markets, those fickle judges, are ever watchful. Let us, then, consider the matter with a trader’s eye, and perhaps a touch of… observation.

Goldman Sachs, in its detached pronouncements, predicts 25% of global automotive sales will be electric by 2030. A prediction. As if the future were a ledger to be balanced, rather than a tempestuous sea of human folly. Let us examine these contenders, then, not as investment opportunities, but as case studies in the art of self-deception.

The immediate driver, as is so often the case, is demand. Specifically, demand from those enormous, power-hungry data centers that seem to be multiplying faster than rabbits. Bloom offers a rather clever alternative to simply plugging into the grid, which, let’s face it, is often stretched to its limit and becoming increasingly expensive. They provide on-site fuel cells – essentially miniature power stations – that sidestep the whole mess. It’s a bit like growing your own vegetables; less reliant on the fluctuating whims of the wider market.

The recent resolution of the dispute with the Securities and Exchange Commission, a matter which had cast a considerable shadow over XRP’s prospects, is undoubtedly a favourable development. Indeed, the cessation of legal proceedings, and the subsequent relisting on various exchanges, offered a temporary reprieve. Yet, it must be observed that these benefits appear largely priced into the current valuation, representing a recovery from adversity rather than a promise of future prosperity. One might liken it to a fortunate marriage settling into a comfortable, if unremarkable, domesticity.

But back in the day, getting your hands on actual gold was… a process. Like, a medieval quest involving chainmail and possibly a dragon. Then came SPDR Gold Shares (GLD 1.29%). And suddenly, everyone thought they were Midas. With gold hitting a price that could fund a small nation, the Voyager Portfolio decided to take a closer look. This is the first of three articles, so buckle up. It’s going to be less about dazzling returns and more about the surprisingly mundane logistics of pretending you own a metal.

Both companies have earned a place in the final portfolio, which is a bit like finding a perfectly preserved trilobite in a box of breakfast cereal – surprising, but undeniably significant. The question, then, isn’t if these are good companies (they are, demonstrably), but which one offers the slightly less improbable path to future returns. (Improbability, as any student of quantum mechanics will tell you, is the fundamental building block of the universe. And investment portfolios.)

Vanguard, a firm of estimable reputation, offers a selection of these ETFs that are, shall we say, particularly appealing to a chap with an eye for a sensible investment. Two, in particular, caught my attention, and I feel compelled to share my observations. They complement each other rather nicely, like a perfectly matched pair of spats and gloves.