qfx

These are not merely ‘value traps’ as the analysts casually label them – a term that sanitizes the reality of misallocation, of capital eroded by mismanagement and short-sightedness. They are monuments to the prevailing system, where the promise of immediate return often eclipses the imperative of sustainable growth. We observe three contenders – Perrigo, Pfizer, and Embecta – each offering a dividend yield that, upon closer inspection, reveals a story of precariousness and, perhaps, a glimmer of obscured potential.

The source of the jitters? Two things, really. First, Alphabet (GOOG 2.54/2.59) unveiled ‘Project Genie,’ which sounds suspiciously like something out of a children’s book, but is actually an AI tool allowing users to conjure up virtual worlds. It’s a bit like Lego, only instead of plastic bricks, you’re using algorithms and, presumably, a lot of processing power. And second, a start-up called CloudX has entered the fray, promising to streamline mobile ad auctions using, you guessed it, AI. It’s all getting a bit science-fictiony, isn’t it?

A cascade of liquidations, a frantic shedding of holdings at critical junctures. The deer, startled by a sudden shadow, remains frozen. But what is the point of flight when the forest itself is in motion? To act, to buy or sell with fervor, is to mistake the tremor for the earthquake. The wisest course, it seems, is to simply…observe. To allow the dust to settle, to watch the patterns emerge from the chaos.

Relay Therapeutics, in essence, is an attempt to impose order on chaos, to predict and control the unpredictable. It employs computational modeling and structure-based drug design, a form of algorithmic divination. It seeks to address unmet needs, a phrase that implies a fundamental inadequacy in the current system.

Many, rather cleverly, choose the iShares Silver Trust (SLV +4.78%) as a way to own silver without the bother of digging a hole in the garden and burying it. It’s a sort of magical box that follows the price of silver, and you can buy and sell bits of it with a few clicks. Very convenient, if you ask me.

By 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Dave’s stock price had ascended by a respectable 16% or so. A healthy bounce, one might say, in a market where bouncing often involves hoping for a slightly less catastrophic fall.