Which is why, dear reader, when the U.S. Army announced last month that it had bestowed upon Palantir (PLTR) a staggering $10 billion contract, I felt as though someone had tossed a bucket of cold water onto my desk. Surely, this was no ordinary drizzle; it was a monsoon of military largesse.
What, one might inquire, fuels this fevered arithmetic? The prediction markets, those fickle oracles, whisper of a 70% chance to breach $4, a 29% to kiss $5. Yet, the all-time high, that elusive $3.84, has been a ghost haunting the ledger for over a decade. To believe in a $5 future is to wager on a mirage, a mirage that shimmers with the same allure as a dandelion seed in a hurricane.
Ford Motor Company (F) is like that family heirloom car in the garage-iconic, but with a few too many “mechanic” stories involving questionable duct tape solutions. Yes, it’s American royalty in the automotive world, but let’s not pretend it’s not struggling to keep up with the EV revolution. Its electric vehicle sales? A paltry 2% of revenue last year-down from 2023. Ouch.
Yet, amidst this labyrinthine market, there exists a path less encumbered by the whims of speculative fervor-a way to partake in the grand experiment of cryptocurrency without surrendering entirely to its capricious nature. With $500, one may still claim a foothold in this domain, not through reckless gambles, but through prudent positioning.
The better: Defense stock prices bounced back. If you’re already in, congrats, you’re probably not crying into your coffee. The worse: These stocks are now more overpriced than a midtown condo. For anyone trying to buy in, it’s like ordering a salad and getting a whole chicken.
UPS, that stalwart of the shipping trade, and Whirlpool, the industrious purveyor of domestic comforts, now stand in the market’s parlour, their fortunes dimmed by years of gradual decline. Yet, as the recent quarterly reports have shown, only one of these ladies has chosen to trim her gowns to fit her diminished means.
Significant commentary is expected regarding exports to China-oh, the excitement!-especially in light of Nvidia’s decision to don a rather burdensome 15% export tax hat. One dare not underestimate the return of the Chinese market as a catalyst for Nvidia’s stock. Expect the festivities to commence post-results.
Upstart, having debuted via a traditional IPO at $20, now dances at $63, while SoFi, born of a SPAC’s whims, opens at $21.97 and flutters at $23. Why does the crowd cheer one and yawn at the other? Let us peer behind the curtain.
Should one have neglected the remarkable ascent of the AI sector, there exists a possibility that the name Palantir resonates within one’s recollection, particularly due to the auspicious request from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This esteemed organization sought Palantir’s formidable arsenal to aid in the monumental endeavor of navigating the tempestuous waters of the COVID-19 pandemic, meticulously overseeing the distribution of the rarefied vaccine.
Hypergrowth tech stocks are the mischievous children of the market: they gobble profits like jellybeans, grow at least 30% a year (or more if they’re feeling particularly peckish), and leave a trail of crumbs for investors to follow. They’re not yet full-grown dragons, but they’re certainly hissing at the gates of profitability. Let’s meet three of these rascals who might just become your new best friends-or your worst nightmares.