The Global Illusion: A Skeptic’s Dance with Vanguard’s Twin ETFs

Both funds, like twin moths drawn to the same flame of broad-market exposure, diverge in their allegiance to the U.S. stockyard. VT, the omnivorous glutton, devours domestic and foreign equities alike; VXUS, the ascetic, fasts from all things American, feasting instead on the crumbs of developed and emerging markets. Yet to call their differences “notable” is to call the Grand Canyon a ditch-a metaphor so flimsy it might crumble beneath the weight of one’s own skepticism.

TQQQ vs. QLD: A Study in Speculative Excess

QLD, with its modest two-times daily leverage, appears the cautious cousin at a family gathering where TQQQ-three-times leveraged and thus three-times more reckless-has clearly been left in charge of the fireworks. Both funds court volatility with the enthusiasm of a Victorian explorer cataloging tropical diseases: methodically, and with inevitable regret.

Powell’s Warning: 2026’s Stock Market Peril

Stephanie Aliaga from JPMorgan noted AI capex added 1.1% to GDP, outpacing the consumer’s tired shuffle. The S&P 500’s monthly gains since April? A gamble on resilience, but the odds were stacked against it. Powell, that sly fox, warned equity prices were “fairly highly valued”-a polite way of saying they were stretched thin.

The Curious Case of AppLovin: Will the Soaring Stock Sustain Its Ascent?

Yet, one might ponder: what drives investors to furrow their brows over such figures? The very same facts, like a two-faced coin, can lead to disparate conclusions. On one hand, the business appears resplendently robust compared to its former self of yore; on the other, the price at which eager investors now find themselves beckoned is far less forgiving, a veritable siren luring them toward rocky shores.

Indeed, AppLovin stands as a quintessential case study of a flourishing enterprise shackled by an unappealing stock price.

Perimeter Solutions Surges 111% as a Fund Makes a Calculated Exit

During the third quarter, a typically discreet act of stock trimming took place-like snipping a strand of hair just before a first date, hoping no one notices. This fund, which manages nearly $320 million in U.S. stocks, decided to unload almost 3% of its position in Perimeter Solutions, leaving behind a little over 1.5 million shares valued at about $35.24 million. This modest redistribution makes you wonder if they’re trying to dress their portfolio for a cocktail party rather than a fireworks show.

When the Bitcoin Miner Met the Exit Door

On November 14, 13D Management LLC, a New York-based fund with the dramatic flair of a soap opera antagonist, filed its quarterly report revealing it had exited its entire position in Riot Platforms. The move shaved $5.12 million off its portfolio-a tidy sum, though I’m told that’s only about 0.000000001% of the wealth accumulated by people who own private islands.

Viasat: 13D’s $8M Gamble in the Satellite Jungle

On November 14, the SEC released a document that might as well have been written in code for the uninitiated. 13D Management, that shadowy cabal of financial alchemists, revealed a new position in Viasat (VSAT 0.97%) during the third quarter. They own 267,000 shares, each one a bullet in the chamber of their portfolio’s roulette wheel. The fund’s total equity holdings? A tidy 18, as of September 30. A number that feels both precise and absurd, like the price of a loaf of bread in a world run by madmen.