Doubling Down (and Hoping for the Best)

Right. So, the plan. It started, as all bad plans do, with a slightly optimistic spreadsheet. Last year, if I’d had the foresight (and, let’s be honest, the actual cash) to put $5,000 into, say, Western Digital, I’d be practically sunning myself on a yacht right now. It apparently grew by 438% – which, frankly, feels like a different universe. A universe where I make sensible financial decisions. Instead, Units of Cryptocurrency Lost: 7. Hours Spent Refreshing CoinMarketCap: Approximately 48.

Of course, things are…different now. Everything’s more expensive. Even hope. It’s hard to find another rocket ship, isn’t it? But the basic math is still there. Double your money in a year? Needs a 75% return. Unrealistic. Two years? About 40% annually. Still ambitious. My current investment strategy largely consists of “hope” and “avoiding eye contact with my bank statement,” so a plan is required. A realistic plan.

The idea, then, is to contribute $50 a month. Yes, a mere $50. It’s not exactly funding a space program, is it? But over two years, with some decent stocks, it could…maybe…double that initial $5,000. I’m thinking growth stocks, aiming for around 25% annual returns. Western Digital and Nvidia keep cropping up. They seem…promising. Or at least, less terrifying than my previous ventures.

Western Digital: Can Lightning Strike Twice?

Western Digital had a year, didn’t it? It was all the rage. But can it keep it up? Honestly? Probably not. But it’s in a good position, apparently. They make hard drives for those massive AI data centers. Which are, you know, a big deal now. Everyone’s building them. It’s a bit of a duopoly with Seagate, which is comforting in a weird way. Less competition, presumably. I’ve always found competition stressful.

Western Digital’s valuation is relatively low, which is good. It’s only 27 times earnings, which, according to the experts (who I read on the internet, naturally), is below the S&P 500 average. And its five-year PEG ratio is 0.93, which apparently means it’s undervalued. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but it sounds good. I’m not expecting another 400% return, but a strong, steady increase would be…acceptable. Number of times I’ve Googled “what is a PEG ratio” this week: 3.

Nvidia: The Shiny Object (Hopefully)

Nvidia. Everyone’s talking about Nvidia. It’s the most valuable company in the world, apparently. And their graphics processing units (GPUs) are essential for those AI data centers. They help computers process information faster. Which is…good. They also own the architecture, CUDA, and it only runs on Nvidia chips. Which is…clever. And a bit intimidating. It’s like they’ve cornered the market. I suspect they have a very good lawyer.

Nvidia’s stock has struggled a bit this year, which is a relief, actually. It’s been on such a run for the past three years, it was starting to feel…unstable. The correction has put it in the “buy zone,” apparently, with a forward P/E ratio of 23 and a PEG ratio of 0.68. Again, I’m not entirely sure what that means, but it sounds…promising. I’m starting to suspect these ratios are just made up to confuse people. Number of times I’ve considered becoming a financial advisor (and then immediately dismissed the idea): 17.

So, there you have it. Western Digital and Nvidia. A plan. It’s not perfect. It’s probably wildly optimistic. But it’s something. And right now, something feels…good. Days Spent Overthinking Investment Decisions: Too Many. Current Mood: Cautiously Optimistic (mostly terrified).

2026-02-10 06:32

Western Digital: Can Lightning Strike Twice?

Nvidia: The Shiny Object (Hopefully)

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