The market, naturally, has taken notice. And where the market leads, speculation – and, occasionally, fortune – is sure to follow. We find ourselves, therefore, observing three companies attempting to tame this quantum beast: D-Wave Quantum, IonQ, and Quantum Computing Inc.. Each approaches the challenge with a distinct philosophy, and each, I suspect, harbors a secret hope of becoming the Rothschild of the quantum age.
The current market gossip places silver at a modest $81.98 per ounce, darling. Yes, it’s been a tad wobbly, swinging between $81 and $85 like a socialite at a cocktail party. But fear not! Short-term positioning is as fickle as a Coward protagonist, and silver is holding on with all the tenacity of a debutante clutching her first invitation to the season.
The so-called experts, those who fancy themselves seers of the financial future, were anticipating a rather humdrum showing. They figured earnings would slip from a paltry 19 cents to a mere 18, and revenue would creep along at a 5.7% increase. A gentle breeze, if you will.
Palantir, a name redolent of shadowed surveillance, finds itself embroiled in a dispute familiar to any who have known the anxieties of creation. Former employees, drifting towards the allure of a nascent competitor, Percepta, were accused of transgressions – the theft of proprietary knowledge, the poaching of talent. It is a drama played out in countless offices, a quiet desperation masked by the language of contracts and confidentiality. The court, a solemn arbiter, has now rendered its judgment, a decision sealed for a time, as if to allow the parties a moment of respite before the inevitable exposure.
The figures, diligently recorded by the Securities and Exchange Commission, represent the price on the day, which, as any seasoned observer of the market knows, is a fleeting and often illusory thing.
This Scott Kirby, the CEO of United, had a bit of a moan at Harvard, you see. He was flapping his arms about oil prices, which have shot up like rockets since all the bother in the Middle East. He says it’ll cause a right mess with United’s numbers for the first bit of the year. (United’s stock is down too, a measly 3.3%, but still…down.)
Three names are bandied about – AGNC Investment, Main Street Capital, and Realty Income. Each promises a stream, but each carries its own weight, its own hidden costs. To believe in effortless riches is a fool’s errand. We must examine the foundations, the cracks in the edifice, before committing our meager savings.
Now, a new murmur rises from the halls of power – a potential purchase by the U.S. government, timed, naturally, to coincide with the approaching midterms. A gesture, perhaps, to appease the restless spirits of those who believe in the digital dawn. A cynical calculation, more likely. The question isn’t whether it could happen, but whether it will be a genuine attempt to build something lasting, or merely a fleeting illusion to buoy the market before the inevitable winter.
But this wasn’t merely the usual market grumbles. Oh no. This was a proper trifecta of trouble: numbers that looked like a bad dream, analysts suddenly turning sour as pickled lemons, and a swarm of lawyers buzzing around like angry bees. All in the month of March, mind you. A most unfortunate confluence of events.
And as if that weren’t enough bother, a spot of unpleasantness erupted in Iran. Wars, you see, are terribly bad for holidays. They send the price of everything soaring, especially the fuel to power these floating palaces. A most inconvenient truth, wouldn’t you agree?