On January 8th, Johnson & Johnson secured a concession: reduced tariffs in exchange for lower drug prices within the country. The narrative presented is one of compromise. A more accurate description is one of compelled compliance. It is convenient to frame this as a win-win, but the reality is that Johnson & Johnson, like others, was left with little choice. To protest would have been to invite further disruption, a risk few are willing to take.
Nvidia (NVDA +2.98%). Ah, Nvidia. They’re at the forefront of this AI boom, they say. The “infrastructure leader.” Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? Like they’re building the Roman Empire, one graphics card at a time. They’ve got this “moat” around their business. A moat! Like they’re protecting a castle full of…what exactly? Chips? Look, it starts with this CUDA software, which apparently is the secret sauce. All the fancy AI tools are written for it. Then there’s NVLink, which is like a super-fast highway for chips. They’re building a whole network of these things. It’s like a tiny, silicon city. And don’t forget the CPUs, DPUs…it’s alphabet soup in there. They can deliver a “turnkey AI supercomputer.” Turnkey! As if setting up an AI is like assembling IKEA furniture.
Young Oklo, a sprightly upstart, tripled its worth, while Centrus Energy and Cameco, solid names, both had a right fine year. Even that VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF (NLR +2.86%), a bundle of shares if ever there was one, gained over 50% in twelve months. A heap of excitement, to be sure.
GDX, you see, don’t buy you gold directly. It buys shares in the companies tryin’ to pull it outta the ground. GLDM, now that’s a different kettle of fish. It aims to mirror the price of the metal itself, pure and simple. It’s like the difference between ownin’ a claim in a gold mine and holdin’ a nugget in your hand. One’s a gamble on the miner’s skill and fortune, the other’s just… well, gold. Let’s have a look at how these two stack up, shall we?
His Majesty, President Trump, had, it seemed, entertained a fancy for the acquisition of Greenland, declaring his intentions “one way or the other.” A threat of levies upon the commerce of eight European nations was, for a time, considered as a means to encourage a favourable arrangement, whereby the territory might pass under American control. Fortunately, a more conciliatory course was adopted, and it is understood that discussions proceed toward a mutually acceptable understanding. One hopes, for the sake of all concerned, that good sense will prevail.
Indeed, it is frequently not the most loudly proclaimed novelty that offers the surest prospect, but rather a concern which, though perhaps lacking in ostentation, demonstrates a consistent and admirable propriety in its conduct. Costco Wholesale, it would seem, falls decidedly into the latter category.
This isn’t a story of giants clashing, though they certainly will. It’s the story of a smaller field, a company called Nebius Group (NBIS 0.55%), tending a patch of cloud where the seeds of AI can take root. They don’t offer everything to everyone, these folks. They offer capacity – the raw muscle of computation, the gleaming processors of Nvidia, carefully arranged and offered to those who need it. It’s a simple thing, really. To provide what others can’t, or won’t.
It’s been doing rather well, the stock has. Up, up, up. But still under $18 as of today, January 20, 2026. Which, naturally, raises the question: is it a buy? A sensible question, I think. A financially responsible question. Although, let’s be honest, my track record with “sensible” investments is…patchy.
The independent power providers, those valiant, if somewhat predictable, souls – Constellation Energy and Vistra – have already begun to tremble. Their stock prices, predictably, have wilted under the shadow of potential price caps. But amidst this predictable drama, a curious bloom appears: GE Vernova (GEV 2.48%). It surges, not with triumphant fanfare, but with the quiet confidence of a craftsman who knows his tools are in demand. They, it seems, are well-positioned to provide the very turbines and grid solutions this frantic buildout requires. A tidy situation, wouldn’t you agree?
The prevailing wisdom, endlessly repeated by the oracles of the financial districts, is to mirror the S&P 500, to surrender to the tide and hope for a respectable drift. A sensible strategy, perhaps, for those content with merely keeping pace, but a passive acceptance of fate for those who believe in the possibility of exceeding it. The pursuit of exceptional returns often leads investors down treacherous paths, tangled in the complexities of fleeting trends and speculative bubbles. Yet, there exists a more subtle route, a path paved not with explosive growth, but with the unwavering consistency of dividends—a quiet rain nourishing a patient garden.