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Ten years ago, ten thousand smackeroos into Apple? You’d be swimming in dough today, around $105,000! That’s enough to buy a small island… or a really nice collection of novelty hats. Apple’s been a growth machine, always finding something new to sell you. First it was iPods, then iPhones, then… well, you get the picture. Now, everyone’s talking about Artificial Intelligence. AI! The robots are coming! And they’re going to want iPhones, naturally.

One observes a peculiar dynamic at play. Joby seeks to establish itself as a pioneer in a nascent industry, a leader amongst those who would redefine the very notion of short-distance travel. But the collective sentiment of investors, that fickle beast, appears to have cooled. Is this, then, a moment of opportunity, a chance to acquire shares at a reduced price? Or is it a prudent caution, a recognition of the immense uncertainties that lie ahead? The question, like so many in the realm of finance, is not easily answered.

Which brings me to Concentrix. It’s a company that handles customer service – the kind of thing I actively avoid whenever possible. I once spent 47 minutes on hold with an airline, listening to a loop of pan flute music, just to cancel a flight. It was a formative experience. Apparently, Concentrix tries to make that experience…less awful. They run call centers, chatbots, the whole shebang. It’s a strangely noble profession, when you think about it.

Turns out, global markets are being… unsettled. By events in the Middle East. Which, obviously. One had hoped for a quiet week. One always hopes for a quiet week. But no. And Palantir, despite its… interesting position in the defense industry, isn’t entirely immune. Which, logically, one knew. Still, one had a tiny, irrational hope.

Units of Bond ETFs Considered: 2. Hours Spent Staring at Yield Curves: Approximately 7. Number of Times I Considered Just Putting It All in Chocolate: 14.

Thus, it is not the companies themselves that trouble the discerning eye, but the price one is asked to pay for a share in their future. To invest in a promising venture at an exorbitant cost is to court disappointment, to exchange sound judgment for the vanity of being seen as ‘early.’ Should the market correct – and correct it must, for such excesses are unsustainable – then a more rational reckoning will be possible. It is then, amidst the wreckage of inflated dreams, that opportunities may arise. Two such ventures, IonQ and Palantir, warrant consideration, though only at a price reflective of genuine worth.

Yet, lurking beneath the surface of this temporary euphoria is a disquieting truth. The company, despite the revenue gains, stumbled into a loss, a rather ungainly tumble for a purveyor of financial solutions. Marketing expenses, predictably, outpaced revenue, a familiar refrain in this age of relentless self-promotion. One wonders if they are selling loans or merely the illusion of financial well-being.

Now, one might ask, what does all this mean for the discerning investor? Well, it’s a question of yields, diversification, and, of course, the ever-present matter of taxation. Let’s have a bit of a peek at the figures, shall we?

EPR Properties. The name sounds like a mid-level accounting firm, but they’re actually in the business of…experiences. Movie theaters, eat-and-play venues, those places where you spend all your disposable income and then wonder where it went. They lease these properties under what they call “triple net leases,” which basically means the tenant pays for everything. It’s brilliant. Like renting out a bouncy castle and making the birthday kid responsible for the electricity bill. Last year, they grew their funds from operations (FFO – yes, it’s an acronym, naturally) by 5.1%, and promptly raised their monthly dividend. A 5.9% yield? That’s enough to almost cover the cost of a streaming service. Almost.

And yet, as of this morning, the stock has fallen by a most unseemly 18.7%. It appears the art of appreciating good news is a lost one. A curious paradox, wouldn’t you agree? To perform better than expected, and be treated as though one has committed a grave offense.