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Now, consider the behemoth, ConocoPhillips (COP +1.52%). This oil giant, a creature of considerable scale and ambition, harbors a desire to rank amongst the most generous of its peers – to ascend to the top 25% of dividend-growing companies within the aforementioned S&P 500. Already, it offers a yield of 3.3%, a sum nearly three times that of the average company – a veritable mountain of coin compared to the molehill offered by others. Should one invest a mere $1,000, one might anticipate a dividend income of over $33 in the first year. A sum sufficient, perhaps, to purchase a rather respectable samovar, or at least a generous quantity of tea.

And so, we turn our gaze to Nu Holdings (NU +0.11%). A name, perhaps, that does not yet inspire the same breathless reverence, the same frantic trading. But within this unassuming entity, there exists a potential that is, shall we say,…unconventional.

To chase after these pure ‘quantum’ ventures, these fledgling things built on hope and borrowed capital… it is a fool’s errand. A man building a palace on sand. Better to look to the established fortresses, the companies with coffers overflowing, who can afford to dabble in these new games without risking the livelihoods of those who toil within their walls.

Both funds, ostensibly, seek to capture the elusive spirit of small-cap growth stocks. But the devil, as always, resides in the particulars. ISCG spreads its net wide, a democratic embrace of 971 holdings. RZG, by contrast, is a more austere affair, a mere 131 companies, weighted heavily toward the precarious realm of medical innovation. It is a difference not merely of numbers, but of temperament—one a cautious expansion, the other a desperate gamble on the future of human health.

FTXG, with its narrow focus on American delicacies, and KXI, casting a wider net across the globe’s pantries, represent different degrees of delusion. The former, a cozy arrangement for those who believe in the enduring power of the American stomach. The latter, a grander, yet equally futile, attempt to outrun the inevitable entropy of the market. One seeks comfort in the familiar; the other, a fleeting sense of control through diversification. Both, ultimately, are rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Lower interest rates, a temporary reprieve granted by the governing authorities, have provided a palliative effect, allowing companies burdened by debt to maintain a precarious equilibrium. Furthermore, the impending expiration of patents protecting established pharmaceutical products has instigated a frantic acquisition spree, with larger entities seeking to absorb the innovations, or what passes for innovation, originating from these smaller, specialized firms. It is a transfer of liability, not progress.

Lunt Capital’s holdings, viewed as a landscape, reveal a certain preference. USFR, PALC, PAMC, FCTR – these names, like familiar landmarks, dominate the vista. Ramaco Resources, though gaining prominence – now accounting for 3.76% of their assets under management, a sum of $10 million – remains a smaller, yet increasingly visible, feature. It is a modest rise, perhaps, but one that invites inquiry. What has stirred their interest in this particular corner of the market?

Amazon. Predictable, I know. But they’re admitting tariffs are hitting prices? Good. Honesty. Refreshing. They’re still selling things, obviously. And apparently, all that robot stuff is actually working. They’re getting “operating leverage.” Sounds terrifyingly efficient. North American revenue up 11%, operating income soaring? Okay, fine, it’s impressive. And AWS? Still printing money. Honestly, it’s almost boring. At a forward P/E under 24? Cheap. It’s not glamorous, but it’s…reliable. Like a slightly disappointing, but ultimately dependable, boyfriend.

These are not glamorous companies promising overnight riches. They are builders of pills and potions, catering to the endless human need for relief, for a longer breath, a lighter step. And for those willing to look beyond the recent disappointments, the current price offers a peculiar opportunity. A chance to acquire a piece of the machinery that keeps us, however imperfectly, functioning.

Enter Applied Digital (APLD +8.49%). Now, the name sounds suspiciously like something a wizarding accountant would come up with, but they’re not brewing potions (at least, not that we know of). They’re building data centers. Not just any data centers, mind you, but ones specifically designed to handle the insatiable hunger of the AI gods. And, if you’ll permit a moment of uncharacteristic optimism, they might just be onto something.