You see, there’s a dust-up brewin’ over yonder, and folks are gettin’ skittish. It’s a tale as old as time, really – humans squabblin’ over dirt and pride. And when humans squabble, markets quiver. Despite this little dip, Intel’s still managed a tidy gain of some seventeen percent this year. A remarkable feat, considerin’ the general state of affairs, and a testament to the public’s unwavering faith in… well, progress, I reckon.
But the price of metal decided to disagree with the script. Gold and silver are both shedding value like a bad memory, and Barrick is getting dragged down with them. Silver gets a look-in too, naturally. It always does.
It began with a flourish, of course. The IPO in December 2020, a frenzied ascent to $161… a momentary delusion of grandeur. Then, the inevitable descent. A slow, agonizing bleed, punctuated by false hopes and fleeting recoveries. Now, trading at a mere $8, it lingers at the precipice, a stark reminder that even the most promising innovations are subject to the cruelties of fate… and the even crueler whims of investors. The departure of its founder, Thomas Siebel, attributed to health concerns, feels less like a natural transition and more like the severing of a vital nerve. A man who understood the beast, now absent from the arena.
They had a quarter, a recent one, where everything was “record-breaking.” Record-breaking! As if that’s actually good. It just means they’re keeping score, and that’s always a bad sign. And they’re predicting more of this “record-breaking” stuff. It’s exhausting just hearing about it. Like, can’t they just have a perfectly adequate quarter? Is that too much to ask?
Now, there’s talk of further cuts, especially if the current High Priest of the Federal Reserve is replaced by a fellow named Warsh.1 And, of course, the geopolitical situation is… let’s just say it’s complicated.2 Which means that a bit of defensive positioning is, shall we say, prudent. So, if you’re looking for a couple of stocks that won’t vanish in a puff of smoke when the dragon gets grumpy, consider these two: AT&T (T +1.91%) and Philip Morris International (PM 3.89%). They’re not glamorous, mind you. But then, neither is a well-maintained ledger.
Kontoor, born from the venerable, yet fractured, V.F. Corp, carried within it the weight of generations of denim and workwear. Brands like Wrangler, weathered and true, and Lee, striving to recapture a forgotten elegance. But it was the acquisition of Helly Hansen, a name that tasted of salt spray and northern winds, in June of that year, that seemed to unlock something hidden within the company’s soul. It was as if a restless spirit, long confined to the plains and workshops, had finally found its way to the open sea.
But the metals themselves, those steadfast companions of civilization, have faltered. A peculiar reversal. They descend, dragging with them the fortunes of those who wrest them from the earth. Newmont, a miner of both gold and silver, feels the pull, the inevitable gravity of the market’s whims.
These funds, they promise a share in the growth, a piece of the American dream distilled into a tradable unit. They aim to mirror the S&P 500, to rise and fall with the fortunes of the nation’s largest businesses. But the devil, as always, resides in the details – in the small costs, the volume of trade, and the long, slow accumulation of wealth.
And then they went and announced a 60% dividend hike. 60%! It’s almost…irritatingly generous. Like they’re showing off. But fine, I’ll allow it. It’s a good look. Makes you wonder what they’re up to, doesn’t it? Are they trying to distract us from something? Probably. Everything’s a distraction, isn’t it?
News arrived today of sample shipments for a new LPDRAM module, destined for the humming, energy-hungry data centers that fuel our modern obsessions. A price target was also lifted, optimistically, by a firm in the city. Yet, the shadow of events far afield – the distant, unsettling conflict involving the U.S. and Israel, and its implications for Iran – seems to weigh heavier on investors’ minds. It’s as if the promise of innovation, the sleek efficiency of memory chips, is somehow diminished by the intractable messiness of the world.