The air, one feels, is thick with anxieties. Energy costs ascend like restless spirits, valuations reach for the heavens only to wobble precariously, and volatility…ah, volatility is a mischievous imp, delighting in the discomfiture of investors. One begins to suspect the market itself is a vast, bureaucratic office, staffed by clerks who delight in misfiling one’s fortunes. Yet, even amidst this chaos, opportunities persist. One must simply peer through the fog of speculation, and discern those companies possessing a certain…robustness. A sturdiness of character, if you will. I present, then, three specimens worthy of consideration, though whether they will flourish or merely add to the general absurdity is, of course, another matter.
1. Alphabet: The All-Seeing Eye
Alphabet, one observes, has insinuated itself into nearly every facet of modern existence. It is a sprawling empire, built not of brick and mortar, but of algorithms and data. To declare it the foremost artificer of artificial intelligence is almost…redundant. It is as if stating that water is, in fact, wet. But consider this: they dabble in large language models, those digital parrots mimicking human speech; they forge chips, the very brains of these mechanical marvels; they even attempt to pilot automobiles without human intervention, a venture fraught with the potential for spectacular, yet predictable, failure. And yet, they persist.
Google Cloud, it seems, has finally begun to yield fruit, blossoming with a revenue growth of 48% in the last quarter. A most impressive feat, though one wonders if the accountants haven’t quietly inflated the numbers with phantom transactions. Still, it contributes a respectable 15% to Alphabet’s total operating income. And the advertising revenue, of course, continues to flow, fueled in part by the Gemini AI model. It is said that the integration of this model has even boosted search traffic. One pictures a vast network of digital tendrils, subtly influencing the whims of the populace.
At less than 23 times projected earnings, Alphabet appears…reasonable. A rare quality in this age of inflated valuations. It is, in essence, a giant offering growth at a price that does not immediately induce a fit of apoplexy. A most curious phenomenon, indeed.
2. Chevron: The Oil-Stained Hand
Chevron, one might say, is a company perfectly positioned for the present moment. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage perpetually simmering with geopolitical tension, has once again become a source of consternation. Iran’s interference with shipping has sent oil prices soaring, and, predictably, Chevron’s share price has followed suit. It is a simple equation, really: scarcity plus demand equals profit. Though one suspects there is a touch of cynical opportunism at play as well.
But Chevron is not merely a beneficiary of circumstance. It is the world’s third-largest energy company, a behemoth of considerable scale and financial strength. It can withstand fluctuations in oil prices, unlike those smaller, more fragile entities that tremble at the slightest tremor in the market. Management anticipates double-digit growth in free cash flow and earnings per share. And the acquisition of Hess promises to increase production in Guyana. One envisions a network of pipelines stretching across continents, a web of dependency woven with black gold. They are the largest player in the natural gas market and uniquely positioned in Venezuela. A curious arrangement, that.
And the dividend! Thirty-nine consecutive years of increases. A most impressive feat of consistency. Even if oil prices plummet, Chevron can still cover its dividend payments and capital expenditures, even if oil sinks below $50 per barrel. It is as if the company possesses a secret reservoir of resilience, a hidden wellspring of prosperity.
3. Eli Lilly: The Alchemist’s Dream
Big pharma stocks, one observes, are often viewed as safe harbors in a storm. And none is larger, more imposing, than Eli Lilly. A company that has, in recent years, experienced a most remarkable surge in growth, driven primarily by its GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, which treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity. These two drugs alone generated a staggering $36.5 billion in sales last year. A sum that would make even the most hardened capitalist blush.
But Lilly’s fortunes do not rest solely on the shoulders of these two drugs. Verzenio, a breast cancer treatment, is also a megablockbuster. And the company is a major player in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and a host of other ailments. It is, in essence, a modern-day alchemist, transforming scientific research into financial gain.
The valuation, admittedly, is steep. Nearly 27 times projected earnings. But one argues that the drugmaker’s growth potential justifies the premium price. And, if one projects forward to 2030, the forward earnings multiple falls to a more palatable 15x. It is a gamble, of course. But then, is not all of life a gamble? One simply hopes that the cards fall in one’s favor, and that the market does not decide to play a cruel joke.
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2026-03-23 11:42