The Gathering Wind: Preparing for a Market Shift

The land feels flush now, with a kind of brittle prosperity. Everyone’s talking about the new growth, the machines that seem to think for themselves. But a man who’s seen a few seasons knows this kind of bounty doesn’t last. The air holds a stillness before the storm, and a careful man prepares. The talk of a bubble in these artificial intelligences – Nvidia, Broadcom, and the rest – isn’t idle chatter. It’s the scent of trouble on the wind. Wise investors aren’t caught flat-footed, scrambling for cover when the rains come. They’re already thinking about where the high ground lies.

So, what does a man do when the dust starts to rise? What holdings can weather a correction? Here are a few things to consider, things that might keep a portfolio from being swept away when the market decides to remember gravity.

Small Things, Steady Growth

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And if a man wants to dig a little deeper, he might look to the energy and basic materials sectors. Not the gold, though. That’s a fever dream, a temporary madness. But the things that hold real value – the oil, the steel, the concrete – those are the things that endure. Oil prices have been weak, yes, but the world still runs on it. The International Energy Agency suggests demand will actually increase by 860,000 barrels a day in 2025. A man can’t eat a promise, but he can fuel his tractor.

Keeping a Clear View

With all this said, a man shouldn’t lose sight of the bigger picture. This AI excitement isn’t poisoning the whole orchard. The S&P 500 is trading at 22.2 times forward earnings, which is high, certainly. But if you remove the “Magnificent Seven” – Microsoft, Nvidia, and the rest – that number drops to a more reasonable 20.3. It might be enough to simply shed a few of those soaring AI stocks, and let the rest ride. Most large-cap stocks aren’t at tremendous risk of being dragged under if this bubble does burst. A man doesn’t burn down the barn to get rid of a few mice.

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2026-01-29 21:52