Another Roaring 20s for U.S. Consumers “Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can!” Through years of lockdowns, re-openings, inflation and policy uncertainty, consumers have done unfathomably well at supporting the U.S. economy in the 2020s. We are now well into...

These days I think are so strange No cuts, no trust Name no names “So Far So Fake”, Pierce The Veil   Given the title of this piece, using Pierce the Veil’s 2023 banger “So Far So Fake,” let’s be clear from the start: we are not calling all of the remarkable earnings...

Introduction: A Strange Trip for Rates So Far in 2026 “I am completely operational, and all my circuits are functioning perfectly.” Year-ahead consensus predictions rarely get things perfectly right, but it’s fair to say that despite looking very promising for the...

  Like a bad star, I’m falling faster down to her She’s the only one who knows what it is to burn “What It Is to Burn”, Finch   In a podcast recording on Thursday, we shared that Google’s 2Q earnings reminded us of that great Deftones song “Change (In the House of...

Introduction: Know Your Enemy “Think ya know what it’s all about? Huh! Hey yo, so check this out!” Last week’s whirlwind of Fed commentary and inflation data created a few market gyrations but ultimately left interest rates lower and the need for rate hikes less...

You might be surprised to learn that the market and the investment approach it demands in 2026 have a lot in common with Metallica. Yes, Metallica, the thrash metal band that formed in the 1980s and became known for its bone-rattling loudness, shows with...

This week we are recapping a historic second quarter for global equity markets and taking a closer look at the recent FTSE/Russell index reconstitution. While it happens every six months, this cycle’s index rebalancing, measured by total market cap movement and the...

Just how deep do you believe? “The Hand That Feeds”, Nine Inch Nails Equity markets are biting the hand that feeds. It is no secret that the largest contributor to S&P 500 returns in 2026 has been the AI infrastructure trade (AI capex recipients), with key names...

Introduction: A New World for a New Fed “There’s a button for that.” A lot can happen in a week, and the past week was notable in three ways. First, the U.S.-Iran conflict appears to have reached the beginning of its end, with both sides expected to sign a Memorandum...

Introduction: A New World for a New Fed “You give my life direction. You make everything so clear.” Inflation has accelerated. The labor market has stabilized. And a new Federal Reserve Chair is about to step into the spotlight to deliver his assessment of the...

Bush’s 1995 hit, “Comedown”, is about ending a relationship and mourning the loss of the blissful parts that are now over, but also recognizing that they were not sustainable in the first place. Frontman Gavin Rossdale, who apparently could moonlight as a market...

Honey, it’s in the stars And you’re my everything from here to Mars “Here to Mars”, Coheed and Cambria   For the last 25 years, Coheed and Cambria have been releasing progressive rock concept albums that follow the story of The Amory Wars, a series of science fiction...