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Amazon strikes, PE wants NCAA, Nissan/Honda
Week ending December 22
The Winter Solstice is behind us! What a relief (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere).
This is the shortest day of the year, the point at which the North Pole is tilted farthest away from the Sun.
The best tradition related to this event is Krampusnacht, when people dress as the demon Krampus and terrorize people in the streets of Austria. Those guys are wild. I would not do well there.
To all those just planning on a normal Christmas, have a good one!
Markets
PAST WEEK | YEAR-TO-DATE | |
|---|---|---|
Nasdaq | -2.8% | +28.8% |
S&P500 | -2.2% | +25.1% |
MSCI Emerging Markets | -3.6% | +6.4% |
Bitcoin* | -10.5% | +121.5% |
Ethereum* | -18.4% | +38.6% |
Stock of the week: | +42.5% | +5.2% |
Crypto of the week: | +30.1% | +614.1% |
Source: CoinGecko.com As of 8:17PM December 22, 2024
World news
Top news stories of the past week
1) Amazon drivers strike: Thousands of Amazon drivers have gone on strike with support from the Teamsters; tough timing with Christmas around the corner! They’re demanding to be recognized as a union and for drivers to be classified as proper employees, so they can receive benefits - right now they’re just independent contractors.
2) Private equity is coming for the final four: Private equity firms are increasingly eyeing investments in college sports, seeing lucrative opportunities in the multibillion-dollar industry. This trend could bring significant financial resources to college athletics but also raises concerns about the commercialization of young athletes.
3) Nissan and Honda announce merger: Two of the world’s largest auto manufacturers, Nissan and Honda, have announced their plans to merge. The combined entity would be the world’s third-largest automaker. With an employee count of over 300,000 between the two of them, the merger won’t be easy.
Top WEIRD stories of the past week
1) SantaCon took place this past week, with thousands of people dressed as Santa in NYC going on a pub crawl. Where was my invite?
2) A diaper designed to be worn by adults at concerts so they don’t have to wait in a long line for the bathroom. Genius? Gross? Both?
3) You heard about the drones over New Jersey? Perfect, here’s a rabbit hole for you.
Chart
You like charts? Graphs? Ya you do
Check out how venture capital has changed over time with new technology waves. What’s the hottest right now? Unsurprisingly, it’s AI.
Investment idea
What are we investing in?
Artificial Intelligence
AI development continues to move at an accelerating pace, with OpenAI just announcing their latest model passed a key reasoning test. Some people are saying this is a major step towards artificial general intelligence. Should we be scared? Maybe. Should we capitalize on this opportunity? Absolutely.
Investing in AI is easier than ever, with a range of options available:
Individual stocks: companies like Microsoft (which invests in OpenAI) and Meta (another AI leader) offering direct exposure.
Thematic ETFs: for more diversified plays on the AI theme, there are options like Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF & iShares Future AI & Tech ETF. Both of these focus on AI, but they hold a range of companies in the space, so you aren’t forced to pick a single winner
Index ETFs: given how much of tech is focused on AI these days, just holding a broad technology focused ETF like the QQQ or even S&P500 (tech weight is over 30%)
History
On this day…
…in 1888, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh cut off part of his ear. He then painted the event. Now that is suffering for your art.
Music
Banger of the week
Most important thing
Meme? Nah. Art.
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