Nice to see two of my companies working together for the benefit of both.....and....hopefully "ME". Google, Apple enter into multi-year AI deal for Gemini models https://finance.yahoo.com/news/google-apple-enter-multi-ai-162042367.html
The NVDA......CONGLOMERATE......continues to grow and expand into various areas of business. Nvidia, Eli Lilly announce $1 billion investment in AI drug discovery lab https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nvid...tment-in-ai-drug-discovery-lab-163446796.html
How can this be today? We were SUPPOSED to be in shock over the Powell news and focused on nothing else. At least that is where the MEDIA is today. As to actual business.....no one cares. Alphabet hits $4 trillion valuation as AI refocus lifts sentiment https://finance.yahoo.com/news/alphabet-hits-4-trillion-valuation-153054925.html
I currently have one or two red stocks.....MSFT and perhaps NVDA. They are bouncing back and forth. I am happy with the markets so far....considering the media push to dramatize the FED story today. NO....I dont care at all....about Powell or the FED. It is a non-issue....particularly since he will be gone in three months anyway. PLUS.....there is nothing about Powell or the FED...that is relevant to fundamental business anyway. IGNORE it all......as usual.
Well, I just had to check in for the day and noticed the FED/Powell story mentioned....lol. I thought maybe we could get by a day or two without some sort of drama in the mainstream. Since that's the topic at the moment, interestingly, FED JP can actually stay on as one of the FED governors until 2028 after his term as Chair ends. I wasn't aware of that until I read an article about it. I kind of doubt he does that. If it were me, I would simply ride off into the sunset and let them have their fun. At 72 (Powell's age) it would just not be worth the drama from my perspective.
Speaking of EARNINGS.......here are my earnings dates this time around. Although some of these might change as often happens: MSFT...........January 28, 2026. AAPL...........January 29, 2026. PLTR...........February 2, 2026. GOOGL.......February 4, 2026. AMZN..........February 5, 2026. NVDA..........February 25, 2026. COST...........March 5, 2026
OK....looking good. I am still nicely green so far today. Hanging in there and.....RIDING THE WAVE. I have my wave riding headphones on to.....IGNORE THE NOISE.
Feeling better about COST now Strathmore? From a low of about $853 on January 2.....the stock is now up by about $90.....or....10.56%.
I got my order of four one OZ Silver Eagle coins today for my kids and spouses birthdays this year. I ordered the four coins on December 29, 2025. At about $76 per coin. NOW.....a coin would cost me $94 online with the buyer fee. SO....I have made a gain of about $18 per coin since. Current spot silver per oz......$85. Insane but I will take it. I believe this is an all time high.
Speaking of metal. My wife came back from the stable where she keeps her four horses the other day. She was speaking to one of the Hispanic workers that does the barn work there. She asked about his Christmas. He was excited to tell her that he bought some GOLD for himself....about $1800 worth at Christmas. Today.....as he was cleaning out the manure.... she told him his gold was up again today....over $150 per OZ.... and he was making money...he was thrilled. Reminds me of the day-trading frenzy bubble of the late 1990's when my plumber told me how he and his wife were day-trading stocks.
My gain got cut in half over the last hour today. BUt still a positive day for my seven stocks......five of seven green for the day and they gave me a medium.....small gain. AMZN and MSFT were red. I also beat the SP500 by 0.27% today. MOVING ON UP from here.
Looks like all time highs for some of the big averages today. The DOW....quickly closing on on a new milestone......DOW 50,000. S&P 500, Dow climb to closing records as traders look past Fed independence risk https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/11/stock-market-today-live-updates.html NO....we did not look past "FEd independence".......we looked past moronic media BS and fear-mongering. For once there was no knee-jerk reaction to the daily BS.
Speaking of MORONS.....yes....the FED and Powell again. Remember last September......just four months ago? It was Powell and the FED projecting a 1.8% GDP for 2026. Estimates now by the Atlanta FED and others are now strongly in the +5% range. It was also the MORONS at the FED in about December.....still pounding on the tariff dead horse.....estimating 2025 GDP to end at about 1.7%. Of course less than a month later we learned that 2025 GDP came in at about......drum roll please....+4.3%. These.....political morons at the FED....that sat MUTE while the government passed multiple trillion dollar bills and grossly over-stimulated the economy to the point of 9% inflation......have trashed the economy and the markets for years. JUST DISGUSTING.
NOW.....the important news of the day. Perfectly NORMAL inflation. December core consumer prices rose at a 2.6% annual rate, less than expected https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/13/cpi-inflation-report-december-2026.html "Key Points The core consumer price index showed a seasonally adjusted 0.2% gain on a monthly basis and 2.6% annually. Both were 0.1 percentage point below expectations. On a headline basis, the CPI posted an increase of 0.3% for the month, putting the all-items annual rate at 2.7%. Both were exactly in line with the Dow Jones consensus estimate. Food prices jumped 0.7% for the month, though egg prices tumbled 8.2% and fell nearly 21% from a year ago after soaring previously. Traders kept bets intact that the Fed would stand pat at its meeting later this month and likely won’t be considering another cut until June."
There is MUCH good economic data and discussion here in this little article. AND....in spite of some of the language....not much politics. Much of the content deals with interest rates and the dollar. Monthly Macro Monitor: No Change https://alhambrapartners.com/monthly-macro-monitor-no-change/?src=news ......."I am not immune to political bias – I instinctively dislike and distrust all politicians – but as an investor, especially an investor of other’s money, I have an obligation to see things as clearly as possible. I mostly use markets to determine the current state of the economy but I also review the economic data, aware that most of it is just noise on a month-to-month basis. If you want to get a sense of the economy, you need to look at trends over longer periods of time and compare them with history. I don’t spend a lot of time speculating about the future because it is impossible to predict and attempting to do so can lead to big investing mistakes"........
Want to learn a bit about the past that many of us lived through as part of our adult lives. With the constant focus on screens and social media....many have NO CLUE.....about the past that many of us lived through and remember very well. This was the average Social Security benefit in 1985. Here's what it is now. How have Social Security benefits changed over time? https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...cial-security-1985-compared-2026/88139667007/
I basically totally agree with this little article. 2026 Outlook: Riding the Wave is here https://www.carsongroup.com/insights/blog/2026-outlook-riding-the-wave-is-here/ "As we look back at 2025, it’s fair to say the wall of worry was higher than ever. We started last year with pundits warning that the “delayed” recession was finally arriving. We saw massive volatility around “Liberation Day” in April, where the S&P 500 nearly fell into a bear market. We heard constant chatter about an “AI Bubble” bursting and political turmoil scrambling expectations. And yet? The S&P 500 gained a total return of 17.9% for the year. International stocks did even better, surging more than 30% in both emerging markets and development international."...... AND....the point of the article and all the discussion: ......"Now, as we start 2026, the question changes. We aren’t just trying to catch the wave anymore. We are on it. The challenge now is staying on the board. Welcome to “Riding the Wave.”"..... MY COMMENT This article mirrors much of what you see on here. RIDING THE WAVE. PLUS.....good content on the "YOUNG" bull market and the golden runway that stretches out in front of us investors for the next year or two or three. Do you see it? Do you feel it? Can you handle it and stick it out?
I hope so and believe we will see this. Earnings from the top of the line big cap growth companies should be outstanding. TSMC Q4 profit poised to soar 27% as AI demand drives growth https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tsmc...NjkhKeeD921JNsfT7Iwaj_I5aN1VhcSltGk41SkL6KN6I
It begins......EARNINGS. JPMorgan Chase tops estimates as trading revenue exceeds expectations https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/13/jpmorgan-chase-jpm-earnings-q4-2025.html This jump in trading revenue.....is basically AI headline and news content trading.....and other short term trading strategies. The short term micro-second trading that drives the daily markets and underlies EVERYTHING in the markets. An OK report but there is weakness in Investment Banking and profits were impacted by a "reserve" item.....which was anticipated.
Later this week.....Bank Of America, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley. As usual the banks will dominate the first few weeks of earnings.
