Yeah, it seems we have had some kind of FED drama for the past number of years. This guy probably won't make that much of an impact. The FOMC is a 12 member voting board, so one guy/gal is not wielding the ultimate power. Although, I think some of our policymakers think this is how it works. They need to just do their thing and stay out of the daily news. That's kind of a tough deal in today's times though.
Yes, the month of January is drawing to a close. So far, I think I will end up with a decent month, barring something real nutty. This is possible in the current environment. I'm easily on the green side for the month. A short time period to measure in the grand scheme, but sometimes it provides a bit of a psychological boost to see it. Our minds are wired to it. We just have to control it on both sides of the coin.
I am IGNORING the markets.....again...today. Meaningless short term noise is rampant today. PLUS....I have plenty of other "stuff" to take my time and keep me busy. My live CD project is finally started. I will not be doing anything personally till about mid February when I get back together with the engineer in the studio and we put in a 4-8 hour day to finish the whole thing up. At this time the engineer is working on it on his own.....I have confidence that he knows what I want and is right on point after our first session. I continue to be involved with various Board positions in my art endeavors and with the family land and mineral rights. I spend a lot of time following the various art auctions and the major galleries that handle my kind of art. I will be back in the studio (not the CD project) this Sunday and will continue to do so into the future. I am playing shows once in a while and will travel to Houston in February to do some. Of course I have the usual family events and obligations. So no.....outside this thread....I dont care or spend much time obsessing over the day to day markets.
CNBC had Kevin Hasset on this morning trying get some information/opinion on Warsh, I swear the guy's lips were moving the whole time, but he actually said NOTHING !!
Looks like it is getting quite the haircut today. Silver is down almost -30% and gold a bit less at 10%. I really don't follow the stuff, but took a look today to see where it was currently at.
The markets are very BLAH today as the big tech earnings are totally meaningless. I am now RED in every stock and on track to show a loss for the year and January at the close. I will call the current market a STEALTH CORRECTION....for investors like "me". Some day we will see the markets operate with some CONFIDENCE.....again. BUT right now....just the typical skittish, self-loathing, market we have been stuck in since about November. I dont have a lot of hope for the markets this year actually. There is going to be MASSIVE drama and turmoil in general from now to the mid-term elections and all the financial sites are now inundated with politics. Although I am sticking with my SP500 prediction for 2026....for now.
A wasted day, week, and month for me. Today I had only a single green stock....AAPL. I also had a big...medium loss in my stocks. AND of course...a loss to the SP500 by 0.38%. On to a new week and a new month.
Another week done. Last week at this time I was positive for my entire portfolio year to date .....+0.09%. Today I slipped into the RED for my entire portfolio at......(-0.02%) Lots of up and down over the week......and....a final result that is pretty minimal.
THE MARKET CLOSE TODAY. S&P 500 falls for third straight day as speculative silver trade unwinds, but ends month positive https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/29/stock-market-today-live-updates.html Silver collapsed today to $86.61.....more than 28%. Looks like there is probably going to be some huge WHIPSAW victims out there. It will either bounce from here or.....look out below. Whatever gold and silver do....this is an indication that from here they are going to be HYPER ERRATIC. I own some but I would NOT touch the metals at these prices. In fact I have not bought any for about three years now. (other than the birthday and Christmas coins)
It sure did. I suspect some of this metal money might have went over to some of the dividend/defensive type stocks. Some of them had a really nice day.
Any thoughts on TeraFab? Between the CXMT (et al) ramp up and TeraFab potentially eating some of existing fab's lunch, the industry had better hope AI demand remains strong because there is scorched earth behind them. As for media chatter of ASML supply issues, they seem to be absolutely clueless of what's going on at Samsung and other potential ASML competitors. 2nm chips are going to be brutally expensive. Double the wafer cost and increased bumping and packaging costs, also. Samsung looks best positioned to dominate this space, to me. They will thin the margins of companies that have charged whatever they want for years.
Of course....we own a mini-van. We have for decades. They are great for hauling musical equipment, large paintings, antiques, etc, etc, etc. The one we own right now is 10 years old and only has about 50,000 miles. We pile ALL our day to day driving miles on our primary car. BUT we do use the mini-van for long trips since the Captain Chairs are comfortable, you are higher up and have a great view of the road, and it has a massive amount of room. It is also great for transporting our three dogs. We intend to make the mini-van last for at least 20 years.....after all.....when we bought it as a promotion Chrysler was doing a bumper to bumper LIFETIME warranty. So it is STILL under warranty for....EVERYTHING.....but normal service items. Minivan sales surge 21% in 2025 as millennial dads lead demand for cars offering the 'best bang for your buck' https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mini...ng-the-best-bang-for-your-buck-143022892.html YES.....nothing is ever new.....everything comes back in style sooner or later.
The TeraFab seems ambitious and very, very expensive. The idea behind it makes sense from supply and reducing other global risk. Maybe consider the many popular circular financing options/partnerships. I have a small sliver of ASML in an index fund....lol. That's about all I can offer on this one TB16. I figure RTN can probably dive deeper on your commentary.
As nutty as I think Elon is, he was once laughed at in the automotive world, and now... not so much. He is the world's richest man (at least officially) and has the mental and work ethic to get things done. I am sure he can butter Trump up real good to make it rather enticing to break ground and get things going. If he can drop this silly Mars nonsense (another topic and discussion) and focus on Earth, I would put the odds of him making TeraFab world class rather good. The problem, to me, also includes ASML. They literally cannot make the machines fast enough to supply customers. It's one thing to get the best minds to design and know how to create chips and interposers, but if the equipment to actually make it is months/years off, it's all kind of moot. This is where I am at a loss as to why the U.S. government is not doing something apropos to the massive public works projects of the '30's-'60's. Need a massive interstate system or power grid? Throw money at it and get it done. The Chinese are doing this. The Koreans have been doing this with TSMC. The U.S.? Meh. Half measures and lip service. The CHIPS act was a joke. It's amazing what we will drop a few trillion on (forever wars and imperialistic hegemony), but when the new frontier of national security and stability is on the line.... crickets.
A small....but positive step forward for companies that MUST get the F out of China. India hands Apple a win by letting foreign firms fund equipment for manufacturers https://finance.yahoo.com/news/india-hands-apple-win-letting-095404264.html
Even though we hear all the time how real property is now unaffordable.......prices in many segments have collapsed and are extremely low in historic terms.....for example.....CONDOS. I also note recent coverage of a rent....."collapse".....in LA. The condo market is in a deep slump. But is the bottom near? After a prolonged downturn, condo sales and price growth showed signs of life in December. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-...p-slump-but-is-the-bottom-near-130056174.html "In recent years, the condo market has weakened to levels on par with those following the 2008 financial crisis." YES......homes are pricey...if you expect to get a house like your parents final home with all the bells and whistles of HGTV. I have a suggestion....buy a crappy starter home.....in a poor area or with a long commute.....like all the past generations did to get started. This real property whining reminds me of the GEN-Z kids just out of college expecting to start as a.....Vice President.
POOR Bitcoin....it crashed to $76,000. It seems to be a pretty crappy.......invisible.....asset. It crashes when stocks crash....it crashes when gold and silver crash......and in crashes in response to interest rate drama. Of course it has......NO....inherent value. One good EMP blast and your fortune is wiped out.
