Insights on markets, emergent trends, history, innovation, risk management, global economics, strategy, policy, and other topics that catch our attention. Inspired by ongoing research, conversations and events. Written and edited by Osbon Capital Management and published every Thursday morning.
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Too much time is spent talking about price. Fundamentals are ultimately what drive equity prices higher over time. To say this another way, a company’s stock price can’t continue to rise unless it continues to be successful. The famous quote by Warren Buffett is, “In the short run, the market is a voting machine, but in the long run (...)
Druckenmiller, Markets, SWIFT
Stanley Druckenmiller, The Fed & Markets The Federal Reserve raised its interest rate by .75% yesterday, doubling the current rate from .75% to 1.50%. For context, the previous high was 2.25% in July 2019. We cut the rate to 1.5% by November 2019 and then sent it straight to 0% once Covid started. ‘Don’t fight the Fed’ is considered an…
Apple’s Dominance, Data Driven Decisions
Apple’s Dominance Continues Before we get into the main story about Apple, let’s take a quick look at the scope of its economic dominance. Using rough numbers, Apple currently produces $100B in revenue per quarter: 50% from the iPhone, 30% from laptops, ipads and wearables, and 20% from services. That services component is the fastest growing with the highest margin…
Inflation Holdouts, Volatility, Relationship Driven Banking
Inflation Holdouts It’s great to see some of the major commodity prices fall back below their all-time highs. Lumber is now below its pre-Covid all-time high. That doesn’t mean Home Depot is going to give you a deal. Retailers are slow to pass on falling costs. Copper, wheat and corn remain elevated but not at all-time highs. Today’s big underlying…
Opportunity, Forward Looking, AI
Opportunities Increasing All eyes are on the Fed and inflation metrics as investors try to find a place where they can confidently store and invest capital. The next CPI (inflation) print is on June 10th, representing the month of May. Public markets price every weekday, so this level of patience and interim uncertainty is difficult for investors. The Fed says…
Complexity, Acquisitions, ESG
Complexity Markets of all kinds are feeling the rolling aftershocks of lockdowns, Covid variants, inflation, a hawkish Fed, and supply chain challenges. These complex dynamics create multiple cascading waves. Some waves end up canceling out, while others amplify our problems. While we wait for these aftershocks to roll through, market participants are attempting to toe the line between patience, fear…
Fed Actions and The Story of Luna
Fed Actions On Monday we sent a note to all clients regarding current markets. Markets in 2022 have fallen fast. If you’re feeling down about your portfolio, you’re not alone. The Venture Capital Index tracking the portfolios of leading VCs is down over 55% in the last six months. The most successful modern hedge fund, Tiger Global, has lost 2/3rds…
FTX x SALT and Crypto’s Infrastructure Age
A significant crypto conference, Crypto Bahamas, was hosted last week by SALT, the crypto exchange FTX and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. The SALT investment conference is an influential annual event for the traditional finance industry. This joint conference marked a big step forward in the ongoing merger between crypto and conventional institutional finance. While crypto is roughly 13 years old,…
Week 16: Lithium, New Collar, Bubbles
Briefing: Lithium prices have spiked dramatically in the past year. | The presence of New Collar Workers is a positive sign that our work culture is adapting to allow for upward mobility. | Signs of bubbles in venture capital are also a sign that we are hard at work solving complex problems. Lithium Batteries The price of Lithium provides us…
Week 15: Better Than It Looks, New Crypto Projects
Briefing: Declinism is chic, but things are better than they look. | Hivemapper cameras allow drivers to earn Solana-based HONEY token in exchange for providing fresh maps of local streets. It’s Better Than It Looks John shared a great book with the team recently titled “It’s Better Than It Looks” by Gregg Easterbrook (2018). I wholeheartedly agree with Michael Sherman’s…
