Andrew Lokenauth (The Finance Newsletter)
Finance educator posting frequent macro/market datapoints (e.g., PPI, flows) and implications for U.S. equities.
Fed Hikes Loom, Bond Market Right, Economy Stumbles
JUST IN: Fed meeting minutes show majority of Fed officials signaling interest rate increases. The bond market is also betting on hikes. And the bond market has been right more times than anyone wants to admit. Home prices are up 60% in 6 years. Inflation is back above 3%. Layoffs are rising every single week. Higher rates + slowing growth + rising prices = the worst macro combo possible.
U.S. Auto Debt Eclipses Credit Cards, Rivals Student Loans
JUST IN: US auto loans have exploded to $1.68 TRILLION. For the first time in history, car debt is bigger than credit card debt. It now matches the total amount of U.S. student loans. People are taking 7-10 year car...
America’s Debt Crisis Peaks: Credit, Mortgage, and National Liabilities
JUST IN: US credit card debt hit record high of $1.33 trillion. And foreclosure filings jump to 6-year high due to rising insurance, property taxes, and debt strain on homeowners. Meanwhile… US Household Debt = All time high US National Debt = All time...
Record Low Consumer Sentiment Reflects Widespread Economic Pessimism
US Consumer sentiment falls to its lowest on record, for the 2nd straight month. Meanwhile, 70% of Americans think the economy is getting worse, per FOX. The data isn’t lying.
Oil Prices Surge Past $120, Triggering Historic Energy Crisis
Brent crude oil has crossed $120/barrel for the first time since June 2022. The IEA is calling this the “biggest energy security threat in history.” We’re on track for the biggest oil crisis in decades.
UAE Exits OPEC After Six Decades, Reshaping Oil Market
JUST IN: The UAE has left OPEC after 59 years. Oil will never be the same. Here's what's happening and why it matters:
US Debt Rises a Trillion Every Five Months
A million seconds ago was April 14th. A billion seconds ago was 1994. A TRILLION seconds ago was 30,000 B.C. The US national debt grows by $1 Trillion every 150 days. The difference between a million and a billion is 31 years. The...
Renting Beats Buying When You Sell Early
Most people think renting is throwing money away. But the math tells a very different story. You buy a $400k house today. You pay massive interest for the first decade. Then life happens. Data shows most people sell after just 8 to 12 years. You leave...
Chinese Open‑Source AI Powers Major Apps, Underrated Advantage
Everyone thinks OpenAI and Google are winning the AI war. They are wrong. The apps you use every day are running on Chinese open-source AI. And almost nobody's talking about it. Cursor's code editor runs on Kimi K2.5. Shopify switched to Alibaba's Qwen...
Solid‑state EV Batteries Promise 80% Charge in 7.5 Minutes
JUST IN: A Chinese company just recharged an EV from 0 to 80% in 7.5 minutes. Most people have no idea what this means. Greater Bay Technology just rolled its first all-solid-state EV battery cells off a production line. These cells hit 260-500...
Government Bails Spirit, Ignores Broken U.S. Healthcare
What's the logic for the Government bailing out Spirit Airlines but not fixing US healthcare? Weird how it’s ok to bail out some people but not others.
US Inflation Peaks as Hormuz Shock
JUST IN: US PPI inflation rises to 4%, its highest since February 2023. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz supply shock is estimated to cause oil demand to contract by 80,000 barrels per day — the largest drop since COVID. Are you...
Sellers Outnumber Buyers by 600K, Affordability Crisis Freezes Market
JUST IN: Home sellers now outnumber buyers by 600,000. That's the largest gap ever recorded in US history. The housing market isn't frozen because nobody wants to sell. It's frozen because nobody can AFFORD to buy. A $400K home now costs $960 more...
Trump Escalates Middle East Crisis with Hormuz Blockade
Do you understand what happened in the past 12 hours? > President Trump ordered US Navy to block all ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz effective immediately. > President Trump threatened s 50% tariff on China if it sends any...
By 2055, Everyday Costs Will Skyrocket
If inflation stays consistent over the next 30 years (as the past 30 years), here’s how much life will cost by 2055: - Average Rent: $6,500/ month - Average Home: $1,600,000 - Average Car: $218,200 - Coffee: $28/ cup - Gas: $16/ gallon