Trade Doesn't Flow on Roads − It Flows on Data
Africa’s trade potential hinges on overhauling its digital infrastructure, not just fixing ports or roads. Current IoT systems rely on permanent roaming SIMs and single‑core networks that crumble at borders, inflating costs and risk. Surveys show operators are shifting to multi‑IMSI and eSIM architectures, while regulators prioritize data‑sovereignty and compliance. By 2035, a continent‑wide, cloud‑native IoT backbone could transform logistics, agriculture and utilities, making digital connectivity the true driver of trade efficiency.
UK Wants to Ban Firms From Insuring Russian Oil
The United Kingdom announced it will back a full ban on maritime services – including insurance and shipping – for Russian crude and refined oil, moving beyond the existing $44.10‑per‑barrel price‑cap rule. Trade Minister Chris Bryant said the UK will...
SBI Life Declares Interim Dividend of ₹2.7, Stock Rises Around 1.5% - Check Record Date Here
SBI Life Insurance announced an interim dividend of ₹2.7 per share for FY26, with a record date of March 6 and payout scheduled by March 27. The declaration lifted the stock about 1.5% in early trade, trading near ₹2,094. In Q3 FY26...
Lucas Birdsall on the Impact of Copper and Silver Production on COMEX Futures
Venture capitalist Lucas Birdsall highlights how surging demand for copper and silver—driven by electric vehicles, renewable energy and electronics—is outpacing production capacity. S&P Global projects copper consumption could rise to 42 million metric tons by 2040, while silver’s photovoltaic share sits...
Celio’s Francois Gomez Bets on Bigger Stores, Honest Pricing and Sharper India Play
At the ET Retail GIRS 2026 conference, Celio COO Francois Gomez outlined a new growth plan for India, emphasizing larger‑format stores and a shift away from discount‑driven sales. The brand will prioritize honest pricing and its core apparel DNA—suits, polos, shirts and...
Scrap Metal Sector Calls for Broader Changes as Price-Fixing Probe Highlights Fault Lines
South Africa’s Competition Commission has raided four scrap‑metal firms amid a price‑fixing investigation, prompting the Metals Recyclers Association (MRA) to call for a full, independent inquiry into the sector’s policy framework. The MRA argues that the Price Preference System, export...
More Funds ≠ True Diversification; Look Deeper
Most people think diversification means owning lots of different funds. A client came to me with 17 funds across 4 fund houses. "My advisor said this was maximum diversification." When I showed him what he actually owned underneath, something broke.
Ecuador to Extend Mirador Mine Contract, Enable Norte Expansion
Ecuador plans a Mirador copper mine contract extension in 1H 2026 to unlock Mirador Norte expansion. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/mirador-copper-mine-contract-extension.html
Private Credit in Emerging Markets Surges to Record Levels:
Private credit allocations to emerging markets hit record levels in 2025‑2026, shifting capital from traditional hubs to cities like Mumbai, São Paulo, Mexico City, and Jakarta. The surge is driven by bank retrenchment, robust demographic growth, and attractive relative yields compared...
Evergreen Alternative Funds Surge to $493 Billion:
Evergreen alternative funds have surged to roughly $493 billion, marking a pivotal shift in asset management. By offering continuous capital deployment and periodic liquidity, they eliminate the timing constraints of traditional closed‑end structures. Wealth managers and high‑net‑worth investors gain public‑market convenience...
Amazon Becomes the Most-Owned Stock Among Hedge Funds:
Amazon has become the most‑owned stock in hedge‑fund portfolios, overtaking Microsoft and Nvidia. The shift reflects Amazon’s transition from a high‑growth, low‑margin e‑commerce model to a cash‑flow‑generating infrastructure platform spanning cloud, logistics and AI. Over the past two years the...
Hedge Funds Push Into Quantum Computing:
Hedge funds are increasing exposure to publicly traded quantum computing firms such as IonQ, Rigetti and D‑Wave, moving the technology from venture‑capital niches to institutional portfolios. They employ structured, risk‑managed strategies—pairing longs with shorts, using options, and limiting volatility—to capture...
Southdale Center Turns 70; Then What?
Southdale Center, America’s first indoor mall, celebrated its 70th anniversary after Simon Property Group completed a $400 million renovation that added a high‑end luxury wing featuring brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton. The upgrade makes Southdale the Midwest’s most concentrated...
Ukraine Is Losing the War
Four years after Russia launched its full‑scale invasion, a draft U.S. peace plan proposes recognizing Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk as Russian‑controlled and allowing Russia to keep occupied parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Kyiv, led by President Volodymyr Zelensky, has rejected any...
China’s Role: Minor Export Market, Major Input Supplier, CNY Undervalued
It means a lot less than this. As an export market China is way less important than the US to Germany/ the EA. As a source of consumer & intermediate inputs China is of course a massive supplier,...
Japan and Korea Hit Record Highs on Nvidia Rally
Asia stocks rally: Japan & S.Korea hit records as Nvidia lifts chipmakers; China/HK mixed, BOJ inflation data a risk. Trade: buy Korean memory names on pullbacks. 📈 — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Southeast Asia’s Grab Finally Turns a Profit
Southeast Asian super‑app Grab reported its first full‑year profit in 2025, posting a $200 million net gain after narrowing losses from $1.7 billion in 2022 to $158 million in 2024. Revenue climbed roughly 20% to $3.4 billion as transaction volume rose 21% to $22 billion...
US Stock Market | Investor Rush Sparks Historic Scramble for New Bond Issuances
Investor demand for U.S. corporate bonds has surged to historic levels, making new issuances harder to access and allocations tighter. Barclays’ analysis of TRACE data shows competition in investment‑grade debt is up 15% and high‑yield debt up 30% compared with...
Cettire in the Red Amid Weak US Performance, Shares Plunge
Cettire reported a first‑half fiscal loss of $1.1 million, reversing a $4.7 million profit from the prior year, as US tariff changes and soft luxury demand hit sales. Revenue slipped 2.8% to $382.8 million, while adjusted EBITDA fell 28% to $8.7 million. Excluding the...
Semper Augustus Investments Group: 2025 Annual Letter
Semper Augustus Investments Group released Chris Bloomstran’s 2025 Annual Letter, warning that a trillion‑dollar AI and datacenter arms race is reshaping capital allocation. Bloomstran challenges the notion that S&P 500 investors can still expect historic Ibbotson returns over the next...
NZD/USD Holds Gains Around 0.6000 as US Dollar Falters on Tariff Concerns
The New Zealand dollar extended its rally for a third straight session, hovering around the 0.6000 level against the US dollar during Asian trading. The move reflects pressure on the US dollar as President Trump defended tariffs and the IMF warned...
Amazon's $50B AI Bet Boosts NVDA Play
Macro: Big-ticket cloud/AI capital flows concentrate. Key: Amazon pledges $15bn now, $35bn tied to IPO/AGI. Risks: valuation/tech execution. Trading insight: Buy NVDA on AI infra demand. — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA. More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Carlyle CEO Says Firms Erred Labeling Retail Funds 'Semi-Liquid'
Carlyle Group CEO Harvey Schwartz warned that asset managers mischaracterized retail‑focused private funds as “semi‑liquid,” when many can be effectively illiquid. He made the comment during a shareholder presentation, emphasizing that the industry should have been more forthright about liquidity...
HKEX 2025 Full Year Results
HKEX reported record 2025 results, with revenue of HK$29.2bn, a 30% increase year‑on‑year, and profit of HK$17.8bn, up 36%. The exchange reclaimed its position as the world’s top IPO venue, raising HK$286.9bn from 119 listings, and posted record trading volumes...
Banks Snap up Bonds as Holdings Approach Regulatory Floor
Indian banks are accelerating purchases of government bonds as their sovereign‑debt holdings edge toward the RBI’s 18% regulatory minimum. In February, state‑owned lenders bought a net ₹225.8 billion ($2.5 billion), the largest monthly purchase recorded since Bloomberg began tracking in 2006. Their...
Doubling on Profit Peak Is a Flawed Strategy
I love Claude, but it makes some really bad assumptions. For example. One strategy where the average holding period is 5 days. On the 5th day that is when the profits tend to peak. So the win rate on day...
Simple Habits, Big Advantage over Average Savers
Basic personal finance habits: • get 401k match • track your spending • route % of paychecks into savings automatically • avoid cc debt • keep at least 3 months of expenses in HYSA • max Roth IRA Do these consistently and you'll do much better than...
CDSCO Eases Drug Testing Approvals, New Fast-Track System From June 1, 2026
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) will issue No Objection Certificates (NOC) for drug‑sample testing immediately upon receipt of applications, eliminating the prior detailed specification review. Companies can begin laboratory testing at designated Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission and other central...
Dar Ports Become Bargaining Chip Against Mombasa for EA Traders
South Sudan is redirecting most of its import‑export cargo from Kenya’s congested Mombasa port to Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam and Tanga terminals after a bilateral agreement. The shift follows persistent delays, a $5,000 security levy per container, and higher handling...
Kenya, Uganda in Race to Change Sacco Rules as Losses Hit Members
Kenya and Uganda are overhauling Sacco regulations after a series of collapses and fraud that have eroded member confidence. In Kenya, the Kuscco scandal exposed a $103 million loss, prompting a committee to recommend raising the minimum membership to 100 and...
Integrating Fundamental Metrics Into Pairs Trading
The paper proposes a novel pairs‑trading framework that blends fundamental metrics—such as ROE, sales growth, leverage, geographic proximity, and industry alignment—with traditional statistical measures. Each factor receives a regression‑derived weight, forming a composite score for pair selection. Back‑testing shows the...
US Dollar Index Falls to Near 97.50 as White House Policy Doubts Linger
The U.S. Dollar Index slipped to around 97.50 during Asian trading, marking a second straight session of decline amid White House policy doubts. President Donald Trump’s State of the Union remarks defended and expanded Section 122 tariffs to 10 %, adding trade‑related...
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang Says Markets ‘Got It Wrong’ on AI Threat to Software Companies
Nvidia reported a 73% jump in fiscal Q4 revenue to $68.13 billion and projected FY Q1 revenue of $78 billion, comfortably beating analyst estimates. CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC that market fears of AI agents cannibalizing enterprise software are misplaced, arguing that...
Weekly Notes (2/25/2026)
Avino Silver released its 2026 guidance, targeting 2.5 million ounces at a $26 per ounce all‑in sustaining cost (AISC), a figure that falls short of analyst expectations but signals continued organic production growth. Discovery Silver disclosed a robust $410 million cash balance,...
Global Equities Rise as India Volatility Falls
Global Market Update: Gift Nifty +53.00 (0.21%) 25,672.50 DowJones +307.77 (+0.63%) 49,482.27 Nasdaq +288.40 (+1.26%) 23,152.08 India Vix -0.6875 (-4.86%) 13.4625 S&P 500 +56.07 (+0.81%) 6,946.14
CTV Fueled Magnite’s Q4 Growth As Display Falters
Magnite reported Q4 revenue of $205 million, a 6% year‑over‑year increase, driven largely by its fast‑growing connected‑TV (CTV) segment. While the DV+ platform’s display revenue grew modestly 4% to $101.5 million, CTV revenue surged 32% to $93.6 million, representing 48% of the quarter’s...
CGT Concerns Don’t Stack Up
The Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) has publicly opposed the government’s plan to halve the capital gains tax (CGT) discount from 50 % to 25 %. REIA argues the cut will force landlords to raise rents to offset lower after‑tax returns,...
The New 1 Oz Gold Futures Are Catching On
CME Group introduced a 1‑ounce gold futures contract in January 2025, expanding its COMEX product suite. Daily trading volume has risen steadily, with a pronounced uptick since September, indicating growing market acceptance. The contract’s performance contrasts with many new derivatives...
Hephae Energy Appoints Andy Bruce as President to Support Geothermal Drilling Commercialization
Hephae Energy Technology has appointed industry veteran Andy Bruce as president to drive the commercialization of its ultra‑high‑temperature geothermal drilling and robotics solutions. Bruce brings more than three decades of leadership in downhole drilling, energy services, and M&A across companies...
Hardware, Cybersecurity Thrive; AI Compresses Software Services
The Goldman Sachs list of AI winners & losers: Supposed winners: - Cloudflare - CrowdStrike - Palo Alto Networks - Oracle - Microsoft - Amazon - Alphabet - Nvidia - TSMC - Micron - Arista Networks - Palantir - Zoom - Vertiv - Eaton - NextEra Energy Supposed losers: - https://t.co/yZK0mvfWhp - Salesforce - DocuSign - Accenture - Duolingo - Workday - SAP - Atlassian - UiPath -...
Semiconductor Index Delivered Over Tenfold Returns Decade‑Long
The PHLX Semiconductor index: ASML, TSMC, Texas Instruments, AMD, Nvidia, NXP, Qorvo, Qualcomm, Applied Materials, Broadcom etc. More than a ten-bagger in the past decade https://t.co/P0OKb3JVYf
Bloomberg Daybreak Asia: Nvidia Outlook Tops Estimates (Podcast)
Nvidia projected fiscal Q1 revenue of about $78 billion, topping the average Wall Street forecast of $72.8 billion and approaching the high‑end $80 billion outlook. CEO Jensen Huang highlighted a surge in enterprise adoption of AI agents, indicating that corporate customers are joining...
Trump's Pressure Pushes Modi to Diversify India’s Trade Partners
#IndiaWatch🇮🇳: Thanks to Trump’s threats and tariffs, Modi has pivoted and opened India’s doors to Japan, Brazil, Canada & the EU. MODI IS FASTER ON HIS FEET THAN YOU THINK. https://t.co/I5SCjNBPfI
Activist Pressure, Not Weak Yen, Drives Real Improvements
Seems to me that the biggest improvements have been in firms: - Shamed into increasing their P/B to 1.0x - Targeted by shareholder activists like Oasis - Already had the right mindset, eg Hitachi / Itochu - Illusory improvement from the weak yen https://t.co/KxTgEB3c9O https://t.co/DoX7UvP2gs
Korean Stocks Poised to Triple by Early April
Korean stocks are currently on pace to triple from last year's low by early April. 3X! Cray cray https://t.co/zYrHooCxrS
AI Panic Drops Software Stocks, Yet Engineer Demand Rises
Software stocks are cratering on fears AI will destroy their business. Yet job postings for software engineers are up 11% year over year. 🔒 Members-Only https://t.co/7PaTI6jR9W
Snowflake Beats Estimates, Shows AI-Driven Growth
$SNOW revenue, RPO and guidance came in ahead of consensus and the WSJ headline says company benefiting from AI adoption. This is the point we've been making for several weeks... some infrastructure software businesses are beneficiaries of AI. https://t.co/dX1lJsYfye
Nuanced Take: BoP Deficit Matters,
I actually don't think Mark and I are that far apart (tho I wouldn't start by arguing that a BoP deficit is meaningless, as I certainly find value in some cuts of the balance of payments + get annoyed when...
Japanese Managers Lack Equity, Limiting Market Discipline
I think reading through Jim Grant's old books with snippets from his newsletter is great market education. You'll get perspective on the current market environment.
Stop Bad Timing: Fix Missed Opportunities
Ever take a perfect setup just to watch it go nowhere? Then it moves right after you exit? That's not bad luck - it's bad timing. Learn how to fix that https://t.co/fjBDMYb0AE https://t.co/8b9qHMu9bF