Financial Fluency Doubles Owners' Cash Extraction From Revenue
If you don't have financial fluency, your chances of turning business revenue -> personal cash plummet. I have the data to prove it. I surveyed 200+ store owners as part of the 2026 eComFuel Trends Report (full report coming soon). One of the questions: rate your financial knowledge on a scale of 1-5. Owners who rated themselves 5 out of 5 extract capital from their business at nearly double the rate of those at 3 out of 5 or below. DOUBLE. Why? You can't safely pull money out of a business if you can't forecast cash flow 3-6 months ahead. If you don't know exactly what's driving your profitability. If you can't tell what's ROI-positive and what isn't. Without that clarity, every distribution feels like a gamble. So you leave it in. Year after year. And without financial confidence and knowledge, that capital compounds at a lower rate. Or just disappears. Your business revenues may keep growing on paper. But there's a stronger chance your personal balance sheet stays flat. Personally, I probably erred too far in the other direction. Took out more than I should have and wish I'd reinvested more in earlier years. But if I had to pick a mistake I'd rather take out too much and have a cushion than reinvest everything and be left with nothing if the business hits a wall. It's often the C+ students who build businesses. The ones who actually build personal wealth went back and mastered finance. Realized that this was a class worth studying for. Financial fluency doesn't just make you a better operator. It literally puts more money in your pocket.
Hot PPI Fails to Dent Fed Cut Expectations
The hotter-than-expected headline PPI this morning didn't curb Fed rate cut expectations. The implied cuts through 2026 from Fed Fund futures has edged up a bit. $DXY hasn't taken the fundamental bait for a bearish wedge break though: https://t.co/CgVJLLvWs8
Sold $RKT Shares, Secured
$RKT payday shares sold for good payday %. I now settle into the full swing with cushion. Different symbol, same system used over and over again.
Dow Forms Horn Pattern, Signals Potential Decline
Dow setting up for a decline? This is an expanded triangle, or a horn. Its natural disposition according to Edwards and Magee is for a decline. That is not mandatory, but the more likley outcome $YM_F $DIA https://t.co/bfMgi3hsri
PBOC Allowing Gradual RMB Appreciation, Not Stopping It
The claim by @robinbrooks_j & others that the PBOC is intervening to stop the RMB's advance strikes me as a misunderstanding. This is the 7th month of RMB gains. If PBOC is intervening to "stop" CNY rise, it is not...
AI Job Losses Could Spark Credit and Debt Crisis Soon
The question is NOT "Will AI take all the white-collar jobs or not?" (It won't.) The questions are: 1. "How many white-collar jobs does AI have to take to trigger a consumer credit, & then government receipt & global sovereign...
Value Investing Shifts: Beyond Wealth, New Picks, Plateau
This week in value: @GSpier : What Really Counts in Life — Beyond Wealth and Returns @bogumil_nyc Pzena – The Value Stocks to Watch 2026 @PzenaInvstmtMgt ) Semper Augustus 2025 Letter: Cloud Delusions; Value at a Secular Plateau; And – Berkshire Hathaway:...
DAF Donors Lose Legal Control, Case Highlights Risks
Donor-Advised Funds can be a good planning tool, but you give up legal control after the irrevocable donation. Peterson v. Christian Community Foundation dba WaterStone involves a $21M DAF sponsor ignoring a donor-advisor. @CNBC article by @HCuccinello https://t.co/KzEWeax1ER
Foreign Markets Surge Amid Global Extensions
(PREMIUM) "Tactical Update: February 27, 2026 - Global Extensions..." Foreign markets remain on fire... via The Lyons Share https://t.co/VFNIukbgod https://t.co/jRyXRjyXsc
Six of Eleven S&P Sectors Currently Trading Green
6 of the 11 S&P sectors are green right now in this moment of time. $XLU $XLP $XLV $XLRE $XLC $XLB. $XLE flat the others red
IMF’s No‑Bailout Stance Pushes China, Ecuador Back to Markets
Striking that China has taken $2 billion off the table since 2021 while the IMF put $2 billion in ... Talk about not using IMF funds to bailout China back during the pandemic turned out to be just that, talk. You...
Patience Pays: Trade Hits 2‑Month High, Still Uncertain
#Druckenmiller once said we mostly sit all day reading, researching & waiting. My "ideal trade" finally broke to 2-month high plenty of waiting. Does it have legs? https://t.co/m8fErQ5Bm0 #forex #GBP
Core Wholesale Prices Jump 0.8% in January, Outpacing Forecasts
"Core wholesale prices rose 0.8% in January, much more than expected" https://t.co/LVa2AuC787 "For the full year, core wholesale prices accelerated 3.6%" Big Jan26 drivers: -professional & commercial equipment wholesaling services -Trade services -metals https://t.co/SIuJIRE7bD
Intrepid Potash Breakout Mirrors Wheat Surge, CF Long
$IPI Daily. Clean base breakout for Intrepid Potash to dovetail the surge in Wheat this week. Ags heating up. $CF worth a look long, too. https://t.co/xrg1BQiWhA
AAOI Surge: $85 Calls Spike as AI Component Play
Applied Opto (AAOI) seeing 880 June $85 calls bought $1.5M with stock up 45% on results, a top components play for a while now on the AI buildout Piece I wrote last Aug. https://t.co/WYy1BykzGw
Low Treasury Yields Revive MMT Enthusiasm Flood
Feeling listless and disjointed as I await the inevitable barrage of "#MMT was right all along" posts now that 10-year Treasury yield has fallen below 4%... https://t.co/ANQCCAXJms
Dell Surges 20% Post‑earnings, Defying Market Slump
$DELL - a sight for sore eyes in this market. 20% gap up after earnings. Can it hold?
Strong Current Accounts Can't Stop Taiwan, Korea Currency Weakness
Taiwan's currency has depreciated even as Taiwan's current account has soared (to 20% in calendar 2025, with 30% expected in 26). But Taiwan is not alone -- the Korean won is also very very weak even as Samsung...
April Short Puts Signal Bearish Pressure on KKR, ARES
$KKR $ARES starting to see some April opening short puts Need that group to stabilize, was my first red signal a few weeks ago
Oracle's CDS Gains Vanish After Equity Funding Shift
Pretty remarkable that the “we’re raising half the money via equity” improvement in Oracle’s 5Y CDS completely reversed (and then some) so quickly https://t.co/E8Qzqv4pMx
Sticky PPI Keeps Rates High, Drives Yield Decline
The PPI is not falling, it has become sticky. It means rates stay higher. That will slow things down. Thus bond yields are falling. Makes sense? God knows https://t.co/XxE0jqRJ3L
Lithium May Mirror Silver's March‑April Surge?
Is Lithium about to pull 'a Silver' in March and April? $ALB $SQM $LIT $LAC https://t.co/Db55dIPSLT
Intel Set for MSCI Rebalance Boost; Google, Meta Sell
MSCI index rebalance TODAY Cherry picking $INTC has 5.5M shares to buy for the MSCI tonite a notable "few" sells $GOOG $META https://t.co/OEKl7nD5AW
Private Credit BDCs Plunge From Premium to Deep Discount
In just 12 months, private credit went from red hot to ice cold One year ago, the average BDC traded at a +6.2% premium to NAV Now, the average BDC trades at nearly a -20% discount to NAV, a level only exceeded...
Caution Needed: Breakouts Failing, Hold Cash
We have been advising caution. Tape action beneath the surface is worse than the indexes appear. For the most part, breakouts are not following through and too many reversals to justify aggressive trading. Patience is a virtue and cash is...
Canada's Red Tape Stalls Projects for Decades
Canada Is Being Destroyed By Bureaucracy & Over Regulation It takes an average of 19 years to get an approval to build a new Mine Australia's shipping Liquid Natural Gas to Canada's East Coast: Canada has 300 years of Gas Reserves Let's look...
Fed's Massive Balance Sheet, Not Warsh, Needs Trimming
"Kevin Warsh Isn’t Crazy, the Fed’s Big Balance Sheet Is" The obvious path to shrink the Fed's balance sheet is to go back to a corridor system. It worked for over 100 years as @josephsternberg points out. The problem: the establishment...
Three Bearish Stock Pair Charts Reveal Missing Piece
The 3 most bearish charts for stocks as an asset are as follows, in no particular order: XLY:XLP HYG:IEI SPHB:SPLV What's missing?
ARLO, FIGS Lead 2026 Small Caps Surge
ARLO and FIGS two top 2026 small caps that hit today, saw about 70 names up over 6% yesterday on that list
AI's Asset Demand Shifts Money From Tech to Commodities
The framing here just seems so clear to me. AI buildout requires a ton of real assets and commodities to complete Cyclical re acceleration is bullish commodities Everyone is overweight tech and AI is now questioning the validity of the multiples...
SPY Holds AVWAP Support From November Lows
SPY early hold of that AVWAP from Nov. lows which has consistently been support in 2026
Dell Poised to Break Above $140, Eyeing Next‑week Rally
$DELL crushed #s and raised a lot. as long as above 140 could close HOD and move higher next week... https://t.co/HsaGKCoa3Y
China's Central Bank Eases Dollar Purchases to Curb Yuan Rally
China Central Bank Moves to Tame Yuan Rally—China’s central bank on Friday moved to combat a rally in the yuan by making it cheaper for importers to buy dollars and sell the Chinese currency. @RebeccaYFeng https://t.co/uVx5NuUmDE
AlfCharts Highlights Brazil's Market Bottoms on Morning Show
You heard it here first folks, @AlfCharts really likes those big Brazilian bottoms. "Who doesn't?" We're talking about the nicest Brazilian bottoms LIVE on the Morning Show @StockMktTV Are you a fan of these too? https://t.co/OC19tkQKgR https://t.co/0WxJlRa8zZ
Floor & Decor Targets 500 U.S. Stores in Eight Years
Floor & Decor FY23 10-K: "We believe there is an opportunity to significantly expand our warehouse-format store base by a low- to mid-teens annual percentage growth rate over the near-to-medium term, reaching at least 500 in the U.S. within approximately eight...
Questioning Inflation Outlook: Is 10‑Year Rally a Flight‑to‑Quality?
@jimcramer I dont understand your response to the inflation print. It is not positive. And couldnt the short term strength in the 10 year (something you just mentioned) be a flight to quality with rising credit conerns and...
Expect Multiple Severe Bear Markets in Your Investing Career
Bear markets happen more often than many realize, and most people will have to navigate multiple severe downturns during their investing years. https://t.co/3M4SDMlWOY
Duolingo’s Free‑user Push Stalls as MAU Drops
In Q3, $DUOL management emphasized a strategic shift toward expanding the free-user base to strengthen long-term monetization. Experimentation was positioned around prioritizing DAU growth over short-term revenue optimization. However, Q4 trends show moderation. DAU growth is now expected to slow to...
Inflation Pressures Persist Despite Bullish Equity Outlook
Scott @ScottWapnerCNBC @HalftimeReport kindly forward this to Slink, @saraeisen (who has expressed the view that inflation is declining) and your panelists who mostly insist as part of their bullish stance on equities that inflation has been conquered. From Peter Boockvar...
NVDA Tests Support After Missing $192‑$194 Range
$nvda gave u ur clues yesterday as it failed to hold $192-$194 area. Now, see if it stays below yesterday’s low or reclaims it https://t.co/vIIob7ApK8
PPI Spikes 0.8%, Ending Rate‑cut Hopes
PPI just printed 0.8% vs 0.3% expected. Let that sink in. Producers are paying MORE. That cost gets passed to YOU. This is the hottest PPI in over 6 months and it just killed every rate cut fantasy on Wall Street. Buckle up —...
Norwegian Krone Leads Safe‑Haven Surge Amid Debt Monetization
The debasement trade is about markets searching for safe havens from debt monetization. That's driving up safe haven currencies. Norwegian Krone just took the lead (orange), while Swedish Krona (red) is in second place. Swiss Franc (black) is in third... https://t.co/hjA5jhrvvn...
Bloomberg Overlooks Key Current Vs. Financial Account Split
An interesting article from Bloomberg -- but one that misses an important part of the real story by following the recent advice of CATO and the WSJ oped page and ignoring the classic split in the balance of payments between...
S&P Near 10‑Month Winning Streak, Needs 30bps Boost
STREAK ON LINE: The S&P 500 is trying to notch its 10th straight positive month on last day of Feb today to secure the 2nd longest streak in the SPY Era (33yrs). It only needs 30bps of gains. Problem is...
US Producer Prices Surge Past Expectations in January
US January Producer Price Index prints at 0.5% vs 0.3% expected - previously 0.4% m/m Core #PPI at 0.8% vs expected 0.3% - previously 0.6% m/m Core PPI at 3.6% vs 3.0% expected - previously 3.3% y/y/ Headline PPI 2.9% vs expected 2.6%...
XLE Inflows Biggest Since 2008, Posing Tactical Risk
Gotta love a decade-plus breakout but XLE flows represent a tactical risk to the energy trade. Most one-month inflows since 2008 https://t.co/S4x6eWEanb
Short‑seller Paper May Mark Software Bottom; CEOs Mimic Dorsey
The Citrini doom-paper could have marked the bottom for large-cap software, with increasing signs of it being a short-seller paid paper. And maybe software CEOs will slowly but surely follow the Jack Dorsey playbook. Lay off 40 percent of staff,...
Trader Seeks Shorts, Eyes Potential Longs on XYZ, SLV
Nervous hands today, Im looking SHORT for sure, what names are you guys trading? $XYZ could be a nice LONG if we get back to $60, perhaps $SLV at $80.... What are you looking at?
Yuan
Not a total surprise -- the pace of appreciation was clearly pulling in funds betting on a further rise, and the yuan is heading toward levels where the PBOC has resisted appreciation in the past ... 1/
Real Yields Plunge, Not Breakeven Inflation, Despite AI Hype
With all the chatter about AI disruption, I would have expected lower breakeven inflation to be driving the fall in nominal Treasury yields, since AI is a deflationary shock. But that's not what's happening at all. It's real yields that...