Independent Investment Research, The IDEA!

The IDEA!

Independent Investment Research

The Idea-Driven Equities Analyses company (the IDEA!) is an employee-owned boutique providing independent investment research and financial consultancy services with a clear focus on the Benelux countries. The company was founded in the summer of 2007 by Henk Slotboom and Maarten Verbeek, both with more than 35 years of professional experience in the financial sector. The IDEA! differentiates itself by focusing on adding value through self-initiated in-depth, idea-driven investment research, as well as by bespoke research assignments for institutional investors, hedge funds and private equity. In addition, we provide market intelligence, strategic research and – together with our business partners – consultancy services to businesses. In case you are interested in receiving more information, a sample of our products or an introductory meeting, please send a message to info@theidea.nl.

Equity Bottom-Up

Allegro.eu SA operates shopping e-commerce platform. The Company offers products in categories such as automotive, fashion, home and garden, electronics, books and collectibles, and health and beauty. Allegro.eu serves customers in Europe.

<ul><li>In this edition: • Ahold Delhaize / PostNL | EUR 2/parcel levy on non-EU parcels as of 1 January 2026 • Unilever | sells Graze to Katjes International • CM.com | clients are offered migration program to switch to Bird • Black Friday week sales | online transactions up by approx. 5% YoY • Dutch retail sales | up 3.1% YoY in October; no meaningful change in the growth trend</li></ul>

In this edition: • Ahold Delhaize / PostNL | EUR 2/parcel levy on non-EU parcels as of 1 January 2026 • Unilever | sells Graze to Katjes International • CM.com | clients are offered migration program to switch to Bird • Black Friday week sales | online transactions up by approx. 5% YoY • Dutch retail sales | up 3.1% YoY in October; no meaningful change in the growth trend

Asian Economist

Kok Peng Chan

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>By tracking chip sales, sector earnings and ICT profit margins our analysis point to an early-to-mid-cycle AI expansion, not an AI-bubble about to implode</li>
<li>WSTS data show AI demand in a de-synchronised mode, revealing a multi-speed chip cycle with AI in the fast lane and legacy end-markets still digesting past booms</li>
<li>Tech and communication stocks dominate the S&amp;P 500, but unlike 1999 their market and earnings share are broadly matched, suggesting elevated but not irrational pricing provided AI monetisation holds up</li>
</ul>


By tracking chip sales, sector earnings and ICT profit margins our analysis point to an early-to-mid-cycle AI expansion, not an AI-bubble about to implode
WSTS data show AI demand in a de-synchronised mode, revealing a multi-speed chip cycle with AI in the fast lane and legacy end-markets still digesting past booms
Tech and communication stocks dominate the S&amp;P 500, but unlike 1999 their market and earnings share are broadly matched, suggesting elevated but not irrational pricing provided AI monetisation holds up


Independent in-depth research from Finimize, Finimize

Finimize Research

Independent in-depth research from Finimize

Finimize

Finimize is the #1 information platform for modern investors. We empower people to become smarter investors with bitesize insights from world-class analysts. 1 million+ strong community, 250 partners.

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Technological revolutions follow a sequence: they start with a disruptive “installation phase”, then go through a critical “turning point”, and are finally followed by a “deployment phase”.</li>
<li>According to Carlota Perez, AI isn’t the start of a new technological revolution: it’s a critical milestone in the current, longstanding “information and telecommunication” revolution.</li>
<li>Being aware of different phases is valuable when investing. It can help you play the contrarian card – staying cautious during the frenzy and making bolder bets during the downturns.</li>
</ul>


Technological revolutions follow a sequence: they start with a disruptive “installation phase”, then go through a critical “turning point”, and are finally followed by a “deployment phase”.
According to Carlota Perez, AI isn’t the start of a new technological revolution: it’s a critical milestone in the current, longstanding “information and telecommunication” revolution.
Being aware of different phases is valuable when investing. It can help you play the contrarian card – staying cautious during the frenzy and making bolder bets during the downturns.


AI And Investing In The New Technological Revolution

<ul>
<li>Ray Dalio actually made an art form of it: his All-Weather Portfolio spreads risk across economic scenarios like inflation, deflation, growth, and slowdowns.</li>
<li>You can improve on it by layering a simple trend filter on top. Do that, and the risk-adjusted returns get a serious boost: drawdowns shrink and the ride is smoother.</li>
<li>The traditional All-Weather Portfolio, 2x leveraged, delivered an 8.7% annual return with 13.8% volatility, and a Sharpe of 0.48. The trend-filtered version 8.2% return and a Sharpe 0.71.</li>
</ul>


Ray Dalio actually made an art form of it: his All-Weather Portfolio spreads risk across economic scenarios like inflation, deflation, growth, and slowdowns.
You can improve on it by layering a simple trend filter on top. Do that, and the risk-adjusted returns get a serious boost: drawdowns shrink and the ride is smoother.
The traditional All-Weather Portfolio, 2x leveraged, delivered an 8.7% annual return with 13.8% volatility, and a Sharpe of 0.48. The trend-filtered version 8.2% return and a Sharpe 0.71.


Ray Dalio’s All-Weather Portfolio Works In Any Market – And This Tweak Makes It Even Better

Semiconductor & Technology Specialist, Ingenuity

William Keating

Semiconductor & Technology Specialist

Ingenuity

Our focus is exclusively on in-depth research & consulting in the broader semiconductor industry. We focus on the key players, namely Intel, Micron, Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung, NVIDIA, AMD, TSMC & Global Foundries - as well as some of the lesser known, but nonetheless critical, companies such as ASML (for EUV), Mellanox, Cavium, Xilinx etc. We specialise in their products, roadmaps, process technologies, competitive advantages & threats etc. We also help our clients understand the implications of new and emerging technologies, e.g. 3D X-Point, 3D NAND, Carbon Nanotubes, Autonomous Driving, Graphene, Silicon Photonics, Wafer-Level Optics, Artificial Intelligence, FPGA, GPU, ASIC etc. 

Semiconductor Analysis & Research

<ul>
<li>Maybe it’s 10, 20 years something like that. For me that’s long term. Um my prediction is that work will be optional.</li>
<li>The evidence speaks for itself uh but but but AI and humanoid robots will actually eliminate poverty and Tesla won’t be the only one that makes them.</li>
<li>There will still be constraints on power like electricity. The fundamental physics elements will still be constraints. Um but um I think at some point uh currency becomes irrelevant.</li>
</ul>


Maybe it’s 10, 20 years something like that. For me that’s long term. Um my prediction is that work will be optional.
The evidence speaks for itself uh but but but AI and humanoid robots will actually eliminate poverty and Tesla won’t be the only one that makes them.
There will still be constraints on power like electricity. The fundamental physics elements will still be constraints. Um but um I think at some point uh currency becomes irrelevant.


Did The Elon & Jensen Clown Show Just Crater The AI Narrative?

Poland
Insights on Poland

Allegro.eu SA - What's News in Amsterdam

In this edition: • Ahold Delhaize / PostNL | EUR 2/parcel levy on non-EU parcels as of 1 January 2026 • Unilever | sells Graze to Katjes...

The IDEA!

Tracking the AI Cycle : A Macro View

We provide a macro view and three indicators which investors can use to track the AI cycle. They are no where near a 1999 dot-com bubble scenario...

Kok Peng Chan

AI And Investing In The New Technological Revolution

Understanding the phases of technological revolutions can guide investment strategies, with AI seen as a critical milestone in the current...

Finimize Research

Ray Dalio’s All-Weather Portfolio Works In Any Market – And This Tweak Makes It Even Better

Ray Dalio's All-Weather Portfolio can be enhanced with a trend filter for improved risk-adjusted returns, reducing drawdowns, and providing a...

Finimize Research

Did The Elon & Jensen Clown Show Just Crater The AI Narrative?

At last week's US-Saudi Investment Forum, Elon's inability to clearly articulate the deal he had just signed with the KSA was shocking.

William Keating

Allegro.eu SA - What's News in Amsterdam

In this edition: • Ahold Delhaize / PostNL | EUR 2/parcel levy on non-EU parcels as of 1 January 2026 • Unilever | sells Graze to Katjes...

The IDEA!

Tracking the AI Cycle : A Macro View

We provide a macro view and three indicators which investors can use to track the AI cycle. They are no where near a 1999 dot-com bubble scenario...

Kok Peng Chan

AI And Investing In The New Technological Revolution

​Understanding the phases of technological revolutions can guide investment strategies, with AI seen as a critical milestone in the current...

Finimize Research

Ray Dalio’s All-Weather Portfolio Works In Any Market – And This Tweak Makes It Even Better

​Ray Dalio's All-Weather Portfolio can be enhanced with a trend filter for improved risk-adjusted returns, reducing drawdowns, and providing a...

Finimize Research

Did The Elon & Jensen Clown Show Just Crater The AI Narrative?

At last week's US-Saudi Investment Forum, Elon's inability to clearly articulate the deal he had just signed with the KSA was shocking.

William Keating

Understanding the phases of technological revolutions can guide investment strategies, with AI seen as a critical milestone in the current...

Ray Dalio's All-Weather Portfolio can be enhanced with a trend filter for improved risk-adjusted returns, reducing drawdowns, and providing a...