Independent Research, US Dominant Players, Investment Talk

Investment Talk

Independent Research, US Dominant Players

Investment Talk is for readers who wish to learn about companies that are potentially outside of their own circle of research, as well as those who are longing to become part of a community of like-minded investors and learn more about investment research. I would describe myself as a long-term investor who typically takes a 3Y to 5Y outlook, before reassessing once that period matures. I follow the adage that one should research, reach a conclusion, and then verify and continue to hold so long as the thesis remains intact. My own investing style is one that seeks to find dominant players within their respective market who have shown signs of monopoly or oligopolistic behaviour, unlikely to be disrupted, in tandem with discovering market disruptors who have a high likelihood of disrupting their respective market. Equally (and weighted accordingly) I seek to discover more nuanced, misunderstood, situations with a shorter time frame.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>As I <strong>reflected</strong> on my performance in 2023, I was reminded that benchmarking can be a brutal process.</li><li>But it keeps you humble. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my chosen benchmark, the S&amp;P 500.</li><li>I occasionally think as an international investor I should change it.</li></ul>

As I reflected on my performance in 2023, I was reminded that benchmarking can be a brutal process.But it keeps you humble. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my chosen benchmark, the S&amp;P 500.I occasionally think as an international investor I should change it.

Data-Driven Analysis of Cryptocurrency Markets, Kaiko

Kaiko

Data-Driven Analysis of Cryptocurrency Markets

Kaiko is the leading cryptocurrency market data provider for institutional investors and enterprises. We empower market participants with accurate, transparent, and actionable financial data to be leveraged for a range of market activities. Kaiko’s mission is to be the foundation of the new digital finance economy by serving as a single source for market information. Our mission is premised on the idea that high-quality data drives market efficiency and greater transparency throughout the industry. For each of our enterprise clients, we build custom data plans designed for a range of use cases.

Crypto

<ul><li>This week, news broke that the oldest crypto market maker, GSR, has been scaling back operations - particularly in the U.S. - while a number of top executives have left the company.</li><li>This is yet another hit to U.S. and global liquidity and volumes; in May, Jump Crypto and Jane Street revealed they were reducing crypto operations.</li><li>This week, we’ll take a look at the state of the crypto market, including volatility, liquidity, and volumes, and then examine some budding narratives and tokens.</li></ul>

This week, news broke that the oldest crypto market maker, GSR, has been scaling back operations - particularly in the U.S. - while a number of top executives have left the company.This is yet another hit to U.S. and global liquidity and volumes; in May, Jump Crypto and Jane Street revealed they were reducing crypto operations.This week, we’ll take a look at the state of the crypto market, including volatility, liquidity, and volumes, and then examine some budding narratives and tokens.

High Quality Stock Setups, Weekly Stock Bull Finder

Weekly Stock Bull Finder

High Quality Stock Setups

Finding high potential stock setups on quality companies

<ul><li>The start of the second half of the year so far has seen a change in the market themes versus the first half of the year.</li><li>Microsoft’s declaration in January 2023 that AI would emerge as the next computing platform coupled with Nvidia’s shocking earnings guide up last quarter, coupled with a weaker dollar and decline in bond yields, provided fuel in the first half of the year for the technology sector and garnered investor eyeballs to anything closely associated with AI.</li><li>However, on Microsoft’s most recent earnings call on July 25th, CFO Amy Hood stated “Even with strong demand and a leadership position, growth from our AI services will be gradual as Azure AI scales and our copilots reach general availability dates. So for FY '24, the impact will be weighted towards H2.”</li></ul>

The start of the second half of the year so far has seen a change in the market themes versus the first half of the year.Microsoft’s declaration in January 2023 that AI would emerge as the next computing platform coupled with Nvidia’s shocking earnings guide up last quarter, coupled with a weaker dollar and decline in bond yields, provided fuel in the first half of the year for the technology sector and garnered investor eyeballs to anything closely associated with AI.However, on Microsoft’s most recent earnings call on July 25th, CFO Amy Hood stated “Even with strong demand and a leadership position, growth from our AI services will be gradual as Azure AI scales and our copilots reach general availability dates. So for FY '24, the impact will be weighted towards H2.”

Managing Partner, VRS (Valuation & Research Specialists)

VRS (Valuation & Research Specialists)

Managing Partner

Valuation & Research Specialists (VRS) is a boutique financial advisor with more than 17 years of experience in Corporate Valuation and Finance, and a diversified client base including some of the largest Companies in Greece.

Since 2002, VRS has completed more than 200 engagements in the areas of business valuation and financial analysis for more than 100 clients in a wide range of industries.

VRS has been honored to work with small and large private and publicly traded companies in Europe and overseas.

Boutique Financial Advisor

<ul><li>The re-emergence of AI as a topic of hype, caution and investment contains, in equal parts, the re-discovery of a pre-existing technology, but now on steroids, plus all the excitement of the race among the top 5 techs to invest enough in order to dominate the field .</li><li>The 2000 Dot.com boom involved hundreds of IPOs of start-ups, all with the word “internet” in their names, except now the AI boom involves mostly buying up existing startups by the big Techs.</li><li>The re emergence of AI will undoubtedly change a lot of the ways in which data are used and monetized, it will make Google search far more client-friendly and it will step up the capacity of software to program themselves. </li></ul>

The re-emergence of AI as a topic of hype, caution and investment contains, in equal parts, the re-discovery of a pre-existing technology, but now on steroids, plus all the excitement of the race among the top 5 techs to invest enough in order to dominate the field .The 2000 Dot.com boom involved hundreds of IPOs of start-ups, all with the word “internet” in their names, except now the AI boom involves mostly buying up existing startups by the big Techs.The re emergence of AI will undoubtedly change a lot of the ways in which data are used and monetized, it will make Google search far more client-friendly and it will step up the capacity of software to program themselves. 

The “ AI Revolution” : A Cautionary Tale and Its Investment Consequences

Asia biased macro & technical analysis, Untying The Gordian Knot

Untying The Gordian Knot

Asia biased macro & technical analysis

A differentiated process with a primary focus on Asia. Technical Analysis as core and Macro drivers that could bring the view to fruition & changes that could make the idea fall apart. The objective is to be the best in class, hence corner shop.

Macroeconomics

<ul><li>The large US banks opened higher on Friday, trading up by 1.5% to 3.7% in the morning session on news of earnings beat by JP Morgan and Wells Fargo.</li><li>JP Morgan, Bank of America, Citibank, and Wells Fargo formed a bearish Candlestick pattern despite the earning beat on above-average volume.</li><li>In the technology sector, the Semiconductor ETF (SOX), Nvidia, Microsoft, META, Micron Technology, C3 AI, SPDR Technology ETF, and Palantir all had bearish price action and candlestick patterns.</li></ul>

The large US banks opened higher on Friday, trading up by 1.5% to 3.7% in the morning session on news of earnings beat by JP Morgan and Wells Fargo.JP Morgan, Bank of America, Citibank, and Wells Fargo formed a bearish Candlestick pattern despite the earning beat on above-average volume.In the technology sector, the Semiconductor ETF (SOX), Nvidia, Microsoft, META, Micron Technology, C3 AI, SPDR Technology ETF, and Palantir all had bearish price action and candlestick patterns.

United States

The S&P 500® is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities and serves as the foundation for a wide range of investment products. The index includes 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization.

S&P 500 INDEX (SPX INDEX)

Picking a Benchmark

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my chosen benchmark, the S&P 500.I occasionally think as an international investor I should change it.

Investment Talk

Where Has the Volatility Gone?

This week, we’ll take a look at the state of the crypto market, including volatility, liquidity, and volumes, and then examine some budding...

Kaiko

Weekly Stock Bullfinder - Week of 8/14

The start of the second half of the year so far has seen a change in the market themes versus the first half of the year.

Weekly Stock Bull Finder

The “ AI Revolution” : A Cautionary Tale and Its Investment Consequences

The re-emergence of AI as a topic of hype, caution and investment contains, in equal parts, the re-discovery of a pre-existing technology, but now...

VRS (Valuation & Research Specialists)

Nasdaq and S&P Futures

The large US banks opened higher on Friday, trading up by 1.5% to 3.7% in the morning session on news of earnings beat by JP Morgan and Wells Fargo.

Untying The Gordian Knot