TOPLEY’S TOP 10 February 06, 2025

1. Mag 7 Capital Spending Equal to U.S. Government R&D

We are in the AI buildout, with total capital investment by the “magnificent seven” mostly mega cap tech stocks on par with government R&D. See the chart. The release of a seemingly more efficient AI model by Chinese startup DeepSeek has renewed questions about AI capex. While these questions are valid, more spending is likely needed to unlock AI innovation – recent developments don’t change our view. Broad AI adoption is still to come, and we have barely scratched the surface of all the potential AI use cases. Yet AI advances mean these models could be evolving faster than expected. That could push AI into the adoption phase sooner and is why the AI narrative and the market’s reaction could change quickly.

BlackRock


2. Tariffs vs. Trump I

Bloomberg via Barchart


3. Temu and Shein Big Chinese Retailers at Risk of New Tariffs…..Shein Revenue Growth

Statista


4. TEMU Revenue Growth

Backllnko


5. 75% of American Adults Use Amazon Prime

Chartr


6. FMC -33% Yesterday…Stock Traded Above $100 2020-2023….$35 Last

StockCharts


7. Europe Beating American Market to Start Year…But Just Got Back to Pre-Election Levels

StockCharts


8. Agencies Share of Civil Service Jobs

Semafor


9. Illegal Border Crossings Hit 2020 Levels

Eric Finnigan


10. Diet Strategies that Enhance Sleep

Via Consumer Reports: When you build your diet around foods that fit those criteria, you end up with something that looks like the Mediterranean diet—a way of eating that emphasizes plant-based foods, including lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and healthy sources of fat (such as olive oil, nuts, and avocados), while limiting red meat, sweets, and refined carbohydrates (such as foods made with white flour). Indeed, studies examining the connection between this pattern of eating and better sleep have shown promising results.

For example, a 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients followed more than 400 women in the U.S. for a year to see whether compliance with the Mediterranean diet affected their sleep quality. Those with the greatest adherence to this way of eating had 30 percent lower sleep disturbance scores (meaning they got more solid rest) than those with the lowest adherence.

Certain categories of foods—namely fruits, vegetables, and legumes—stood out for their positive effects on various measures of sleep quality. “Legume consumption was associated with better sleep overall,” says Brooke Aggarwal, EdD, an assistant professor of medical sciences in the division of cardiology at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and one of the study authors. “And the effects were dose-dependent—the more servings of legumes they ate, the more significant improvement they had in sleep efficiency.” (Sleep efficiency is the ratio of how many hours you sleep to how many hours you spend in bed.)

A 2024 review and analysis of 37 studies published in Sleep Medicine Reviews bolstered the link between a healthy diet and better sleep. Following a Mediterranean or other high-quality quality diet reduced the risk of insomnia symptoms by 9 to 34 percent.

But it’s not that the Mediterranean diet necessarily has magic abilities to enhance sleep. “It’s the healthy components of that way of eating—more fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats,” St. Onge says. “You can focus on eating those foods in any predominantly plant-based diet.”

How Better Eating Leads to Better Sleep

There are several possible explanations for how a healthy plant-based diet enhances sleep.

“All of the foods plentiful in the Mediterranean diet are rich sources of fiber, which has beneficial effects on the gut microbiome,” Aggarwal says. A healthier gut and better sleep are connected by various mechanisms.

“The gut and brain communicate via the gut-brain axis,” she says. “Specific to sleep, the gut microbiome is thought to send signals that help to regulate circadian rhythms.”

Circadian rhythms, part of the body’s internal clock, are controlled by daylight and darkness and affect many body processes, including hormonal activity and the sleep-wake cycle. Additionally, the gut is involved in the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes better mood and is an important component for regulating sleep.

Higher fruit and vegetable consumption as part of a plant-based diet also means a greater intake of beneficial antioxidant compounds called polyphenols. Emerging research points to an association between these compounds and improvements in sleep. “Polyphenols have effects on the autonomic nervous system and can increase heart rate variability [the fluctuation in time between heartbeats],” St. Onge says. Higher heart rate variability is a sign you’re in a relaxed state and is associated with better sleep quality, she says. Some polyphenols also act on receptors in the brain that promote sleep.

Plant foods can even enhance the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Legumes, soy, leafy greens, and seeds are all rich sources of tryptophan, an amino acid (a building block of protein) that the body uses to make melatonin. Turkey and dairy are often cited as the best sources of tryptophan. But the tryptophan in those high-protein foods isn’t actually synthesized as efficiently in the brain as the tryptophan from plant foods. That may be in part because you also need B vitamins and carbohydrates to process tryptophan, both of which you get when you eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

Eating Habits That Can Wreck Your Sleep

In addition to leaving you feeling tired, not getting enough sleep affects various processes in your brain and body that can lead to unhealthy food choices. Sleeping too few hours may increase hormones that stimulate appetite as well as suppress those that signal satiety. At the same time, short sleep durations appear to activate the reward centers in the brain, increasing cravings for high-sugar, high-fat snack foods.

“If you have good sleep, you tend to make better choices in all aspects of your life—eating healthier foods, taking the stairs instead of the elevator,” St. Onge says. “And when you don’t have good sleep, you tend to go for the easier, less healthy choices—more processed foods, more snacks, more sugar, less exercise. And this vicious cycle perpetuates itself.” A habitually unhealthy eating pattern (that may be exacerbated by not sleeping well) can, in turn, lead to more sleepless nights.

Along with obvious sleep-wreckers like alcohol and caffeine, foods that are high in fat, sugar, and saturated fat have been shown to affect sleep quality negatively. For example, a small study led by St. Onge, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2016, found that when participants ate more sugar, refined carbs, and saturated fat, it took them longer to fall asleep and they spent less time in the deep, restorative short-wave sleep phase.

In another study, published in 2020 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers looked at the diets and sleep quality of almost 500 women. They found that those who reported poor sleep quality also had worse-quality diets. For example, women who took more than an hour to fall asleep consumed over 400 calories more per day than those who routinely fell asleep in 15 minutes or less. The poor sleepers not only ate more calories per day but also consumed more sugar, more saturated fat, and less fiber.

Diets rich in ultraprocessed foods—packaged foods that are made with ingredients not typically found in home kitchens—have also been linked to insomnia. A 2024 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that people with chronic insomnia had a higher percentage of UPFs in their diets than those without insomnia. Every 10 percent increase in UPFs in the diet was linked to a 9 percent increase in insomnia risk in men and a 6 percent increased risk in women.

Can Specific Foods Help You Sleep?

Over the years there have been various studies about how eating individual foods could ease you into slumber. Although these studies were typically small in scale (and often funded by the food industry), they usually resulted in lots of splashy headlines touting the miraculous effect of certain foods—such as tart cherries or kiwifruit. But experts caution against looking to a single food as nature’s sleeping pill.

“I like to advocate for better overall dietary patterns for better health and better sleep,” St. Onge says. “Including those foods can’t hurt, but you can’t negate the effect of a day’s worth of a bad diet with a single kiwi before bed.”

TOPLEY’S TOP 10 February 05, 2025

1. Big Tech Share of Revenue from Outside the U.S.

FT


2. Another Look at Current Valuations: High But Not Near Internet Bubble Levels

The Daily Chartbook


3. Nvidia Down -13% in 2025


4. U.S. Imports from China by Category

Apollo Academy


5. California Tesla Car Sales Dropping -17% from Two Years Ago

But Tesla sales in California dropped in Q4 to 43,658 vehicles, the lowest since Q3 2022, down by nearly 8% from a year ago, and down by 17% from two years ago, according to vehicle registrations released by the California new vehicle dealer association CNCDA.

Wolf Street


6. Largest Sovereign Wealth Funds

Semafor


7. Top Countries for VC Funding vs. Population

PitchBook


8. We Showed the Gold Breakout this Week….Next to Watch in Junior Gold Miners…Getting Close

StockCharts


9. Where Declining Rents are Improving Affordability

Austin, Texas is No.1 among the “most affordable metros,” which Redfin defines as placeswhere renters typically earn more money than they need in order to afford a typical rental unit.

The typical renter in the area makes $69,781 annually, which is 25.14% higher than the $55,760 the site estimates is required to afford a typical apartment there.

Austin is followed by Houston; Dallas; Salt Lake City; Raleigh, North Carolina; Denver; Phoenix; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; and Nashville. 

CNBC


10. Why the aging process spikes at 44 and 60 (and how to stop it)

Researchers have discovered two spikes in our ageing. Here’s how to turn back the clock.

Via The Telegraph: In our 40s, our ability to process alcohol diminishes and our skin and muscle texture weakens

It’s no revelation that our health malfunctions as the years advance. But a study from Stanford University has challenged the traditional idea that we steadily age over time. The research team extensively monitored molecular changes over a period of up to seven years in people (male and female) aged 25 to 75, and discovered two spikes in our ageing – one at around 44 and the other at 60.

Prof Michael Snyder, an expert in genetics and senior author of the study, says: “You really do want to take care of yourself as you approach these periods. Eating better will help with the drop in lipid metabolism which shows up in the 40s. And strength training is important, especially as you hit your 60s, when there is a loss of muscle mass. Always try to track yourself with specific check-ups, so you can make sure things are going fine during these periods.”

No one wants to decline with age, so intervention is key. And when it comes to health, time seems to be of the essence.

What to watch out for in your 40s

While menopause often gets the blame for the sudden increase in health concerns amongst midlife women, the Stanford report revealed a similar jump in age-related issues among 40-something men. It also confirmed what we already know: our ability to process alcohol diminishes, skin and muscle texture weakens, and the way we deal with caffeine, fats and sugars is compromised. Other changes include:

Our ability to process fats and sugars drops off a cliff

Steak lovers, look away. The Stanford research tells us that shifts in our lipid metabolism means our body finds it harder to process these as we age, which can result in high cholesterol levels.

When the body doesn’t manage cholesterol, it sits along the artery walls and clogs them. This puts more strain on the heart to pump blood and so blood pressure rises.
Foods containing saturated fats (for example, processed meat, dairy products, baked and fried goods) are on the culprit list.

After 40, it’s worth keeping an eye on your metabolic health, by signing up for a free NHS Health Check every five years, which includes a blood pressure and cholesterol check.

Bones get weaker

The Stanford study shows that musculoskeletal issues shoot up after 40. The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) confirms that we reach our peak bone health at the age of 30. As we get older, the tissue inside our bones naturally declines, but this especially true for women around the menopause when levels of oestrogen decrease. And while osteoporosis disproportionately affects females, anyone can suffer. The ROS says: “Data shows one in two women and one in five men over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis; it is an escalating public health crisis.”

Weight-bearing exercises with impact, such as walking or jogging, and muscle-strengthening exercise, such as Pilates or weight training, will keep bones strong, and the earlier in life you start the better – but it’s never too late. Build up to 20-30 minutes muscle-strengthening exercise a day, specifically working on your legs, arms and spine. 

Foods high in vitamin D (for example, oily fish, red meat and egg yolks) help your body to absorb and use calcium, which is necessary for strong bones. Between the end of September and the beginning of April, when sunlight is scarce in the UK, you should consider taking a daily supplement of 10 micrograms (sometimes called 400 international units) to boost your levels.

The second wave of ageing in your 60s

As we hit our 60s, our immune function takes a dive, our ability to process carbs becomes ever more sluggish while our heart and kidneys are not as robust as they once were. Fortunately, there’s still time to reboot our health.

Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent

There are significant changes in our metabolism as the years tot up. And our decreased ability to process carbs is linked to a greater risk of Type 2 diabetes. According to Diabetes UK, there are 4.4 million people currently living with a diabetes diagnosis and a further 1.2 million with Type 2 diabetes yet to be diagnosed.

Douglas Twenefour, the head of care at Diabetes UK, states, “Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent as we get older as a result of a combination of increasing insulin resistance and a reducing ability to make the right amount of insulin. Insulin resistance is where the insulin that is produced does not work properly, and in older people, this could be due to being less physically active and more sedentary. It’s not unusual to lose muscle with age, but this can make it harder for the cells to absorb glucose from the blood, leading to higher blood glucose levels over time which increases the risk for Type 2 diabetes. A positive solution would be to do strength-building exercises at least two days a week.”

Kidney disease risk rises after 64

An unhealthy lifestyle can be tough on the kidneys, mainly because their primary job is to clean out the bad stuff – they filter about 180 litres of blood every day. Fiona Loud, the policy director of Kidney Care UK, says: “Natural ageing means we lose about 1 per cent of our kidney function year on year. But if things go really wrong, the average age for people to get kidney failure is 64-85. Many people are unaware that diabetes is the most common cause of kidney damage, plus high blood pressure is a significant risk factor, so anyone with these conditions can be vulnerable.”

Always check your urine. Healthy urine is a lighter yellowish shade; a darker colour could indicate dehydration. Continual urinary infections can also take their toll on the kidneys, and are common amongst older people. It’s extremely important to stay well hydrated, as dehydration can lead to crystals which affect kidney function.

Outside of conditions such as diabetes that put people at risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the main offenders for kidney damage are too much salt in the diet, sugary drinks and smoking, combined with a sedentary lifestyle; even some medications like ibuprofen should be monitored as overuse can be damaging. Warning signs include: anaemia, tiredness, nausea, foamy urine, increased blood pressure, puffy eyes and swollen legs. There is no cure for kidney failure, so prevention is definitely better.

Heart disease and stroke

Age is the main risk factor for heart disease. The ability for the heart to regenerate itself tails off, so any disease or trauma is significant. Our arteries can also harden and become narrow with a build-up of plaque which can lead to stroke.

Joanne Whitmore, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, advises us to get moving, eat a healthy diet, stop smoking and cut down on booze. She says: “The strain on the heart can also be reduced by lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week. Eat smaller amounts of meat – if you eat more than 90g of red and processed meat per day, it is recommended that you reduce this to 70g or less.

“If you want to quit smoking, get in touch with your local stop smoking services. They’ll provide you with support and boost your chances of success. Stick within the recommended guidelines of no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. Drinking more on a regular basis can cause abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, palpitations, damage to your heart muscle and stroke.”

Dr Maeva May, an associate director of system engagement at the Stroke Association,adds: “A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, killing brain cells. Nine out of 10 strokes are preventable – there is enormous potential for reducing strokes if the risk factors are better detected, treated, and managed.”

Cancer risk rises after 60

The study picked up a drop in the function of our immune system, which can mean a rise in the risk of cancer. The advanced years will see us less able to fight infections and illnesses as the body produces fewer immune cells, while the ones we do have are less robust. Maxine Lenza, a health information manager at Cancer Research UK, explains: “The possibility of cancer increases as we age because cancer starts when cells in our bodies get damaged. The older people get, the more time there is for cell damage to build up, which can lead to cancer.”

Maintaining a healthy immune system is your golden ticket. Sleeping and eating well, reducing stress, keeping up with your vaccines, exercising and stopping smoking all are positive steps towards being fighting fit.

TOPLEY’S TOP 10 February 04, 2025

1. On DeepSeek News/AI Sell-Off Day…Retail Investors Bought $562M in NVDA Stock

Tipranks


2. Canadian Currency Weakness Offsetting Any Tariffs? Chart of Canadian Dollar vs. U.S. Dollar Straight Down

StockCharts


3. Trudeau Post After 30-Day Delay Announced

Bloomberg


4. Mexican Peso Weakness Offsetting Tariffs….Peso vs. U.S. Dollar Straight Down

StockCharts


5. 80% of Mexican Exports Go to U.S…Mexican Stock Market Down -30% Before Tariffs

StockCharts


6. U.S. Exports to Mexico Mostly to Texas

The United States and Mexico trade over $800 billion annually in goods (nearly $300 billion just from the top six exporting states, as shown in the graph above). More than one million US jobs are tied to cross-border commerce and over five million US jobs depend on commerce with Mexico, all intertwined in a highly diversified supply chain that keeps everything from cars to avocados flowing.

Atlantic Council


7. Goldman Global Clients Bullish on U.S….Much Higher than Recent History

Bloomberg

Bloomberg


8. Who Owns the Cloud?

The Capitalist


9. SuperBowl Tickets Down -30 to 50%

Via CNN: The Kansas City Chiefs might make history this weekend, but ticket prices aren’t reflecting that.

The cheapest ticket forSuper Bowl LIX in New Orleans has fallen below $4,000 on the secondary market, according to reseller TickPick, marking a 30% decline over the past week — and more than 50% cheaper compared to last year’s record-breaking Super Bowl.

The Chiefs, whoface the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, are hoping to be the first team to win three successive Super Bowl rings. Despite that historic feat on the line, fans apparentlyaren’t excited to splash out big bucks.

There are a few potential reasons related to this year’s host city — and perhaps a slight dose of Chiefs fatigue.


10. Tiny Thoughts from Farnam Street

Consistency compounds while occasional brilliance fades.
You don’t need more time. You need more focus.
Time isn’t the constraint. Your choices are.
Great outcomes aren’t built on great days, but on consistent ones.
You can’t just count the days when it’s easy. Each day moves you closer to the goal. No day is a hero; no day is a villain.
Perfect days don’t compound. Consistent ones do.

TOPLEY’S TOP 10 February 03, 2025

1. Gigachad “Tokenized Masculinity” Worth $600m

You know what’s going great? Gigachad. It’s a memecoin representing, to quote fromgigachad.com, “tokenized masculinity.” A sparse splash page there explains that there is “no intrinsic value or expectation of financial return. There is no formal team or roadmap.” It’s up 91,000% over the past year, with a market value of more than $600 million. I’m leaving out some key fundamentals. There’s also a picture of a guy with a beard on the website, and phrases like, “I don’t care, I win.”

Barron’s


2. A Positive January is Bullish

Of the 32 years where January was up 2% or higher, the S&P 500 finished down in only 4 of those 32 years.

Ryan Detrick


3. Apple Buybacks and Dividends

The world’s largest company by market cap continues to return all its cash flow (and then some) to shareholders.

Over the last 5 years, Apple has returned $550 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends, more than any company in the world. Notably, over that same timeframe, Apple has generated $511 billion in free cash flow.

Performance since earnings: +0%.

FinChat.io


4. Update on H100 NVDA Chip Hoarding

Sherwood


5. Money Flows to Bonds 2024

Vanguard


6. Healthcare: 2-Years of Underperformance

Advisor Perspectives


7. Rise of Stablecoins for Cross-Border Cash

Stablecoins have become a crucial part of the global economy. Crypto has great potential for cross-border trade: People in developing markets with unreliable banks, poor financial infrastructure, or high tariffs can use it to buy goods from abroad. But crypto’s unpredictable value makes that difficult. Stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to the value of traditional currencies such as the dollar, allow frictionless transactions without crypto’s usual instability. As a result, major companies, including SpaceX — whose Starlink satellite service is a key source of internet in developing countries — and financial services firm Stripe have begun using stablecoins for some cross-border transactions. The coins are now a $205 billion market, “driven by real-world utility, not speculation,” according to TechCrunch.

Semafor


8. Republican vs. Democrat Congressional Traders

Unusual Whales has created two counterpart ETFs that are meant to track Republican Trading (KRUZ) and Democratic Trading (NANC) based on trading activity disclosures from members of Congress and their spouses.  As shown below, the Democratic Trading ETF has outperformed SPY since the ETF’s inception in early 2023 with NANC up 58.9% compared to a 46.6% gain in the S&P 500 (SPY).  The Republican Trading ETF (KRUZ) has gained roughly 30%, which means it’s up about half as much as the Democratic ETF.  Based on these two ETFs at least, investors have recently been better off following the trading patterns of Democrats rather than Republicans in Congress.

Bespoke Investment Group


9. Tariffs Have Been Eliminated Over the Last Century

Yahoo! Finance


10. Why You Wake Up at 3 a.m., and How to Get Back to Sleep

Psychology Today: Do you often awake at the witching hour? Here’s how to cast off its spell.

KEY POINTS

  • A key to getting back to sleep is to reframe your response to seeing the time displayed on the clock.
  • Instead of panicking about what time it is, remember that it’s normal to awaken during the night.
  • Nervous system regulation strategies (progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, deep breathing) can help.

Waking up in the middle of the night isn’t an uncommon experience. About one-third of the general population struggles with it. Many of us have one or two interruptions to slumber that entail a bathroom trip or a reconfiguration of our pillows, sheets, and sleep positions. Some of us, however, wake up wired and can’t for the life of us get back to sleep. It’s the 3 a.m. wide-awakeness that tends to be the bane of many insomniacs’ existence. If this is happening to you on the regular, here are some possible reasons why—plus, some strategies to increase your odds of getting better shut-eye.

1. Age 

As we age, we tend to have more frequent awakenings from sleep and stay awake longer during those stretches. This isn’t a cause for panic. It’s just something to be aware of. Relaxation strategies (think: progressive muscle relaxation, light stretching, meditation) and low-stimulation endeavors like reading (an actual book or magazine, not using an e-reader or phone) can help fill that time and prevent the body from being so overly stimulated that it can’t get back to sleep.

2. Blood sugar imbalances

Falling into a hypo or hyperglycemic state during the night has been linkedwith poorer sleep quality. If you have a family history of diabetes or have been diagnosed yourself, consider consulting with your doctor or a specialized dietitian about a helpful pre-bedtime snack to support stabler glucose levels throughout the night. Some evidence suggests that a small serving of peanuts, other nuts, or nut butter before bedtime may help keep blood sugar levels on a more even keel throughout the evening.

3. Alcohol

Alcohol disrupts our sleep, making it more fragmented and robbing us of the REM cycles essential to emotional processing and memory consolidation. Stopping drinking alcohol at least four hours before bedtime can help reduce this negative impact. If insomnia is a regular bugaboo for you, consider forgoing nightcaps as a standard practice.

4. Caffeine

Even if you fall asleep after having an after-dinner coffee, research shows that caffeine can lead to “increased nocturnal awakenings” as well as disrupted REM sleep. Try curbing caffeine intake before the late afternoon (or sooner, if you can) to avoid this.

5. Freaking Out

If your response to seeing the clock (or more likely, your phone) display 3 a.m. (or an equally non-preferred time) is to spiral into a panic, this could explain why you’re not able to fall back asleep. Anxiety and panic cue the release of cortisol, adrenaline, and other excitatory chemicals in the body, shutting down parasympathetic nervous system activity (which we need to have on in order to relax into sleep) and shifting you into fight, flight, or simply freak out mode.

Combat this negative cycle by reframing your interpretation of the so-called witching hour. Instead of seeing being awake as a bad thing, rest assured that it’s natural to awaken at this time, as sleep cycles typically last 90 to 120 minutes and you may simply be emerging from one.

Consider this witching-hour wakefulness an opportunity to practice self-care and relaxation. Each of the below strategies can help downshift your nervous system and lull you back into a dreamy state:

  • Box breathing. Inhale fully and hold your breath for three to four seconds. Exhale slowly; at the end of that exhalation hold your breath again for three to four seconds. Repeat three to five times.
  • Bilateral stimulation. Here’s a handy trick from EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing). Cross your arms over your chest and tap your left and right shoulders or upper arms quickly and firmly for 20 to 30 seconds. Pause, inhale, and let that breath go. Repeat the process several times. Observe any shifts in energy, tension, and relaxation. 
  • Observe your thoughts. Part of why we can’t sleep when we wake up in the middle of the night is because we finally have time to process our thoughts in the absence of the day’s distractions. Getting too preoccupied by them can, however, overstimulate our brains and keep us wide awake. Try watching your thoughts come and go as if they are credits at the end of a movie. You might even imagine them as billboards in a parade. Or leaves on a steam. (This is a handy tip from acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT.)
  • Progressive muscle relaxation. Starting with the muscles on your face, tense and hold each muscle group in your body for five (or so) seconds, and then release. From your face, move to your shoulders, your arms, your chest, upper back, abdomen, lower back, groin area, upper and lower legs, ankles, feet, and toes.

The goal is to reduce the hold that negative thought patterns have on your mind and awareness. This helps you amass evidence that you can wind down, even when you awaken, so you can do this more effectively each night it happens.

If you’re really struggling in the staying-asleep department, consider reaching out to a psychotherapist who specializes in insomnia (such as a CBT-i or EMDR therapist or a sleep medicine practitioner). There are many well-researched interventions (some of them mentioned briefly above) that can help you reduce symptoms of insomnia, get better rest, and stop associating the middle of the night with dread and despair.

TOPLEY’S TOP 10 January 30, 2025

1. Microsoft: Which Way Will Sideways Pattern Break? Up or Down?

StockCharts


2. Software ETF Below Highs

StockCharts


3. UPS Has Worst Single Day Ever…-40% from Highs

StockCharts


4. GOLD: New High Yesterday

StockCharts


5. Which S&P Sectors Hold the Most Cash?

Visual Capitalist


6. Healthcare: 2-Years of Underperformance

SentimenTrader


7. Factory Construction in the U.S.

Bespoke Premium


8. Military Spending has Almost Doubled Since the 90’s

Statista


9. Share of Religious Nationalism

Pew Research


10. You Want to Do Big Things

Via The Daily Stoic: You want to do big things. You want to achieve. You want to leave your mark on the universe. You want to conquer the world.

This is what Alexander the Great did—literally. And yet where did it get him? Marcus Aurelius took pains to remind himself that the man died and was buried like the rest of us. The band Iron Maiden has a lyric: “Measure your coffin / does it measure up to your lust?” As it happens, there is a much older poem–from Juvenal writing sometime between around 100 AD—who pointed out that in life, while the world was not big enough for Alexander’s ambition, in death, a coffin was sufficient.

No one is saying you should put all your drive aside, that you should not try to do anything. Clearly, Marcus Aurelius tried to be a good person, tried to be a good ruler, tried to be a good philosopher. But that’s the point: He measured his life not by the size of the monument he hoped they would leave to him (and there are some) but instead by the things he controlled.

In the end, it’s not about the empire you build or the fame that outlives you. It’s about the character you lived by, the person you were, and the impact you make on those who matter most. Aim high, but remember: your legacy isn’t measured in the grandness of your ambition—it’s measured in how you live each day.