1. Insider Buying at Lows
DC Lite Blog Insiders
“You know who’s not chasing stocks here? Insiders. Corporate executives among S&P 500 firms have some of the least open market purchases in 13 years.”
2. Current Expansion Still Early?
Torston Slok Apollo
3. Bond allocations see record drop amid jump in investor optimism, BofA survey finds
By Christine Idzelis
Investor optimism has jumped the most since June 2020 on the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate-cut cycle, expectations for a soft landing for the U.S. economy and China’s stimulus, according to BofA Global Research’s global fund manager survey in October.Allocations to stocks surged, while bonds saw a record drop in allocations, BofA said in an Oct. 15 note on the survey. Cash levels fell to 3.9% from 4.2%, the survey found.
While BofA’s bull and bear indicator indicates “froth” is rising, it’s “not yet the big ‘sell signal,’” according to the report. The fund manager survey found bond allocations dropped to 15% underweight from 11% overweight, while global equity allocations jumped to 31% overweight.
https://www.marketwatch.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-futures-take-a-pause-after-sell-off/card/bond-allocations-see-record-drop-amid-jump-in-investor-optimism-bofa-survey-finds-Z0PP2n9PSHN9KFpS1SpR?mod=home-page
4. U.S. Dollar About to Make New Highs
5. Taiwan Semis Hitting New Highs on Numbers
Barrons-Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing posted a big jump in profit and sales for the third quarter, beating analysts’ estimates. It’s a sign of strong demand for artificial-intelligence chips. Taiwan Semi, or TSMC, said revenue in U.S. dollars in the third quarter jumped 36% from a year earlier to $23.5 billion. Net profit rose 54% on the year to the equivalent of $10.1 billion. https://www.barrons.com/articles/tsmc-taiwan-semiconductor-earnings-stock-678836db?mod=hp_LEAD_5
6. Underwater Car Loans
American consumers are increasingly underwater on their car loans (cnbc.com)
7. However…Households Net Worth Going Up Across the Board….Dwarfing National Debt
Yes the large amounts of stimulus helped boost this and also ballooned the national debt. But take a look at household net worth less the national debt. This chart is really something.
Source: Jake
8. History of Portfolio Returns Since 1976
Jeffrey Sinak -AMG
https://wealth.amg.com/contactus/
9. India Plans $109 Billion Of Grid Investments To Boost Renewables
Zerohedge By Charles Kennedy of OilPrice.com
India plans a massive upgrade and expansion of its power transmission system, expecting investment opportunities of $109 billion to support the integration of renewable energy sources and storage solutions, the power ministry has said.
India’s new National Electricity Plan (Transmission) envisages the addition of hundreds of thousands of kilometers of transmission lines, transformation capacity, and inter-regional transmission capacity by 2032.
India aims to have 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity installed by 2030 and more than 600 GW by 2032, according to the National Electricity Plan.
The country expects its power demand to surge to 708 GW by 2047, India’s Power Minister Manohar Lal said in a statement. To meet this demand, India needs to quadruple its power capacity, the minister added.
“This is not just about increasing capacity; it’s about reimagining our entire energy landscape,” Lal said.
“We have set an ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, effectively doubling our current capacity,” he added.
This push towards green energy aligns with India’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions by one billion tons by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, the power ministry said.
Last month, Renewables Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi said that financial institutions had pledged $386 billion in investment commitments to help India boost its renewable energy industry.
The country will need to install at least 44 GW of clean energy capacity every year by the end of the decade to meet the 500-GW goal, according to Bloomberg’s estimates based on data from the Indian Ministry of Power.
“We received overwhelming commitments from states and Union Territories as well as from the developers, manufacturers, and financial institutes to support our goal of 500 GW by 2030,” Joshi said at the annual Renewable Energy Investor’s Meet and Expo in India.
India-based conglomerates Reliance Industries and Adani are among the companies that have pledged additional renewable energy capacity. Reliance committed 100 GW of additional renewable capacity, and Adani Green Energy pledged to develop 38.8 GW of capacity.
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/india-plans-109-billion-grid-investments-boost-renewables
10. New Neuroscience Reveals 5 Secrets That Will Make You Smarter -Eric Barker
Here’s how to get smarter:
- Consider The Opposite: No, this is not a mental autoimmune disorder; it’s epistemological hygiene. Consider how you could be wrong and you’re less likely to be wrong.
- Use Self-Distancing: Sounds like something I might do at a family reunion. In reality, it’s stepping outside your emotional meltdown to look at the situation from a cool, objective distance, as if you’re watching a Netflix show about a character named “You.”
- Use Base Rates: Those grim reapers of magical thinking that most people completely ignore because math is hard and hope is addictive. Before you worry about the unlikely or predict the impossible ask, “How often does this actually occur?”
- Use Emotional Differentiation: The top investors are out there deciphering the exact flavor of their emotional state like wine connoisseurs, while we’re over here chugging emotional boxed wine. Get nuanced about your feelings and intuition can become a sixth sense.
We’d all love to have clear answers in life – but sometimes a little ambiguity can lead to better thinking.
Researchers did a study where students were given a method to solve a type of math problem. Half the students were told this was “the way to solve this equation” and the other half was told this was “one way to solve this equation.” And that little word made all the difference.
Students who heard “one way” were 50% more likely to get the right answer. And, when tested, they had a more thorough understanding of the mathematical principle. Researchers redid the study with students in the humanities and social sciences. It worked again and again.
When we hear, “This is the cause, end of story,” we’re like, “Cool, I’ll just memorize that and never think about it again.” But with a little ambiguity it’s like we’ve been handed the intellectual equivalent of a treasure map. We’re no longer following orders — we’re exploring. It’s like handing someone a mystery novel instead of a manual.
Our brains expand faster than the plot holes in a Fast & Furious movie. Instead of mindlessly regurgitating what we’re told, we’re thinking critically. When we hear, “Hey, this is one option, but there might be others,” we start thinking we have agency — and we start using our brains.
Don’t let yourself get locked on to one idea. Don’t get lazy. Leave some wiggle room. Stay open-minded. Ambiguity doesn’t always create confusion. Sometimes it creates curiosity. And curiosity? That’s the stuff of brilliance.
Whatever your cognitive ability might be, start using these tools to improve your cognitive style. Consider the opposite: What if this problem isn’t as difficult as I think it is? Then self-distance: What would I tell my friend if they were in this situation? Check the base rates: How does this usually play out in the real world? Use emotional differentiation: Am I really “unhappy” with this situation, or am I just “frustrated” with this one issue? And, finally, consider there might be more than one way to make things better…
Having a high IQ doesn’t come with a warranty against being stupid. Being smart is great, but being aware of how your brain is trying to trick you? https://bakadesuyo.com/
That’s genius.