March 17: Articles, Streams, and Books
Things catching our attention we think you might enjoy. Carry on!
7 Weekend Reads
What We’re Streaming
Book Recommendations!
7 Weekend Reads
St. Pat’s Showdown: Booze Brands Get Creative
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, beer and liquor brands are gearing up for a showdown to see who can win consumers’ boozy spending, and the methods are getting unconventional. From ancestry revelations to charm necklaces, alcoholic beverage brands are looking beyond the pint glass to get shoppers’ attention.” Read more here
As Generative AI Takes Off, Researchers Warn of Data Poisoning
“Generative AI’s ability to create new and original content—from text and video to images, artwork and more—holds great promise for enhancing human productivity. But with these abilities come increased hacking risks. As generative AI technology takes off, some researchers are raising concerns about the potential for an attack known as data poisoning.” Read more here
A New Surge in Power Use Is Threatening U.S. Climate Goals
“Over the past year, electric utilities have nearly doubled their forecasts of how much additional power they’ll need by 2028 as they confront an unexpected explosion in the number of data centers, an abrupt resurgence in manufacturing driven by new federal laws, and millions of electric vehicles being plugged in. Many power companies were already struggling to keep the lights on, especially during extreme weather, and say the strain on grids will only increase.” Read more here
Home sellers are cutting list prices as spring buying season starts with higher mortgage rates
“The pickup in the share of home listings with price cuts is a sign the housing market is shifting back toward a more balanced dynamic between buyers and sellers. Rock-bottom mortgage rates in the first two years of the pandemic armed homebuyers with more purchasing power, which fueled bidding wars, driving the median sale price for previously occupied U.S. homes 42% higher from 2019 through 2022.” Read more here
US home sale fees set to fall after real estate group settles lawsuits
“The National Association of Realtors has reached a settlement in a series of lawsuits brought by home sellers claiming that the trade group conspired to inflate agents’ commissions, it said Friday, in an agreement that will reshape the way homes are sold in the US. Should the deal be approved by a federal court, the politically influential association would pay $418mn in damages to home sellers and agree to changes to its rules that are likely to slash the commission fees that supply the bulk of its 1.6mn members’ income.” Read more here
The Persistent Mystery of Protein Intake
“But one thing hasn’t changed over these past 100-plus years: We still don’t know the ideal amount of protein to consume. “How much protein should be included in the daily diet, is a question which has been the subject of contention among physiologists and nutrition experts for a long time, and as yet no agreement appears to be in sight,” Osborne wrote. In 2023, the Atlanticscience writer Katherine J. Wu reported something similar: “Researchers don’t agree on how much protein is necessary, or how much is excessive; they’ve reached no consensus on the extent of its benefits, or whether eating extra servings can send our health into decline.” Read more here
Americans Will Do Anything to Avoid Gray Hair
“… one-third of U.S. adults said they would probably or definitely take a drug to prevent or reverse graying if such a medication were approved, according to an October YouGov poll of 9,000 people.” Read more here
What We’re Streaming
Book Recommendations!
The Menopause Brain: New Science Empowers Women to Navigate the Pivotal Transition with Knowledge and Confidence by Lisa Mosconi PhD
“Menopause and perimenopause are still a black box to most doctors, leaving patients exasperated as they grapple with symptoms ranging from hot flashes to insomnia to brain fog. As a leading neuroscientist and women’s brain health specialist, Dr. Mosconi unravels these mysteries by revealing how menopause doesn’t just impact the ovaries—it’s a hormonal show in which the brain takes center stage.”
Fans First: Change The Game, Break the Rules & Create an Unforgettable Experience Paperback by Jesse Cole
Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert Sapolsky
Don’t be a stranger
Thanks for reading and if you have a suggestion for an article or book we should read, or a stream we should catch, email us at info@tematicaresearch.com. The same email works if you want to know more about our thematic and targeted exposure models listed below.
The strategies behind our Thematic Models:
Aging of the Population - Capturing the demographic wave of the aging population and the changing demands it brings with it.
Artificial Intelligence – Software, chips, and related companies that facilitate the collection and analysis of large data sets and autonomous generation of solutions given non-machine language prompts.
CHIPs Act – Capturing the reshoring of the US semiconductor industry and the $52.7 billion poised to be spent on semiconductor manufacturing.
Cloud Computing – Companies that provide hardware and services that enhance the cloud computing experience for users, such as co-location, security, and edge computing.
Consumer Inflation Fighters - Companies poised to benefit as consumers stretch the disposable spending dollars they do have.
Core Holdings – Companies that reflect economic activity and are large enough to not get pushed around by day-to-day market trends. Low-beta, large-cap names able to better withstand economic turmoil.
Digital Infrastructure & Connectivity -The buildout and upgrading of our Networks, Data Storage Facilities, and Equipment.
Data Privacy & Digital Identity - Companies providing the tools and services that verify authorized users and safeguard personal data privacy.
EPS Diplomats - Profitable large capitalization companies proven to produce above-average EPS growth and provide investors with the benefit of multiple expansions.
EV Transition - Capturing the transition to EVs and related infrastructure from combustion engine vehicles.
Guilty Pleasure – Companies that produce/provide food and drink products that consumers tend to enjoy regardless of the economic environment and potential long-term health hazards associated with excessive consumption.
Homebuilding & Materials – Ranging from homebuilders to key building product companies that serve the housing market, this model looks to capture the rising demand for housing, one that should benefit as the Fed returns monetary policy to more normalized levels.
Luxury Buying Boom - Tapping into aspirational buying and affluent buyers amid rising global wealth.
Market Hedge Model – This basket of daily reset swap-based broad market inverse ETFs protects in the face of market pullbacks, overbought market technicals, and other drivers of market volatility.
Nuclear Energy & Uranium – Companies that either build and maintain nuclear power plants or are involved in the production of uranium.
Precision Ag & Agri Science – Companies that look to address shrinking arable land by helping maximize crop yields utilizing technology, science, or both.
Rebuilding America - Turning the focused spending on rebuilding US infrastructure into revenue and profits.
Safety & Security – Targeted exposure to companies that provide goods and services primarily to the Defense and security sectors of the economy.
Space Economy – Companies that focus on the launch and operation of satellite networks.
The strategies behind our Dividend Income Models:
Monthly Dividend Model – Pretty much what the name says – this model invests in companies that pay monthly dividends to shareholders.
ETF Dividend Model – High-yielding ETFs that provide a range of exposures from domestic equities, international equities, emerging market equities, MLPS, and REITs.
ETF Enhanced Dividend Model – A group of high-yielding ETFs that utilize options to enhance yield through collecting option income.