March 24: Articles, Streams, and Books
Things catching our attention we think you might enjoy. Carry on!
7 Weekend Reads
What We’re Streaming
The Reading List
Photo by Zarak Khan on Unsplash
7 Weekend Reads
Fed’s Bostic Now Anticipates Just One Rate Cut This Year
“Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic says he now projects just one interest-rate cut this year, adding that reduction will likely happen later in the year than he previously expected. Bostic had previously said that it would be appropriate for the Fed to lower rates twice in 2024, with the first of those cuts likely coming this summer… The Atlanta Fed chief said he is less confident on the trajectory of inflation than he was in December, noting “some troubling things” underneath the headline figures. He pointed specifically to the breadth of items in the consumer basket that are rising at an elevated rate.” Read more here
Easter Egg Price Hikes Are Just the Start as Cocoa Soars
“As the Easter holidays approach, higher cocoa prices mean shoppers are paying far more for their chocolate eggs and bunnies. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Higher prices in stores now reflect increases in cocoa in 2023. Since then, the rally has gone into overdrive, and cocoa has more than doubled in price already this year, making it the world’s hottest commodity.” Read more here
If You’re an AI Bull, Keep an Eye on Uranium
“AI isn’t magic. It can’t perform its miracles — or do anything — without electricity; lots and lots of electricity. No one is entirely sure how much, but a much quoted recent estimate comes in at around the same as Sweden uses each year or 0.5% of total world electricity use. Another way to get a sense of the scale is to look at the size of data centers. According to the latest data center report from the commercial-property firm JLL, it is “not uncommon” for developers today to announce new-build data centers with 10 times the load of only a few years ago.” Read more here
The Amazon play that could change the game for streaming sports
Media and technology observers believe Amazon’s sports push has two motivations. First, by adding another plank to its Prime service, it can create more loyalty among customers who are charged nearly $200 a year for free package deliveries as well as streaming video. Second, Amazon in recent years has become a digital advertising powerhouse and the addition of streaming hundreds of games would provide even more inventory to pitch marketers. “ Read more here
The Best Generative AI Courses Money Can Buy
“Whether you want to improve your current skills or transition into one of the many new jobs being created thanks to AI, understanding how to use generative AI can benefit just about anyone. Last year, I published a list of the best free resources I’ve found online for developing practical AI skills. This time, I’ve put together a list of paid courses for those ready to make an investment in upskilling or reskilling themselves.” Read more here
12 Apps We Can’t Stop Using, for Better or Worse
“The apps are winning the war for our attention. According to a report from research firm DataReportal, U.S. Android owners spent an average of 4 hours, 19 minutes on their phones each day last year.’ Read more here
Why Does Cloudy Weather Make Me Feel So Sluggish?
“If you’re feeling tired on an overcast day, it could be for any number of reasons, experts say. Maybe it’s because you’re lounging around at home and not as active as you usually are. Or maybe the change in atmospheric pressure is causing a headache or other aches and pains. Or perhaps, said Dr. Alfred J. Lewy, a professor emeritus of psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University, it’s because of something else going on in your body that experts don’t fully understand.” Read more here
What We’re Streaming
The Reading List
The Power of Geography: Ten Maps that Reveal the Future of Our World by Tim Marshall
In this revelatory new book, Marshall explores ten regions that are set to shape global politics in a new age of great-power rivalry: Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Greece, Turkey, the Sahel, Ethiopia, Spain and Space. Find out why Europe’s next refugee crisis is closer than it thinks as trouble brews in the Sahel; why the Middle East must look beyond oil and sand to secure its future; why the eastern Mediterranean is one of the most volatile flashpoints of the twenty-first century; and why the Earth’s atmosphere is set to become the world’s next battleground.
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.