The Wooden Nickel
The Wooden Nickel is a collection of roughly a handful of recent topics that have caught our attention. Here you’ll find current, open-ended thoughts. We wish to use this piece as a way to think out loud in public rather than formal proclamations or projections. The...
Weekly Market Update
Global Market News Global equities tumble Global equities were down on the week as banking concerns and fear over a US default mounted. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones closed down 0.80% and 1.24%, respectively, while the Nasdaq gained 0.10%. The US 10-year Treasury...
Revisiting the Libation of Bearers: Aeschylus, the Serpent, and Hotel California (Canceling the Noise, Not by Bread Alone: Part XXIII)
Upon return from Troy, Agamemnon is killed by his wife Clytemnestra. Orestes and his sister, Electra, are resolute on killing their mother and her lover, both of whom are thirsty for power. Now, Clytemnestra is having a dream where she gives birth to a serpent. The...
Cheap, Clean, and Risk-Free: Europe’s Strategic Energy Decoupling
Three weeks ago, we wrote about the factors propelling the energy transition. For this week’s commentary, we will detail the energy challenges facing Europe in particular. Despite being the world’s second-smallest continent, Europe boasts the world’s...
Weekly Market Update
Global Market News Global equities slightly positive Global equities made small gains on the week. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones closed up 0.87% and 0.86%, respectively, while the Nasdaq gained 1.28%. The US 10-year Treasury yield dropped 13 basis points to end the...
Geopolitics & the Day After
For this week's examination of the Day After, we begin with a look at the tragic fighting in Sudan, examining how forces at play since 2019 have resulted in the conflict seen today. From there, we pivot to examining the US commercial real estate market, which has...
Weekly Market Update
Global Market News Global equities unchanged Global equities were relatively unchanged on the week, dropping only slightly. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones closed down 0.10% and 0.23%, respectively, while the Nasdaq declined 0.42%. The US 10-year Treasury yield rose a...
Geopolitics & the Day After
This week we are continuing our analysis of the financial system as we remain wary of the financial stress the latest bout of bank collapses ensued, especially as central banks continue to navigate the dangerous waters of inflation. The controversy over AI...
Canceling the Noise, Not by Bread Alone: Part XXII
Are the financial tremors over? Based on the latest data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (see graph below), it seems that we are returning to some normalcy. However, if the commercial real estate sector in the US and/or Europe starts its own series...
Geopolitics & the Day After
Though we saw promising reports this week that inflation is slowing down, the IMF is warning that there remain risks to the global financial system that could hamper growth and result in a "hard landing". The bank collapses we've witnessed as of late are further...
