I’m with Dan (Ives) and hope you are, too!

Good morning! 👋

Boy, oh boy...

The official narrative is that the markets are building strength based on the hope that the Fed will pause rate hikes this week.

You and I both know there's another story.

FOMO.

Obviously, you want to be mindful of a short-term rug pull if the big boys decide to take some profits—but absent something foolish, stupid, or just downright silly from the Fed, the path of least resistance remains higher.

Here’s my playbook.

Buy Big Tech—it may be your last chance

Longtime readers know that I don’t say things I don’t mean.

Buy Big Tech.

(Watch)

Not coincidentally, my colleague, the fabulous Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities, agrees with me about what he sees ahead.

Dan noted this morning via Twitter, “While valuations in tech will be front and center, we continue to believe AI is driving the tech sector to a ‘1995 moment’ with a long runway of growth ahead that we have not seen since the 1990's. Many tech skeptics will point to today as a ‘1999 moment’—we strongly disagree.”

Yep.

Stealth wealth is back (and tasty too)

The wealthy may be many things, but stupid is generally not one of ‘em.

At a time when many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, the wealthier percentile of the population has rediscovered what they call “stealth wealth”—understated looks, no ritzy logos, etc. They’re excited to let expensive materials or production methods speak for themselves. (Read)

The way I see it, good taste is literally something you can take to the bank.

That’s why I’ve mentioned both fine art and fine wine recently. (Learn More)

And it’s not just for the hi-pinky club.

I just picked up a case of 2018 Philip Togni Cabernet, for example. My bottles are resting comfortably in bonded storage where they’ll age under carefully monitored, perfectly controlled, and insured conditions. I anticipate holding ‘em for 8–10 years as part of my small but growing collection... or until someone makes me an offer I can’t refuse because they want to drink it.

FTC Disclaimer: I am an Oeno client and a paid consultant to the company. Whether or not you establish an account of your own has no bearing on my compensation; I am simply excited to work with Oeno because they’ve got a great reputation as one of the world’s leading fine wine and whiskey merchants. And I want you to have the ability to make an informed decision if you find fine wine and whiskey as exciting, fun, and different as I do.

China’s spy game bodes well for defense stocks

By now, you’ve probably heard about the WSJ bombshell report that China has set up a base of operations in Cuba in order to spy on US military and government secrets.

The Daily Wire followed up, stating, “According to officials, the base will allow Chinese intelligence services to closely monitor our naval and air traffic, and intercept communications across the Southeast, where many of our largest military facilities are located. Intelligence officials say the proximity of the eavesdropping facility will likely allow Beijing to pick up everything from emails and phone calls to sensitive satellite transmissions.”

As if this wasn’t outrageous enough, the White House has now come out saying, “Oh, pfft, that’s not news. The Chinese have been spying on us from Cuba since at least 2019.” 🤦 (Read)

Defense stocks and companies developing anti-cyberterrorism systems will have a heyday in the coming years. OBAers, of course, already own the best. Upgrade to Paid

Everyone is getting a slice of tech

NASDAQ is acquiring Adenza for $10.5 billion to bolster its technology and software solutions, which help its clients manage risk and comply with regulations more easily and efficiently. (Read)

I’m happy to see this... for a reason that most aren’t thinking about.

JPMorgan was one of two financial advisors to NASDAQ on the deal. When the big deals roll around, there’s still one place to stop... and it’s JPM.

This is just too much fun: PLTR

I couldn’t help but grin when I saw this late last week and hope it puts a smile on your face, too. (Watch)

Palantir is gathering steam, and I suspect we are very close to the point where the naysayers give up. Or at least realize that they can’t stomp on the stock any longer.

I think it’s $50 a share by 2030, perhaps a whole lot sooner.

There will obviously be ups and downs along the way, so the journey will not be for the faint of heart or the skittish. Keep position sizes small enough that you don’t worry if you lose everything but big enough to make a difference.

Bottom Line

People argue with me all the time about how and why Big Tech can’t get any bigger, about why the end of the financial universe is just around the corner, about how the Fed this, that, or the other thing.

Spoiler alert: The world will change with or without your approval. So will the financial markets.

Focus on what you can control—tactics, timing, which stocks you buy, etc.—instead of worrying about what you can't.

Let’s MAKE it a great day!

Keith 😊