Drawing between sorrowful rice🍚and comfort pho — it's really vivid and emotional. Here's how I'd depict the feelings in trading/investment terms: Sorrowful Rice ($13) — The Trading/Investment Side: • Feeling: Uncertainty, regret, or frustration. • Symbolism: You pay a decent price but get a mix that feels heavy and unsatisfying, like a trade that looked promising but ended up disappointing. • Investment Parallel: Buying a stock or asset at a high cost, hoping for growth, but the returns feel underwhelming or even painful — maybe akin to holding a “value trap” or a volatile, unpredictable asset. • Emotional Tone: Heavy-hearted, burdened by choices that didn't  pan out well, akin to "loss aversion" or "sunk cost fallacy" in investing. • Metaphor: Payin

Public Holidays There are no public holidays in China, Singapore, America or Hong Kong. Economic Calendar (14Jul25) Economic Outlook (with help from Grok) The most watched news should be the CPI (inflation) and PPI (inflation hitting producers). This would have some implications for how the Federal Reserve approaches the coming interest rate decision. CPI forecasts (Core at 0.3% MoM, YoY at 2.4%) indicate a warming inflation environment. If actual data aligns or undershoots, it could reduce expectations of Fed rate hikes, supporting risk assets. A modest PPI increase (0.2%) suggests producer price pressures, reinforcing a growing inflation outlook. Weak retail sales forecasts (Core at 0.3%, overall at 0.0%) point to sluggish consumer spending, which could signal a broader economic slowdown

Public Holidays There are no public holidays in China, Singapore, America or Hong Kong. Economic Calendar (07Jul25) Economic Outlook (from Grok) Energy Market: The prior crude oil inventory build (3.845M) suggests an oversupply. If this trend persists, oil prices may soften, potentially easing inflationary pressures. A reversal to a drawdown could tighten supply and support higher prices. Monetary Policy: The FOMC Meeting Minutes will be a key focus. Any indication of a hawkish stance (e.g., plans for rate hikes) could strengthen the U.S. dollar and pressure equities, while a dovish tone (e.g., rate cuts) might boost risk assets. Markets will scrutinise the Fed’s view on inflation and labour market strength. Bond Market: The 10-year and 30-year Note Auctions will reflect investor demand. H

Public Holidays There are no public holidays in China, Singapore, or Hong Kong. America celebrates its Independence Day with markets closed from the afternoon of 3rd July 2025 till 4th July 2025. Here is wishing America peace and prosperity. 4th July 2024 Happy Independence Day, America (Source: https://arcticportal.org/ap-library/news/3598-happy-independence-day-america) Economic Calendar (30Jun25) Notable Highlights China's manufacturing PMI is not a mere reflection of China's economy but also of the global demand. The forecast of 49.6 implies contraction. Chicago PMI has a forecast of 42.7, which represents the continuous contraction since previous months. S&P Global Manufacturing PMI has a forecast of 52.0, which implies an expansion similar to the previous month. ISM manufacturin

My Investing Muse (30Jun25) Layoffs & Closure news FedEx to close 30% of package facilities as network integration ramps up. Redesign of express and ground delivery is already generating millions of dollars in savings. - FreightWaves Sabic, one of the world's largest petrochemical manufacturers, will shut its Olefins 6 cracker plant in Wilton, Teesside, after 46 years of it operating. The firm currently employs 330 people at the site. - BBC Accenture sees highest-ever quarterly drop in headcount, as numbers fall by ...; America's contributed the largest to total revenue - Times of India Intel will shut down its automotive business, lay off most of the department’s employees - Oregon Live They’re (Microsoft) about to cut another 3,000 jobs next week and here’s who’s getting hit: – Xbox:

News and my thoughts from last week (30Jun25) 95% of central banks expect global gold reserves to rise in the next year, according to a World Gold Council survey. A record 43% plan to boost their holdings. 73% expect USD reserves to drop. - X user Global Markets Investor The turning points of wars can pivot on mistakes. Sometimes, it boils down to who makes the bigger mistakes. To assume that the enemies think like you can be fatal. But let us avoid war at all costs. US Commerce Secretary Lutnick says the U.S.-China trade deal was signed a few days ago. An important part of critical services requires redundancy and reliability. More importantly, this can be a key component of Business Continuity. Image Total shipments FELL 76% YoY in May, to 1,238 tons, the least since February 2020. Expor

My Investing Muse (14Jul25) Layoffs & Closure news Intel layoffs 2025: Thousands of jobs cut as chipmaker begins restructuring – Oregon Live Dow to close three European chemical plants, cut 800 jobs | Reuters There have been 371 corporate bankruptcies year-to-date, the most in 15 YEARS. Among sectors, Industrials and Consumer Discretionary have been the most hit with 58 and 49 filings, respectively. Bankruptcies are at recession levels. – X user Global Markets Investor The US job numbers will likely be REVISED DOWN by nearly 800,000 for the 9 months ending December 2024, according to QCEW data. This means non-farm payrolls were OVERSTATED by ~88,888 jobs each month during this period. – X user Global Markets Investor Job postings on Indeed dropped to their lowest since February 2021. T

Public Holidays There are no public holidays in America, China, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Economic Calendar (19May25) Notable Highlights (some are taken from Grok) S&P Global Manufacturing PMI (May): Previous at 50.2, slightly above the neutral 50 level, indicating potential stabilisation in manufacturing activity. S&P Global Services PMI (May): Previous at 50.8, also above 50, pointing to modest growth in the services sector. Existing Home Sales (Apr): Forecasted at 4.10M, up from the previous 4.02M, indicating a potential slowdown in the housing market. New Home Sales (Apr): Forecasted at 700K, down from the previous 724K, suggesting a potential drop in new home purchases. Initial jobless claims will be announced. Initial Jobless Claims is forecasted at 232K, slightly above the p

Public Holidays There are no public holidays in China and Singapore. America is closed on 26May25 as they celebrate Memorial Day. Hong Kong is closed on 31May25 as they celebrate Tuen Ng Day (also known as Dragonboat Festival). Economic Calendar (26May25) Notable Highlights (some are taken from Grok) Fed Chair Powell’s remarks could provide insights into monetary policy, potentially influencing markets depending on his stance on interest rates and inflation. Previous Durable Goods Orders (Apr) were at 7.5% (month-over-month). No forecast is provided, but a strong reading could signal robust economic activity, while a decline might raise concerns. CB Consumer Confidence (May) is forecasted at 88.0, up from 86.0. A drop in consumer confidence could indicate weaker consumer spending, a key dr

Public Holidays There are no public holidays in Hong Kong and America. China is closed on 02 June 2025 (Monday) as they celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. Singapore is closed on 06 Jun 2025 (Friday) as we join our Muslim citizens to celebrate “Eid Al-Adha” also known as Hari Raya Haji. Economic Calendar (02Jun25) Notable Highlights (some are taken from Grok) S&P Global Manufacturing PMI (May) forecast 52.3, above the Previous of 50.2, indicating expansion in U.S. manufacturing (above 50 signals growth). S&P Global Services PMI (May) previously 52.3, above the previous of 50.8, showing growth in the services sector (above 50). ISM Manufacturing PMI (May) forecast 48.7, but still below 50, signalling continued contraction in manufacturing activity. ISM Manufacturing Prices (May) pre

Market Outlook of S&P500 (30Jun25) Technical observations: MACD - a top crossover is completed, and this implies another rally in the cards. Exponential Moving Averages (EMA) lines are showing an uptrend. Both the 50 MA line and the 200 MA line are showing an uptrend. This speaks of a bullish outlook for both the short and long term. We can expect the formation of a golden cross in the coming days. This is typically a bullish signal when backed with strong volume. The CMF is positive at 0.15, indicating more buying pressure over the past 20 periods. The technical analysis shows a rating of “Strong Buy” from the daily interval. 20 indicators show a “Buy” rating, and no indicator shows a “Sell” rating. Note that the Stochastic RSI is showing a “Sell” rating. Here are

It’s easy to make money when the crowd is running in one direction. It’s harder to know when the music stops. Markets right now are riding a high: AI, chip stocks, and mega-cap tech have pulled indexes to fresh highs. But under the hood, the signs are classic late-cycle. Volatility is suppressed, breadth is narrowing, and retail sentiment is stretched. We’re in “trigger mode”—buying on alerts, not analysis. The irony? Even the AI models driving flows are learning from each other. That creates feedback loops—until a small tremor turns into a stampede. As Nvidia’s P/E pushes 70 and forward earnings cool, we’re no longer trading value—we’re trading emotion. Look at history: in 2021, the market priced in a decade of digitisation in 12 months. It didn’t end well. Now, we’re pricing in a decade

It can take months or years before the market enters a correction. It can also happen in a moment. A market top cannot conceal some of the market weaknesses in debt and demand (in the American economy). Consider building a portfolio that benefits from a bull, bear or baboon run. The S&P 500 is not a representation of the American economy. Over 70% of global funds invested in equities are poured into the American market. The S&P 500 has a global presence, and its earnings represent revenue of these global businesses, not the American economy. It is simply the “preferred” marketplace for many investors, especially those outside of America. Yet, I have started rebalancing my portfolio, exiting some US positions. Corrections are a normal part of any typical market cycle. These shou

My Investing Muse (12May25) Layoffs & Closure news As leases expire, Family Dollar is closing over 1,000 store locations. But the discount chain is trying to breathe new life into the stores that remain. - The Street Now, Rite Aid is putting close to its entire real estate portfolio up for grabs as part of the Chapter 11 process. Rite Aid has almost 1,200 store leases and is looking to have bidders take over. - the Street The Olefins 6 “cracker” facility in Teesside, controlled by Sabic, employs hundreds of workers and has been undergoing a major conversion to run on gas feedstock. But Sabic paused that work months ago and is now understood to be on the verge of announcing the plant’s closure amid spiralling costs and concerns about high energy prices. - Telegraph UK DHL to close South

Earnings Calendar (19May25) I am interested in the earnings of Zoom, Snowflake, Target, Lowe’s, WIX and Palo Alto. Have we considered Snowflake? The stock price grew 13.1% from a year ago. The Technical Analysis recommends a “Strong Buy” rating, and the Analysts’ Sentiment has a “Buy” rating. The price target is 200.82 with an upside of 9.69%. Revenue Growth Trend: Snowflake's revenue has grown dramatically, increasing from $97 million in 2019 to $3.626 billion in 2025. The 7-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for revenue is not explicitly provided but can be inferred as substantial (approximately 83% CAGR based on the data). Key Milestones: Revenue growth was exceptionally strong, with increases of 173.9% in 2020, 123.6% in 2021, 106.0% in 2022, 69.4% in 2023, 35.9% in 2024, and 29.2