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21 Aug 2025

Household electricity prices

Source: Ronnie Stoeferle

21 Aug 2025

“Friendflation" is the growing cost of maintaining social connections and participating in our friends’ lives.

43% is the proportion of Americans who find it ‘difficult’ to have a wealthier friend 55% is the proportion of British adults who don’t feel comfortable talking about their financial situation, according to a study by the Money and Pensions Service "It may be true, as the adage goes, that money can’t buy you friends. But, it turns out, it comes in pretty handy if you want to keep them". Source: FT

21 Aug 2025

Index investing vs active management

Source: Brian Feroldi

21 Aug 2025

Interesting comparison between Europe vs US with regards to the use of air conditioning and the death rate during heatwaves.

EU commission: " The adoption of air conditioning in Europe has been a topic of concern due to its potential impact on health and safety during heatwaves. In Europe, the number of deaths during heatwaves has been significantly higher compared to the United States, with a mean of 83,000 deaths annually relative to 20,000 deaths in North America. This disparity is attributed to the lower adoption of air conditioning in Europe, which is less common than in the US. The lack of air conditioning in many European homes forces residents to rely on less effective cooling methods, such as electric fans, ice packs, and cold showers, which can lead to increased exposure to extreme heat and heat-related illnesses".

21 Aug 2025

US Treasury 10y/30y yield curve is at the highest level since September 8, 2021.

Source: Augur Infinity

21 Aug 2025

🔴 Donald Trump calls on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign ‼️

The demand comes hours after Bill Pulte, a staunch ally of the US president, published a letter claiming the central bank official had ‘falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms. Source: FT

21 Aug 2025

‼️US freight shipments are sliding fast

The Cass Freight Index, a key measure of freight volumes in the US, has fallen to its lowest since the Great Financial Crisis, when excluding 2020. This signals weakening demand for shipping and goods movement, and a slower economy. Source: Global Markets Investor

21 Aug 2025

Speculators have built the largest short small cap stock futures position in at least the last decade

Source: Barchart, Bloomberg

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