THE MINERALS MAP THAT RUNS THE WORLD
Who controls the supply? By Jack Prandelli
Venezuela's underground wealth
Source: @AzizSapphire
A fascinating chart that shows how important social skills really are.
High social skills + High maths skills = holy grail Source: nxthompson @nxthompson, FT
More Bonds Are Teetering on the Brink of Junk
JPMorgan doesn’t anticipate market turmoil anytime soon. Demand from investors is still strong, and earnings will probably be relatively strong in the coming weeks, leaving spreads relatively rangebound. But there are still risks in credit. About $55 billion of US corporate bonds migrated from investment-grade to junk status in 2025, becoming “fallen angels,” according to JPMorgan. That far exceeds last year’s $10 billion of “rising stars,” or firms elevated to high-grade. And the trend is set to continue, the strategists say. Source: Bloomberg, Tracy Shuchart (𝒞𝒽𝒾 ) @chigrl
Gold and Silver just hit a new all-time high as the US dollar weakened after Powell accused Trump of targeting the Fed.
Now the Fed’s independence is at risk, so investors are dumping dollar and buying metals for safety hedge. The precious metal bull run still shows no signs of stopping in 2026. Source: Bull Theory @BullTheoryio
NEW POLYMARKET: JPow charged?
Will Trump follow through? Source : Polymarket
Powell has the highest approval rating of any “political leader” in the country.
Source: Joe Weisenthal @TheStalwart Gallup
Is the volatility index VIX set to spike?
Asset managers have aggressively increased their VIX futures shorts to the highest level since July 2024. In other words, funds are betting heavily on continued low stock market volatility. Such extreme short VIX positioning often leaves markets vulnerable to sharp volatility spikes if sentiment turns. A similar setup occurred in July-August 2024, when a sudden shift in risk appetite drove a nearly -10% market drop. Are we heading for a pullback? Source. Global Markets Investors
