http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick? The Retired Investor/@theMarket Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:00:51 EDT en-us http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4627 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4627 Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:51:00 EDT Twenty percent of the world's energy flows remain bottlenecked by the Straits of Hormuz. As oil prices stay high enough to cripple the global economy and drive inflation, Iran is counting on that leverage to back the world into a corner. And for now, it’s working.   It... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4626 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4626 Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:48:00 EDT The introduction of prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi are exploding in popularity. At the same time crypto currency trading seems to be falling off a cliff. Are the two connected?   "Crypto is so yesterday," said one Gen Z trader, in response to my question.... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4625 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4625 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:15:00 EST As we close out the first week of Donald Trump's attack on Iran, markets have succumbed to the relentless rise in oil prices. The higher the energy prices rise, the lower global stock markets will fall.   West Texas oil is up more than 25 percent this week compared to last week,... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4624 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4624 Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:10:00 EST Iran is on everyone's radar screen. Markets are tumbling. Oil is skyrocketing, and explosions echo throughout our evening news shows. You may be nervous but remember that we have been here before.   And while war is a monstrous thing, its impact on your stock market investments... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4622 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4622 Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:55:00 EST As February ends, most stocks have gone nowhere. March tends to be better, closing higher 64 percent of the time. We can hope things improve, but hope is never a good investment strategy.   The carnage in the technology sector continued. While reporting stellar results, Nvidia, the... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4623 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4623 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:41:00 EST The winter storms of ice and snow that buried much of the U.S. in January and February were large enough to impact the economy. It will be months before the final tallies are in, but many economists expect the price tag to be over $100 billion.   That seems like a lot of money. I... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4621 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4621 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:40:00 EST It was an uneventful week, at least until Friday. Growth remains firm, but inflation remains a concern. The data gave few clues, while geopolitics kept markets in check. And then, on Friday morning, the Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs.   The response was somewhat... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4620 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4620 Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:02:00 EST In December 2025, the president unveiled plans to revamp the Navy. He announced the construction of two new battleships, each costing between $10 billion and $15 billion. It's a start, but still only a drop in the bucket for reviving American shipbuilding.   Why is that... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4619 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4619 Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:22:00 EST The ongoing debate about the high spending by AI companies is intensifying, but a broader thesis is emerging. AI is now casting uncertainty across more industries, unsettling investors and markets alike.   Software stocks have been the most obvious area of concern. The sector, and... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4617 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4617 Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:33:00 EST There were concerns that U.S. tariffs during the Trump presidency would spark similar responses from other nations. This could have greatly reduced global trade, possibly causing an economic recession. That outcome did not happen, but a different development did.   While retaliation...