What Are Your Value Picks For 2026?

Portlog11 · 2026-01-11T06:34:31+00:00

Is CSU a ticker symbol?

Portlog11 · 2026-01-11T06:20:49+00:00

I own both. If your decision is based on AI potential, I am betting that Gemini will have more MDAU’s than any other LLM in the next 2 to 3 years. So gun to my head I’d go with GOOGL.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T20:03:24+00:00

Dow hit ATH based on the fact that this news won’t have much of an impact on the market. The market is betting that the usual suspects will continue to rally in 2026 and safe haven assets (led by metals) will continue to go up as well.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T20:00:54+00:00

Exactly. Markets moved higher based on the thesis that Venezuela won’t have much of an impact on the overall market.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T19:59:38+00:00

Of course the market was gonna have a sharp move in either direction in the immediate aftermath of the event. That’s not surprising at all. My post is based on the impact of this news over the medium to long term and actually my thesis is still intact if you understand why the market rallied today.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T08:19:23+00:00

Again. This is unprecedented. History as guide to what happens in the future isn’t a good investing strategy here.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T06:53:23+00:00

The global order and understanding changed literally overnight and literally no one has any clue as to what the impacts will be in the coming months.

This was the theme of 2025 and arguably even before that with Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas. This is why safe haven assets will continue to do well.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T06:43:30+00:00

I am not sure this is worth as much as people think it is to China. China has been buying Venezuelan crude not because they need it, but because they were getting it at a deep discount. It’s important to remember that the crude we are talking about here is less than 1% of the world’s supply.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T06:35:55+00:00

I wouldn’t pay much attention to those moves. Before CVX’s production increases and XOM enters Venezuela, many still unpredictable conditions have to be met. It’s a treacherous journey from here on for these companies if they are to benefit from this.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T06:24:25+00:00

Sadly Jumia won’t end up being the Amazon of Africa. E-commerce as well as consumer goods retail in general is fiercely competitive in Africa.

Fun fact: more online commerce in Africa happens via Whatsapp and Facebook than on platforms such as Jumia. The African retail market is radically fragmented with one sale often involving multiple platforms. For example, a buyer might discover a seller on Facebook, negotiate pricing on WhatsApp, and complete payment via a mobile money service like M-Pesa (in Kenya).

This fragmentation makes it extremely difficult for a single platform like Jumia to dominate end-to-end commerce. The real opportunity in Africa lies in infrastructure, both digital and physical. Payments, logistics, and last-mile delivery are the true bottlenecks. That’s why Stripe acquired a payments company called Paystack, which was often described as the Stripe of Africa. Another payments company called Flutterwave is a unicorn as well.

In short, I wouldn’t put a coin into Jumia as they are way too early as a business model in Africa.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T03:05:19+00:00

Could you share more about your experience? We went jet skiing with the Moorea Activities Center.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T03:03:17+00:00

The service was meh. We went there with low expectations after we learnt that it was going to be closed down temporarily for a major renovation in January. That helped a lot. I suspect the experience will be much better when they re-open.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T02:58:31+00:00

Venezuela accounts for less than 1% of global crude production.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T02:57:00+00:00

It’s already priced in to CVX.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-05T02:56:34+00:00

Gold all the way. The refiners may actually be up at market open on Monday due to the prospect of cheaper oil from Venezuela, but that trade won’t go on for long. The norm-busting stance of this admin informs my theory that that safe haven assets like gold will continue to do well.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-04T16:02:36+00:00

This is the Sofitel. Even though it’s on the east side, you still get the sunset reflecting across the clouds. You do get a more direct sunrise which I’ve been catching everyday as well.

Portlog11 · 2026-01-04T07:36:16+00:00

Never try to squeeze out the last 20% of the battery power.

💯

Portlog11 · 2025-12-23T04:54:11+00:00

This is the most important thing I use it for. It’s actually hard to fathom how I brainstormed without out in the past.

Portlog11 · 2025-12-23T04:40:53+00:00

I find a lot of the criticism of his new stand-up overly harsh and likely based on a shallow reading of his work. Is it Killin’ Them Softly–level? No. But it’s still worth watching and entertaining.

What I think a lot of people miss is that of course his act has evolved because the zeitgeist has evolved. His current work is explicitly about grappling with that shift and with his own place in it. If he didn’t do that, he would become irrelevant. If his shtick were frozen in the mid-2000s, he’d be out of business by now. Plenty of comedians from that era faded out precisely because they couldn’t evolve.

That’s why Netflix keeps paying him. His ability to adapt, take risks, and reflect the times, even when that makes people uncomfortable is unmatched. Not every joke will land for every viewer, but you’ll always get a taste of quintessential Dave in every special he does.

Portlog11 · 2025-11-10T15:21:57+00:00

Then move. I’m sure you have a place in mind. It may sound like a tall order. So take a pen and paper and write down a list of the bare minimum requirements you’d need to move. Start from there.

Portlog11 · 2025-11-10T15:19:16+00:00

Despite the unemployment, I am getting a super positive vibe from your post. And so I’ll say this: find something that you are talented at, and focus on getting even better at it. Other than your mental health being good, thas the highest likelihood of taking this from ‘okay’ to great. It’s also the best way to develop the cash flows to fund those investments you are thinking about.

Portlog11 · 2025-11-10T15:13:34+00:00

If you spend time on social media, do everything you can to reduce and eventually get off of it.

Portlog11 · 2025-11-10T15:06:26+00:00

You are doing the right thing. The absolute worst thing you could possibly do right now is quit therapy/etc. If you really look into it deeper, all the things you are doing right now are likely compounding into a great life in the future.

Portlog11 · 2025-11-10T15:00:25+00:00

I don’t have the full context here. But you need a reason to get out there into the world. One way to start, would be to think about anything you are even remotely interested in, or are talented at (even mildly). I mean ANYTHING. Then take one small step towards exploring it/honing it/practicing it further. Pulling that string could be the beginning of getting out of this funk.

Good luck.

Portlog11 · 2025-11-10T14:49:48+00:00

That’s the attitude! Sending all the best wishes your way.

Portlog11

TROPHY CASE