My end-of-week morning train WFH reads:
• Sharpie Found a Way to Make Pens More Cheaply—By Manufacturing Them in the U.S. Newell Brands moved production without cutting employee count or raising prices. (Wall Street Journal)
• Your Wealthiest Friend Has a Private Concierge: The services, which can cost more than $50,000 a year, make impossible dinner reservations and finagle special treatment. In certain circles, they’ve become a common luxury. (New York Times) see also Why You Don’t Feel Rich: Wages have kept pace with inflation but that’s on average. It’s not everyone. The reason wealthy people have been able to spend throughout the tumult of the 2020s is because they own most of the financial assets. If you don’t own any financial assets you’re probably treading water at best. (A Wealth of Common Sense)
• The Chinese robots are coming: China is miles ahead in the race to dominate a technology that could define the 21st century. (Washington Post)
• Retail Prices Were Heading in the Right Direction—Then Tariffs Hit: Price increases, which were moderating before the US government began imposing tariffs, are gaining steam. An analysis of 350,000 products by Alberto Cavallo shows how levies are reaching consumers. (Working Knowledge) see also Hell Hath No Fury Like a Coffee Drinker in 2025: Prices are driving people to expletive-laden rants, but few are quitting caffeine; ‘I cannot function without that coffee. (Wall Street Journal)
• ETFs 2025: Cheap, Fat, Starving for Attention: At FutureProof two weeks ago, I gave a brief summary of the state of the ETF industry. Be careful out there. (ETF.com)
• George Mack: 9 fun ways to increase your agency with zero grinding required. Most people think high agency — happening to life, rather than letting life happen — means grinding 24/7. It doesn’t. You can solve problems, take initiative *and* have fun at the same time. (High Agency)
• What’s Wrong With Las Vegas? As prices skyrocket and international travel declines, the city finds itself caught in a perfect storm. (New York Times)
• Navy SEALs use this mindfulness technique to combat everyday stress: Incorporating the art of conscious breathing into a daily routine can help with emotional regulation, boost mood, and override the fight-or-flight response. (National Geographic) see also This Program Rescued Army Recruiting: The defense secretary cites a “Trump bump.” But the Army’s recruiting surge wouldn’t have been possible without the program started three years ago at Fort Jackson. (New York Times)
• He’s gay. She’s straight. They’re happily married. A new crop of couples are making content about their mixed-orientation marriages, divorced from sexual attraction but not love. (Washington Post)
• The Method to Daniel Day-Lewis’ Madness: Is the three-time Best Actor winner, now back with his first movie in seven years, really our greatest actor? And is it really his process that makes him great? By Isaac Butler. (Slate)
Be sure to check out our Masters in Business this weekend with Jurrien Timmer, Director of Global Macro at Fidelity Investments, which manages $16 trillion in for 20 million clients. Timmer, a Chartered Market Technician (CMT), is part of Fidelity’s Global Asset Allocation (GAA) group, and specializes in asset allocation and global macro strategy.
Animal spirits are reigning supreme, with both the tech giants and more speculative elements running in tandem. It’s all AI and crypto these days
Source: Fidelity
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