This week, Marcello talks about how Trump and Elon Musk are considering sending $5,000 checks to U.S. taxpayers, thanks to savings detected by DOGE in the government’s payment system. Meanwhile, the stock market suffered its worst day of 2025, losing nearly $1 trillion. In the food sector, egg prices hit a new all-time high in the U.S.

U.S. markets closed the week with sharp declines. Trump is considering imposing tariffs of 25% or more on cars, semiconductors, and medicines, negatively impacting those sectors. Microsoft, on the other hand, rose 1.25% after unveiling its first-ever quantum computing chip. Walmart caused uncertainty with a weaker-than-expected sales forecast. On Friday, the market lost $927 billion, with the Dow dropping 1.69% to 43,428.02 points, and the S&P 500 falling 1.71% to 6,013.13. The Nasdaq suffered the biggest hit, down 2.20%.

In international markets, European stocks had mixed results: London fell 0.84%, Germany dropped 1.01%, and Paris was down 0.29%. Russia, however, gained 3.08%. In Latin America, Mexico’s stock exchange fell 0.63%, while Colombia surged 5.05%. In Asia, Hong Kong led with a 3.79% gain, while Japan dropped 0.96%.

Bitcoin dropped 0.95%, trading at $96,706, though Coinbase shares rose 3% after the SEC dropped an enforcement action against the company. In commodities, gold hit a new record high of $2,954 per ounce, while silver rose 0.96%. Oil, on the other hand, dropped to a two-month low, with WTI crude at $70.40 and Brent at $74.43.

Egg prices in the U.S. hit an all-time high of $4.95 per dozen, reflecting supply chain issues. In Guyana, the government is set to sign an oil production-sharing agreement with TotalEnergies, with the country on track to produce 940,000 barrels per day this year—nearly 1% of global supply.

In finance, New Zealand’s central bank cut interest rates by 0.50% to 3.75%. MercadoLibre surged 7.09% after reporting better-than-expected revenue. Japan’s economy grew 2.8% in the last quarter, exceeding expectations, while Mexico saw its first economic contraction in over three years.

In political news, Trump accused China of exerting influence over the Panama Canal, while Finland and Sweden are investigating another sabotage incident involving undersea telecom cables in the Baltic Sea. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that a Pentagon study found flu vaccines increase the likelihood of illness by 4.4 times. Yale researchers identified a “post-vaccination syndrome” linked to mRNA Covid shots, causing brain fog, dizziness, tinnitus, and exercise intolerance.

Elon Musk and Trump are discussing sending $5,000 checks to taxpayers using savings detected in the government’s payment system, which DOGE claims could total $522 billion in fraud—equivalent to one-third of all Social Security spending.

In corporate news, Tesla climbed 1.82% after reporting better-than-expected results. Shake Shack surged 11.13% on strong sales numbers. Southwest Airlines will cut 15% of its corporate workforce, while Rivian fell 4.70% after issuing a lower-than-expected delivery forecast.

In international news, power outages are becoming a daily reality in Cuba, with some areas going without electricity for over 20 hours. The government has ordered two-day school closures and is urging reduced energy consumption.

And in interesting facts, new evidence in Romania suggests hominins reached Eurasia 2 million years ago—200,000 years earlier than previously thought.

The post February 23: Trump/Musk give $5,000 check Doge savings, Egg Prices All Time High, Stocks tank (Recap ep304) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.

This week, Marcello talks about a group led by Elon Musk offering $97.4 billion to buy the nonprofit controlling OpenAI, though Sam Altman turned down the bid and countered with an offer to buy Twitter for $9 billion. Inflation came in higher than expected at 3%, reinforcing the Federal Reserve’s stance to hold off on interest rate cuts for now. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has been in talks with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, raising questions about whether the war in Ukraine could soon come to an end.

U.S. President Trump’s trade advisers were finalizing plans on Wednesday, for the reciprocal tariffs the U.S. President has vowed to impose on every country that charges duties on U.S. imports, increasing fears of a widening global trade war & threatening to add to already virulent U.S. inflation. Trade ministers of the 27-country European Union were due to meet by video conference to determine their response after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said tariff moves against the bloc won’t go unanswered.

The post February 16: Elon Musk offers buy OpenAI, Ukraine war over?, Inflation higher than expected (Recap ep303) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.

This week, Marcello talks about how U.S. aid money is once again under scrutiny, with growing concerns over corruption and mismanagement. Meanwhile, Trump hit the brakes on his trade war (at least for now) pausing new tariffs on Mexico and Canada, which sent markets swinging. And gold? It just smashed through record highs, climbing past $2,900 an ounce as investors scramble for safe-haven assets.

Markets had a wild start to the week after Trump’s tariff threats. The Dow slid 0.99% to 44,303.40, the S&P 500 dropped 0.95% to 6,025.99, and the NASDAQ took the biggest hit, down 1.36% to 19,523.40. International markets were mixed, with Spain jumping 2.58% while Argentina’s Merval tanked 6.13%. Bitcoin also took a hit, sliding 5.9% to $96,161 as volatility ramped up again.

Gold continued its run, gaining 2.13% to a new record high at $2,900, while silver was up 1.62% to $31.89. Oil prices, on the other hand, dropped, with U.S. WTI crude down 2.15% to $71.00 and Brent falling 2.81% to $74.66. In Argentina, dry weather is wreaking havoc on crops, forcing the country to slash its grain production forecasts. Over in Europe, defense spending hit 1.9% of GDP last year, up 30% from 2021, but Trump wants NATO allies to go even further, pushing for a 5% target—something no country, not even the U.S., currently meets. Meanwhile, the Bank of England cut interest rates by 0.25%, bringing rates to 4.5% and hinting at more cuts ahead.

In the U.S., factory activity expanded in January for the first time in over two years, but job creation wasn’t as strong as expected. Nonfarm payrolls rose by just 143,000, well below December’s 307,000. China, never one to back down from a tech fight, launched an antitrust probe into Google. In the markets, PayPal got crushed, falling 13.17% after reporting slowing growth in card processing, while Expedia soared 17.27% on strong earnings. Spotify had a big week, jumping 13.24% after posting its first full year of profitability, with net income hitting $1.18 billion. On the other hand, Google missed revenue expectations and fell 7.29%, though Alphabet still announced plans to invest $75 billion in AI next year.

China is stepping up its trade war, placing new export controls on rare earth metals crucial for electronics and military equipment. It also slapped a 10% tariff on electric trucks coming from the U.S., which could be bad news for Tesla’s Cybertruck in China. In Greece, hundreds of people swarmed the port in Santorini after a string of earthquakes shook the region. Meanwhile, Greenland’s ruling party is pushing for an independence vote after the next general election. And here’s something to keep an eye on: Earth’s oceans are heating up faster than ever. Back in the late ‘80s, ocean temps were rising by about 0.06°C per decade. Now, that number has jumped to 0.27°C, with 2023 and early 2024 breaking records for 450 straight days. El Niño played a role, but the trend is hard to ignore.

The post February 9: US AID govt Corruption, Trump Tariff War Pause, Gold Record Highs (Recap ep302) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.

This week in the U.S. market, tech stocks tumbled as China’s DeepSeek AI model emerged as a major competitor, training at a fraction of the cost of U.S. rivals. Nvidia, which has dominated AI chip production, saw a staggering 17% drop. Markets also reacted to the Federal Reserve’s decision to pause its recent stretch of interest rate cuts, signaling that further reductions may not be imminent. Additionally, former President Trump reignited trade war concerns by reiterating a 25% tariff on imports from both Canada and Mexico. Meanwhile, Bitcoin dipped below $100,000, marking its lowest level in 11 days before bouncing back slightly above $99,000. Analysts linked the drop to investor caution following the Chinese AI surge, which triggered a selloff in Western AI-related stocks. Despite this, Trump Media saw a 6.76% gain after its parent company announced an expansion into financial services, including potential crypto investments.

Economic news painted a grim picture for Germany, as its GDP declined by 0.2% in the final quarter of the year, marking a second consecutive annual contraction for Europe’s largest economy. On the political front, the U.S. froze nearly all foreign aid, making exceptions only for emergency food assistance and military funding for Israel, Egypt, and Turkey. Additionally, Trump retaliated against Colombia for rejecting U.S. deportation flights, imposing an initial 25% tariff on Colombian imports, which will increase to 50% within a week. Further measures include a travel ban, immediate visa revocations for Colombian officials, and financial sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). In South Korea, former President Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted on charges of leading an insurrection after his short-lived martial law declaration in December, which sought to control media and ban political activity.

Corporate developments included Nvidia’s worst trading day since March 2020, with shares plummeting 16.97% to $118.42 following weaker-than-expected revenue of $9.4 billion. UPS also suffered its worst session ever, with shares plunging 14.11% after announcing a revised agreement with Amazon that will reduce shipping volume by over 50% in the second half of 2026. Toyota remained the world’s top-selling automaker for the fifth consecutive year, selling 10.8 million vehicles in 2024, while Volkswagen reported a 2.3% decline in sales, falling to just over 9 million units. In technology news, Chinese startup DeepSeek surged to become the top-rated free app on Apple’s U.S. App Store, with its AI model surpassing Stability AI and OpenAI’s models in image generation benchmarks.

In a fascinating scientific revelation, researchers at Utrecht University discovered two colossal “islands” hidden deep within Earth’s mantle, each the size of a continent. These regions, estimated to be at least 500 million years old, are significantly hotter than their surroundings and challenge long-standing theories about mantle convection. Rather than a rapidly flowing and well-mixed interior, this discovery suggests that Earth’s mantle has less movement than previously thought, reshaping our understanding of the planet’s inner dynamics.

The post February 3: Tariff Wars Begin, Planes Crashing Everywhere, Deepseek China AI War starts (Recap Ep301) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.

In today’s recap, Marcello talks about the dawn of a new year bringing big changes, with a new president in office and the launch of a Trump-themed cryptocurrency making waves in the markets. The newly created Trump Meme Coin has skyrocketed to nearly $12 billion in market value, while Melania Trump’s own crypto project has added to the buzz with a $1.9 billion debut. Stay tuned as we dive into how these developments are shaping the start of the year.

Cryptocurrencies tied to President Donald Trump made headlines this week with remarkable market activity. Trump’s newly created cryptocurrency surged on Monday, reaching a market value of nearly $12 billion, while Bitcoin hit a record high of $109,333. Trump’s coin has already become the 18th largest cryptocurrency, boasting a 24-hour trading volume of $52.5 billion. Adding to the excitement, Melania Trump launched her own cryptocurrency on Sunday, which debuted at $12.03 per token with a market capitalization of $1.9 billion. These developments highlight the growing influence of the Trump brand in the crypto space.

The post January 26: New Year, New President, New Trump Meme Coin (Recap ep300) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.

In today’s recap, Marcello talks about Bitcoin surging past $100,000 for the first time, driven by optimism about President-elect Donald Trump creating a regulatory environment that supports cryptocurrencies. U.S. stock markets reached record highs this week as better than expected tech earnings boosted investor confidence, with companies highlighting the impact of artificial intelligence on their results. Meanwhile, Syria has officially fallen, and President Assad has been granted asylum in Russia. In response, Israel has launched strikes targeting military bases, defense systems, and government facilities, leaving critical infrastructure in ruins.

Bitcoin rose above $100,000 for the 1st time on Thursday rising over 4% to over $103K, as the election of Republican Trump as president of the United States spurred expectations that his administration will create a friendly regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin has more than doubled in value this year & is up about 35% in the 4 weeks since Trump’s sweeping election victory, which also saw a slew of pro-crypto lawmakers being elected to Congress.

The post December 8: Bitcoin hits $100,000, Record Highs Stocks, Syria falls (Recap ep299) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.

In today’s recap, Marcello talks about coffee prices hitting their highest levels since 1977, driven by record-breaking droughts in Brazil and Vietnam. U.S. stock markets had their best month of the year in November, capped by a Thanksgiving holiday break. Meanwhile, Germany has made headlines with a stark warning to corporations to “prepare for war,” adding a dramatic geopolitical twist to an already eventful week.

U.S. stock markets posted their biggest monthly gains this year in November, as chip stocks rallied on Friday, after it was reported that the outgoing Biden administration was considering additional barriers on the sale of semiconductor equipment to China, that weren’t as strong as previously expected. The S&P 500 & Dow rose modestly to close at records in a holiday-shortened session. Dow +0.42% (+188.59) at 44,910.65, at a new intraday high. S&P 500 +0.56% (+33.64) at 6,032.38, a new all time high. NASDAQ +0.83% (+157.69) at 19,218.17.

The post December 1: Coffee hit record highs, Stocks Best Month This Year, Germany says prepare for War (Recap ep298) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.

In today’s Recap, Marcello talks about how Donald Trump has returned to the White House, ushering in a new era as Republicans secure control of both the Senate and House. His early actions include accepting a call from Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, while Qatar orders Hamas officials to leave the country. Meanwhile, the United States faces an unprecedented drought crisis, impacting nearly all states, over 150 million people, and 318 million acres of crops after a record-breaking summer heatwave. On a brighter note, Bitcoin has exploded to a historic high of $93,445, surpassing silver to become the world’s 8th largest asset.

Republicans have finally won enough seats to control the U.S. House of Representatives with 218 votes out of 435, with 9 seats still undecided, thus completing the party’s sweep into power & securing their hold on the U.S. government, alongside President-elect Donald Trump. A House Republican victory in Arizona, alongside a win in slow-counting California earlier Wednesday, gave the GOP the House the seats necessary that make up the majority. House Democrats now control 211 seats. Republicans earlier gained control of the Senate from Democrats with 53 seats versus 47. With control of both houses of Congress, the Trump agenda is likely to be enacted rather quickly in 2025.

The post November 17: New Trump Era, Entire United States in drought, Bitcoin explodes (Recap ep297) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.

In today’s Recap, Marcello talks to us about how Europe is facing a tough mix of crises, with both weather and economic warnings piling up. In Spain, record-breaking rainfall in Valencia flooded streets, destroyed homes, and left dozens dead, marking one of Europe’s worst floods in years. As citizens continue to search for the missing, the EU is urging people to stock up on supplies, cautioning that many countries aren’t ready for a prolonged emergency. At the same time, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has sparked concern by selling a large chunk of its Apple shares, hinting at possible stormy waters ahead for the markets.

Meteorologists said a year’s worth of rain had fallen in 8 hours in parts of Valencia, Spain on Tuesday. Residents described seeing people clambering onto the roofs of their cars, as a churning tide of brown water gushed through the streets, uprooting trees & dragging away chunks of masonry from buildings. In the hard-hit rural town of Utiel, some 85 km (53 miles) inland, the Magro river burst its banks, sending up to three metres (9.8 feet) of water into homes, which are mostly single-storey. The floods have also wrecked crops and killed livestock.

The post November 3: EU Warns to prepare emergency, Warren Buffet shows chaos ahead, Spain floods (Recap ep296) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.

In this week’s Recap, Marcello tells us how Tesla is making headlines with the launch of its new robots, driverless taxi, and driverless van, showcasing advancements in AI and automation. Meanwhile, Warren Buffett continues his massive sell-off, shedding billions of dollars in stocks over the past few months, signaling caution in the markets. And in the world of media, Joe Rogan’s highly anticipated interview with Donald Trump has sparked conversations about politics, media, and the future of the U.S.

Hurricane Milton marched across Florida starting on Wednesday & into Thursday, as the storm hit Florida’s west coast as a Category 3 hurricane, whipping up deadly tornadoes, destroying homes & knocking out power to 3.3M customers, but the Tampa Bay metropolitan area appeared to have escaped without the catastrophic flooding that had been feared. Authorities were still waiting for rivers to crest, but so far water levels were at or below what they received with Hurricane Helene 2 weeks ago.

Shares of the U.S. based electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla fell -8.78% on Friday at $217.80, after its robotaxi event underwhelmed investors. Morgan Stanley analysts noted that the event overall disappointed expectations, due to a lack of details in several areas, including how the company is going to compete against ride-sharing companies, like Lyft & Uber. Shares of those firms jumped following the event, with Lyft surging +9.59% at $13.60 & Uber gaining +10.81% at $86.34. Tesla stock is down -12.26% in the past 3 months, -12.35% in 2024 & -13.27% y/y, with a market cap of $695.79B.

The post October 13: Tesla launches Robots, Warren Buffet Keeps selling, Joe Rogan interviews Trump (Recap ep295) appeared first on Investing & Day Trading Education: Day Trading Academy.