Is the U.K. retaliating against the U.S.?

My wife and I recently celebrated our 15-year anniversary… and it’s incredible to think about the changes we’ve gone through. I share some advice for younger listeners about life and marriage.   We’re in the heart of earnings season—and a ton of big names are reporting this week. I explain why McDonald’s (MCD) and PepsiCo (PEP) are trading near 52-week highs… and why you shouldn't expect prices on your favorite products to come down anytime soon.   The Fed is set to hike interest rates next week and many investors think it will be the last time—but I disagree. I explain why I expect several more rate hikes over the next few months… and why anyone predicting rate cuts later this year is nuts.    Next, I break down the positives and negatives in yesterday’s earnings from Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT).   The biggest news for Microsoft came from the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which killed its deal to buy Activision Blizzard (ATVI). I explain why the CMA’s move could be retaliation for a recent U.S. policy move… and why investors should be concerned about the government’s growing intervention across multiple industries, especially energy and crypto.   On tomorrow’s episode of WSU Premium, Daniel and I will dig deeper into Microsoft’s dead Activision deal and the growing tensions between world governments. We’ll also discuss the government’s attack on crypto… and how “de-dollarization” will create a major shift in global power. Don’t miss the episode—join WSU Premium now.   In this episode  What I’ve learned from 15 years of marriage [0:20] Why MCD and PEP are near 52-week highs [2:50] The Fed isn’t done hiking rates [5:00] GOOG is buying back $70 billion in stock [8:13] A great hedge against inflation[15:08] Is the U.K. punishing MSFT for the U.S.’s actions? [16:03] Don’t miss tomorrow’s WSU Premium [34:00] My wife and I recently celebrated our 15-year anniversary… and it’s incredible to think about the changes we’ve gone through. I share some advice for younger listeners about life and marriage.   Sponsor:   Art makes a great hedge against inflation... Masterworks, our sponsor this week, created a revolutionary platform that enables individual investors to stake a claim in the $1.7 trillion blue-chip art industry. And you can skip the waitlist. (https://www.masterworks.com/?utm_source=curzioblock&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Curzio&utm_term=Curzio+Member&utm_content=Masterworks)   Enjoyed this episode? Get Wall Street Unplugged delivered FREE to your inbox each week: www.curzioresearch.com/wall-street-unplugged/   Wall Street Unplugged podcast is available at: --iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wall-street-unplugged-frank/ --Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/curzio-research/wall-street-unplugged-2 --Website: www.curzioresearch.com/category/podcast/wall-street-unplugged/   Twitter: twitter.com/frankcurzio Facebook:. www.facebook.com/CurzioResearch/ Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/frank-curzio-690561a7/ Website: www.curzioresearch.com