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Become a Better Investor Newsletter – 14 June 2025

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Noteworthy this week

  • Will the US default on its debt?
  • CBs stock up on gold
  • S&P 500 returns driven by Mag 7
  • Oil rigs are going offline
  • Musk and Trump might still be bros

Will the US default on its debt?: “Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.” – Otto von Bismarck

CBs stock up on gold: Gold on track for an inflow of US$75bn this year. Gold’s share of global reserves reached 23% in Q2 2025, the highest level in 30 years.

S&P 500 returns driven by Mag 7: If you net out the Mag 7 from the S&P 500, the remaining 493 stocks have barely gone anywhere in over a decade (comparatively speaking).

Oil rigs are going offline: US oil rigs are increasingly going offline as crude prices fall. The Baker Hughes US crude oil rig count has dropped to the lowest since 2021.

Musk and Trump might still be bros: Musk has tweeted that the reason that the Epstein files haven’t been published is that Trump is in them. Trump said the US gov’t could save money by cutting subsidies to Musk’s companies. But maybe they have made up again.

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Weekly market performance

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Chart of the week

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Podcasts we listened to this week

#218 Rudy Havenstein – A Portfolio on Inflation Watch

Listen on Apple or Spotify.

Readings this week

The Hidden Value of Streaky Returns in Stock Portfolios

“Return streams that can perform well or poorly for an extended period of time – so called streaky returns – are more difficult to stick with and comprehend. These additional complexities associated with streaky returns suggests they should be avoided, all else equal. But all else is not equal.”

Read the article.

Book recommendation

Buddhism Plain and Simple: The Practice of Being Aware Right Now, Every Day by Steve Hagen

“In Buddhism Plain and Simple, Zen priest and longtime teacher Steve Hagen presents the heart of Buddhist teachings, pared down to its essence and explained in simple, everyday language.”

Get the book on Audible or Kindle.

Audible is great; have you tried it? If not, click here to get 2 books for free.

Memes of the week

New My Worst Investment Ever episodes

Enrich Your Future 34: Embrace the Bear: Why Market Crashes Are Your Silent Ally

In this episode of Enrich Your Future, Andrew and Larry Swedroe discuss Larry’s new book, Enrich Your Future: The Keys to Successful Investing. In this series, they discuss Chapter 34: Bear Markets: A Necessary Evil.

LEARNING: Investors must view bear markets as necessary evils.

Access the episode’s show notes and resources

Published on Become a Better Investor this week

Why would any leader choose to take on a transformation that requires rethinking how they lead, how their organization functions, and how they learn?

Listen to Getting Started with Quality as an Organizational Strategy: A Conversation with Cliff Norman and David Williams

Kingsoft Corporation Limited (3888 HK): Profitable Growth rank of 2 was up compared to the prior period’s 8th rank. This is World Class performance compared to 600 large Info Tech companies worldwide.

Read Kingsoft Corporation – World Class Benchmarking

ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated (2357 TT): Profitable Growth rank of 3 was up compared to the prior period’s 6th rank. This is above average performance compared to 620 large Info Tech companies worldwide.

Read ASUSTeK Computer – World Class Benchmarking

Coca Cola HBC AG (CCH LN): Profitable Growth rank of 3 was up compared to the prior period’s 4th rank. This is above average performance compared to 530 large Cons. Staples companies worldwide.

Read Coca Cola HBC AG – World Class Benchmarking

Strong Equity rebound led by Developed Markets. Performance review of our strategies in May 2025 – All Weather Inflation Guard gained 1.2%, All Weather Strategy gained 3.2%, All Weather Alpha Focus gained 0.5%.

Read A. Stotz All Weather Strategies – May 2025

DISCLAIMER: This content is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Readers should not consider statements made by the author(s) as formal recommendations and should consult their financial advisor before making any investment decisions. While the information provided is believed to be accurate, it may include errors or inaccuracies. The author(s) cannot be held liable for any actions taken as a result of reading this article.

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