Become a Better Investor Newsletter – 14 March 2026
Noteworthy this week
- Asia is the most dependent on Middle Eastern oil
- Fertilizer stops with a closed Hormuz
- Iran attacked Thai-flagged vessel
- Private credit defaults continue to rise
- Remember, free market capitalism is the only way
Asia is the most dependent on Middle Eastern oil: About 90% of all crude oil transiting the Strait of Hormuz is destined for Asia. And, about 8% of LNG exports from Qatar and the UAE flow to Asian buyers.
Asia is the most dependent region on oil and natural gas flows from the Middle East:
~90% of all crude oil transiting the Strait of Hormuz is destined for Asia..
And, ~82% of LNG exports from Qatar and the UAE flow to Asian buyers.
China alone receives 38% of all oil flowing… pic.twitter.com/D4eWI28vF0
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) March 7, 2026
Fertilizer stops with a closed Hormuz: Gulf countries are the second-largest global fertilizer exporters. This means food can become more expensive soon.
not many people pay attention but Gulf countries as a whole are the second largest global fertilizer exporter pic.twitter.com/cKvk4qRcyn
— Sohbet Karbuz (@sohbetkarbuz) March 7, 2026
Iran attacked Thai-flagged vessel: A Thai-flagged cargo vessel owned by Precious Shipping PCL was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, leaving three crew members missing, according to media reports.
Thai-flagged vessel attacked near Strait of Hormuz, three crew reported missing
A Thai-flagged cargo vessel was reportedly attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, leaving three crew members missing, according to media reports.
The vessel, MAYUREE NAREE Bangkok, was hit… pic.twitter.com/fpoU2wuV3h
— Thai Enquirer (@ThaiEnquirer) March 11, 2026
Private credit defaults continue to rise: Private credit defaults are up 4x since 2024. Private credit redemption requests have tripled over the past 6 months.
Private credit redemption requests have tripled in 6 months.
Investors are heading for the exit.
Fundraising will be much harder for years to come. pic.twitter.com/salPjKcRmn
— Illiquid Insights (@IlliquidInsight) March 9, 2026
Remember, free market capitalism is the only way: It’s the only proven way to escape socialist misery and poverty. One cannot multiply wealth by dividing it; prosperity can be created only by hard work.
Poland’s standard of living surpassed Japan’s, it also overtook Spain last year.
Free market, capitalism and entrepreneurialism are the only proven way to escape socialist misery and poverty. One cannot multiply wealth by dividing it, prosperity can be only created by hard work. pic.twitter.com/p5nwFT7GDJ
— Michael A. Arouet (@MichaelAArouet) March 12, 2026
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Podcasts we listened to this week
Does A “Lost Decade” For Stocks Lie Ahead? | New Harbor Financial
“Would your portfolio be able to survive if a ‘lost decade’ lies ahead for the stock market? Such lost decades happen more frequently than many investors realize.”
Readings this week
Momentum factor investing: Evidence and evolution
“Momentum is a foundational factor in equity markets. We review its evolution in the literature and analyze the momentum factor empirically across a wider variety of tests. Our empirical analyses demonstrate robust empirical support for the momentum factor over domestic and global stock markets spanning up to 150 years.”
Book recommendation
A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan
“When it comes to the phenomenon that is consciousness, there is one point on which scientists, philosophers, and artists all agree: it feels like something to be us.”
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
— Not Jerome Powell (@alifarhat79) March 12, 2026
— Gambling is Life (@GamblingMemez) March 11, 2026
Published on Become a Better Investor this week
What do you do when a new data point drops—and all eyes turn to you? In this episode, John Dues and Andrew Stotz explore the leadership discipline required when performance data changes.
Listen to The Courage to Not React
Ichitan Group Public Company Limited (ICHI TB): Profitable Growth rank of 2 was same compared to the prior period’s 2nd rank. This is World Class performance compared to 440 medium Cons. Staples companies worldwide.
Read Ichitan Group – World Class Benchmarking
GrainCorp Limited (GNC AU): Profitable Growth rank of 8 was up compared to the prior period’s 9th rank. This is below average performance compared to 560 large Cons. Staples companies worldwide.
Read Graincorp – World Class Benchmarking
PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk (UNVR IJ): Profitable Growth rank of 1 was same compared to the prior period’s 1st rank. This is World Class performance compared to 560 large Cons. Staples companies worldwide.
Read Unilever Indonesia – World Class Benchmarking
Asia Pacific ex Japan ex China, and Emerging Markets ex China drove outperformance. Performance review of our strategies in February 2026 – All Weather Inflation Guard gained 1.1%, All Weather Strategy gained 3.2%, All Weather Alpha Focus gained 6.4%.
Read A. Stotz All Weather Strategies – February 2026
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.