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Become a Better Investor Newsletter – 28 December 2024

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Noteworthy this week

  • Small caps continue to underperform
  • Russia uses BTC to get around sanctions
  • EU has imported a lot of Russian fossils
  • Inflation matters
  • Diamonds don’t store value

Small caps continue to underperform: The Russell 2000 index has not hit an all-time high for nearly 800 days STRAIGHT, the longest streak in 13 years. Small caps are still below their peak in November 2021.

Russia uses BTC to get around sanctions: Unsurprisingly (NOT), Russia has been using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to get around Western sanctions.

EU has imported a lot of Russian fossils: Despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU was the second largest importer of Russian fossil fuels since the war began.

Inflation matters: The S&P 500 is up over 80,000%+ since 1918, but only 5,000% when adjusted for inflation.

Diamonds don’t store value: As lab-grown diamonds become cheaper and more available, natural diamond prices have fallen to their lowest level this century.

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Weekly market performance

Click here to see more markets and periods.

Chart of the week

Discussed in the Become a Better Investor Community this week

“You can now access your weekly updated Market Cheat Sheet and Equity FVMR Snapshots.”

Try 1 month of the Become a Better Investor Community for FREE today!
You can cancel at any time. Click here to learn more.

Podcasts we listened to this week

Ryan Holiday: How to Win the War with Yourself

“In this episode, Ryan Holiday unpacks the subtle and not-so-subtle messages life sends us—and what happens when we ignore them.”

Listen to the episode.

Readings this week

I Have A Few Questions

“Who has the right answers but I ignore because they’re not articulate? What haven’t I experienced firsthand that leaves me naive to how something works? Which of my current views would I disagree with if I were born in a different country or generation?”

Read the article.

Book recommendation

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness by Eric Jorgenson

“Getting rich is not just about luck; happiness is not just a trait we are born with. These aspirations may seem out of reach, but building wealth and being happy are skills we can learn.”

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

Published on Become a Better Investor this week

In this episode, Bill Bellows and Andrew Stotz dive further into acceptability versus desirability in the quality world. Is it enough that something is “good” – meets requirements – or do you need to focus on degrees of “good”? How can you tell the difference?

Listen to Beyond Looking Good: Misunderstanding Quality (Part 8)

SATS Limited (SATS SP): Profitable Growth rank of 9 was same compared to the prior period’s 9th rank. This is poor performance compared to 1,370 large Industrials companies worldwide.

Read SATS Ltd – World Class Benchmarking

Samsung Biologics Company Limited (207940 KS): Profitable Growth rank of 4 was up compared to the prior period’s 5th rank. This is above average performance compared to 360 large Health Care companies worldwide.

Read Samsung Biologics – World Class Benchmarking

ENN Natural Gas Company Limited (600803 SH): Profitable Growth rank of 4 was up compared to the prior period’s 5th rank. This is above average performance compared to 740 large Materials companies worldwide.

Read ENN Natural Gas – World Class Benchmarking

MIXI Incorporated (2121 JP): Profitable Growth rank of 5 was same compared to the prior period’s 5th rank. This is average performance compared to 250 large Comm. Serv. companies worldwide.

Read MIXI – World Class Benchmarking

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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