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Become a Better Investor Newsletter – 31 January 2026

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Noteworthy this week

  • Gold hits new ATH
  • Gold beats stock
  • China is gaining strength in Latin America
  • Xi’s purge of the military
  • Europeans own >US$10trn US stocks

Gold hits new ATH: Gold surpassed $5,000/oz and then broke US$5,500. Got gold?

Gold beats stock: Gold has beaten the S&P 500 since 2000. I guess that makes the case for fiat losing value.

China is gaining strength in Latin America: Brazil just announced it will issue yuan-denominated debt this year. As in Africa and other parts of the world, China is already invested in Latin America’s infrastructure.

Xi’s purge of the military: Generals are accused of corruption and treason. General Zhang Yuxia, previously considered Xi’s right-hand man, was accused of treason.

Europeans own >US$10trn US stocks: European investors now own a record US$10.4trn in US stocks. European investors account for almost half of all foreign holdings of US equities.

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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

The Hundred Year Pivot Ep. 12 – Kamran Bokhari

“Kamran traces Iran’s modern political evolution from Qajar Persia through the Pahlavi monarchy, the 1953 Mosaddegh coup, and the 1979 Islamic Revolution, explaining how the regime’s dual-military structure—split between the regular army and the IRGC—was forged in war and later transformed into a vehicle for political and economic dominance.”

Listen on Apple or Spotify.

Readings this week

Valuations Don’t Matter When Money Is Fake

“Because I’m feeling masochistic today, I decided to play devil’s advocate and temporarily shelve the endlessly recycled takes about an imminent market crash. Instead, I tried to stretch my brain far enough to imagine a world in which the stock market rallies another 25% to 50% over the next couple of years, not because it should, but because it can.”

Read the article.

Book recommendation

How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know by Byron Sharp

“This book provides evidence-based answers to the key questions asked by marketers every day. Tackling issues such as how brands grow, how advertising really works, what price promotions really do, how consumers behave and how loyalty programs really affect loyalty. How Brands Grow presents decades of research in a style that is written for marketing professionals to grow their brands.”

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

ATP30 Public Company Limited (ATP30 TB): Profitable Growth rank of 4 was same compared to the prior period’s 4th rank. This is above average performance compared to 860 small Industrials companies worldwide.

Read ATP30 – World Class Benchmarking

T.K.S. Technologies Public Company Limited (TKS TB): Profitable Growth rank of 6 was down compared to the prior period’s 3rd rank. This is below average performance compared to 860 small Industrials companies worldwide.

Read T.K.S. Technologies – World Class Benchmarking

Index International Group Public Company Limited (IND TB): Profitable Growth rank of 2 was same compared to the prior period’s 2nd rank. This is World Class performance compared to 860 small Industrials companies worldwide.

Read Index International Group – World Class Benchmarking

Nonthavej Hospital Public Company Limited (NTV TB): Profitable Growth rank of 4 was down compared to the prior period’s 3rd rank. This is above average performance compared to 490 small Health Care companies worldwide.

Read Nonthavej Hospital – World Class Benchmarking

Namyong Terminal Public Company Limited (NYT TB): Profitable Growth rank of 5 was down compared to the prior period’s 3rd rank. This is average performance compared to 860 small Industrials companies worldwide.

Read Namyong Terminal – 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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