My Investing Muse
Layoffs, closures and Delinquencies
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FedEx Corp. plans to close nine shipping facilities in New York and one in Pennsylvania as its multi-year effort to integrate legacy express & ground delivery operations into one unified surface network enters its final phase. - FreightWave
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HSBC is planning to cut up to 20,000 jobs globally due to AI. (To be confirmed
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Spent three hours on back-to-back calls with CTOs from 30 companies across cloud infrastructure, fintech, and enterprise software. The consensus was chilling: 70% headcount reduction by the end of Q3 2026. Not layoffs. "Right-sizing for the AI-native era" - X user Tech Layoff Tracker
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BlackRock just spent $100 million training plumbers and electricians. The initiative is called Future Builders. The goal is to get 50,000 Americans through skilled trades programs over five years, including electricians, HVAC techs, ironworkers, and pipefitters. There is a real crisis behind it. - X user Stock Market News
Dell just confirmed 11,000 jobs cut in their annual filing.
Even though there are seemingly more layoffs. AI is expected to create more work. Is it possible for the unemployed to learn and pivot accordingly?
War rages on in the Middle East
The war in the Middle East has now entered its third week, with no clear resolution in sight. The ramifications of this conflict are extending far beyond the energy sector, impacting not just oil and gas but a range of other critical resources. Recent developments have highlighted the region’s importance as a major producer of helium—a commodity essential for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in healthcare and for the semiconductor industry. A disruption in helium supply is expected to result in a global shortage, affecting the production of chips vital for data centres and the rapidly growing demands of the technology and artificial intelligence sectors. While foregoing helium balloons at events may seem trivial, the inability to manufacture essential chips presents a much more significant challenge.
My Final Thoughts
Fewer fertilisers mean fewer harvests. With the war, supply chain and fuel costs are expected to increase. Poorer countries would be outbid. The poorer countries would not be able to outbid the richer ones for food. For some, it is another meal, and for the rest, it is about survival. Some famines are caused by nature, but some are induced by men. All can be avoided if we can redistribute the resources. Death by hunger is a slow torture. May the humanity within us reach out for the greater good. Everyone deserves to live with dignity, regardless of race, language and religion.
Additionally, the region plays a key role as an exporter of fertilisers. The conflict-induced shortages have already driven fertiliser prices higher, and it is increasingly likely that the critical March–April sowing window will be missed. As a result, food supply challenges are expected to emerge by year’s end. For those living in developed countries, access to limited food supplies may be less of an immediate concern, but the situation threatens to worsen famine conditions in several countries, as highlighted in recent United Nations reports.
It can take weeks to reroute supply chains. The bottlenecks are not just in the supply but also in the supply chain, delays in lead time. Will countries start to ration their energy soon?
Financial Strategy and Outlook
Let us spend within our means, invest only what we can afford to lose, and avoid leverage. Let us review our current holdings and divest from businesses that are losing their competitive advantages. Additionally, I will consider adding both hedging strategies and defensive positions to our portfolio to mitigate risk.
As we move forward, it is crucial to conduct thorough due diligence before assuming any new responsibilities.
Wishing everyone a successful week ahead.
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