Monday Market Open

Good morning my friend,

I trust you had a good weekend.

We have a slightly quieter week coming up, at least in the markets. Markets are closed today so enjoy the long weekend.

So, use this week to get ahead. Do the shit you’ve put off the last couple weeks. Trust me, getting that weight off your shoulders is the best feeling in the whole fucking world.

Market Indices & Commodities

News
The Recap

Here’s some stuff which happened over the weekend. Crucially, the West appears to be concentrating its efforts on ending the war in Ukraine. As mentioned below, the Europeans are taking action and the US has sent senior officials to Saudi Arabia for peace talks with Russian diplomats (which representatives from Europe have not been invited to).

• European leaders meet in Paris to discuss the Ukraine crisis 🎙️

• Concerns grow for the Pope’s health 🩺

• 10 dead as polar vortex brings severe cold to the US ❄️

• TikTok returns to US app stores again 🤳

• Rwanda-backed rebels seize second major city in Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩

Graph of the Day
Does Anyone Really Still Trust Politicians?

News
This week

It’s a bit of a boring week when it comes to earnings. Nothing to look forward to on Monday, Tuesday or Friday. That being said, there are lots of interesting earnings on Wednesday and Thursday. I’m particularly excited to hear about Rivian’s earnings.

• Monday - Transocean ($RIG) earnings. US and Canadian markets closed in observance of Washington’s Birthday.

• Tuesday - Medtronic ($MDT) and Arista ($ANET) earnings. French inflation data released too.

• Wednesday - Etsy ($ETSY), SolarEdge ($SEDG), Garmin ($GRMN), Wix ($WIX), Fiverr ($FVRR), Wingstop ($WING) and Cheesecake Factory ($CAKE) earnings.

• Thursday - Alibaba ($BABA), Walmart ($WMT), Unity ($U) and Rivian ($RIVN) earnings.

• Friday - No relevant earnings / econ data.

Now You Know
Who Will Succeed Xi Jinping?

Imagine you’re the captain of a massive ship sailing through unpredictable waters. You’ve got complete control, and no one dares to question your leadership.

But there’s one issue: Who the fuck is going to take over when you’re gone? That’s the dilemma China’s leader, Xi Jinping, is facing.

Xi has been in power since 2012, and he is China’s most powerful leader since Mao. He has purged rivals, centralized power and abolished term limits.

Unlike past leaders who shared power with strong deputies, Xi has no clear second-in-command. If Xi were to step down suddenly for whatever reason, the military and top party officials from the 7 member Politburo Standing Committee would scramble to fill the power vacuum, leading to an intense behind-the-scenes battle.

The names of a couple of key players get thrown around from time to time. Figures like Cai Qi, a trusted ally and Xi’s chief of staff, could play kingmaker. The military, particularly Xi’s longtime confidant Zhang Youxia, would also hold significant influence.

The reality, however, is that Xi remains firmly in control. Some believe he may stay in power into the 2030s. Some believe Xi will eventually reveal a successor, while others think he’ll stay in power as long as possible, following in the footsteps of leaders like Vladimir Putin. But history has shown that when absolute leaders eventually leave the stage, the transition is rarely smooth.

^{_{Thank You}}
That’s all Folks

Hey, thank you for checking out Monday Market Open. I hope you enjoyed it, learned something new, and are feeling ready to attack the week. Keep an eye on your inbox for more Alpha coming your way this week.

Cheers,