CHINA

From the Economist: 

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China proved its strengths in 2025—and Donald Trump helped

The extraordinary factor is that Mr Trump has performed into Mr Xi’s fingers, each together with his tariffs overseas and his wrecking-ball at dwelling.

. . . [His] assault on science will impede American innovation.  Framed as an effort to get rid of inefficiency and woke ideology, his efforts have curbed financing for important analysis. His hostility to international scientists, particularly ethnic Chinese language ones, [has also hurt].  China has already benefited.

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COCAINE

I’m no fan.  I attempted it a number of instances however was fortunate — I didn’t find it irresistible.  It didn’t seize and spoil my life because it has so many.

That mentioned, I feel it ought to be authorized.  (Shouldn’t People be free to drink or smoke, and even do coke, of their pursuit of happiness, in the event that they wish to?)  And that trying to move it from Venezuela to Trinidad for eventual export, presumably, to the U.S. shouldn’t be punishable by death-without-trial.

Legalizing coke is understandably controversial.

However the death-without-trial for Venezuelans half?  It blows my thoughts that Home and Senate Republicans are high-quality with that (or faux to be).

HYMC

Numerous our speculations crater (see, for enjoyable, Google Places and Cleaning soap Slivers from 20 years in the past).

Others, like PRKR, ANIX, OPRT, CNF, UNIT, RNGE, VERU — even BOREF, I assume — “stay to be seen.”

However each from time to time we get fortunate.  The newest instance: HYMC, which reached $17.11 in after-hours buying and selling Friday — up from $3.20 when prompt six months in the past; $2.20 a few years earlier than that.

By now, I’ve offered about half in my tax-sheltered accounts — although it’s definitely performing as if it needs to go greater, and really properly could.  Not solely is it “a possible gold mine” — actually — with the value of gold greater than double what it was after we first began shopping for . . . it now appears additionally to be a possible silver mine, with the value of silver additionally going by means of the roof.

This current HYMC write-up gives honest market valuations starting from $4 to $40 a share, so what it’s presently price appears to be anyone’s guess.

I haven’t offered any in my taxable accounts, however Friday I offered some “lined calls” towards a few quarter of my place.  Particularly, calls that paid me $778* every and gave some anonymous faceless purchaser the precise to “name away” from me 100 shares at 25 a share anytime between now and January 21, 2028.**

Let’s say you gambled $2,500 to purchase 1,000 shares a few years in the past.  It’s grown to $17,000.  Now, apprehensive it’d drop — however not desirous to pay tax on the achieve or miss out on potential additional features — you don’t promote.  As a substitute, you “write lined calls” on these 1,000 shares at $8.  You get $8,000, and right here’s what might occur:

1.  HYMC goes to $60.  Whoever purchased these calls from you at 8 is fairly completely happy.  He restricted his threat to $8 a share, in case HYMC collapsed; and he needed to pay you $8 for the precise to purchase your shares from you on the $25.  However that left him with a $27 long-term achieve in a yr or two on an funding of simply $8.  However you’re not depressing, both.  As a substitute of promoting your 1,000 shares at this time for $17,000 you bought paid $25,000 for them — and received an $8,000 premium (taxed as a short-term achieve) — all on a $2,500 wager (made with cash you could possibly really afford to lose.

2. HYMC by no means will get a lot greater than $25 (so is unlikely to be known as away), however limps throughout the end line on January 21, 2028, at precisely $25.  He loses every thing, however you — you fortunate bastard — wound up with $33,000 (earlier than tax, if in a taxable account) on a $2,500 funding.

3. HYMC has fallen to 9 by January 21, 2028.  You retain the $8,000 and both promote the inventory, if you wish to, or maintain it and will not be a lot worse off than you’re at this time (although in a taxable account you’d owe tax on that $8,000) — and it nonetheless may go as much as $25 or $60 or who is aware of.

The one means this will work out badly is for HYMC to crater.  Even then, you’d preserve the $8,000 — not the worst consequence on a $2,500 wager.

*No tax is due on that $778 till the calls are exercised or expire, or I purchase them again for lower than I used to be paid. 

**As a result of these are long-term calls, they “droop” the holding interval of the underlying shares . . . however that’s not a difficulty for me, as a result of I’ve already held them greater than a yr.  For those who’re considering of writing calls towards shares by which you’ve got a short-term revenue, the IRS will “cease the clock” on these shares if the calls you write have a protracted expiration date or are “deep within the cash.” Not the tip of the world, however one thing to think about.

AND A HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE TO ALL