Daily Brief - ☀️ LOL AAPL

Apple used to be cool. Remember the iconic 2006 I’m a PC and I’m a Macads? But you can only say ‘We did something…revolutionary’ that many times, before fatigue sets in.

It’s becoming harder and harder to gauge the value gradient from one iphone to the next - they all look the same and do the same thing. Consumers who are squeezed by higher rates might decide against shelling out $2,000 for a new glass slab.

And to top it all, Apple put out that video.

If you haven’t seen it, Mother Nature / Octavia Spencer gives her blessing on AAPL’s greenwashing. It’s honestly terrible, AAPL has become MSFT.

Does the acute case of cringe make AAPL a bad investment? Not at all. You don’t need to like their products, or their communication, in order to like their stock.

AAPL has constructed a moat around itself underpinned by their integrated ecosystem and by the cultural value of its products. Its free cash flow is at its highest. And earnings growth has recovered. Just be careful about seasonality.

Bonus point: welcome to the USB-C club to all Apple users! It’s nice to see the EU beat some common sense into Tim’s head.

What's happening in the markets?

This section is powered by Open AI connected to TOGGLE AI

The upcoming monthly report on US consumer prices, expected imminently, is anticipated to reveal a third consecutive month of subdued core inflation. This development further bolsters the argument against additional interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

Recent deceleration in core inflation during the past two months has raised optimism that the Fed might halt its rate increases after elevating the target range for its benchmark in July to 5.25% to 5.5%, marking the highest level in 22 years.

However, the prospect of rising oil prices could introduce complications, potentially resulting in elevated gasoline costs and fueling concerns that the central bank may opt for a more aggressive tightening policy. According to futures, investors currently perceive the likelihood of another rate hike in 2023 as slightly below 50%.

While central bank officials have acknowledged the positive trends in recent inflation reports, they have also underscored the ongoing challenges and cautioned that continued economic strength may necessitate another rate increase.

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Earnings Update: Adobe reports tomorrow

Adobe is set to deliver record revenue and EPS numbers as the company is well-positioned to benefit from AI applications, but no company is immune to a slowdown in spending. Analysts see a chance for a beat!

Discover how other companies could react post earnings with the help of TOGGLE's WhatIF Earnings tool.

Asset Spotlight: Further growth in Adani Ports?

Toggle analyzed 5 similar occasions in the past where price level indicators for Adani Ports was close to a recent high and historically this led to a median decrease in the stock's price over the next 6M. Read full insight!

General Interest: The good life

There is a mythical category of books out there: the books that “everyone should read”.

Which tomes should enter this hallowed collection is a matter for debate, obviously.

Classic candidates include, well, the classics. Ulysses by Joyce, Proust’s Lost Time, Moby Dick, Dante’s Comedy, The Karamazov Bros. The Bible and the other holy books. You name it.

We would be very wary of including essay books in this category, because of a fundamental gripe: essays were never meant to be turned into books. They should be long articles instead, but their authors turn them into books for shelf vanity.

Nevertheless…The Good Life is a unique book on a unique study and you should read it.

Harvard’s Study of Adult Development has tracked for 80 years the lives of a selection of graduates of the University. From their early years to their demise, the study follows the successes and failures of a large cohort of students and the results are well worth your reading time.

You can discover more about the book here on the Harvard Gazette.