While AI, quantum computers and space travel aim to change the world, a steadily growing section of the population is...

Power mentality, cash flow crews and the sacred 7-step revenue model aka:

MLM and pyramid schemes. 🧠✨

Yes, you read that right.

Despite the internet, education and a thousand warnings on TV, people still believe that you can become a millionaire overnight with "team building", "passive income" and a starter package for €499. 🙃

And who benefits?

Not just the "business coaches" with Gucci belts and rental lambos.

But also a few listed companies that are secretly living off the rampant cognitive crisis:

📈 Meta (Facebook)
$META (-0,65%) - where you receive daily advertisements for the next "mentoring program", people on Insta tell you about their luxury life and you are sent superfluous voice messages on Whatsapp about "mindset" and the hamster wheel

📈 Alphabet (Google)
$GOOGL (+1,27%) - because someone has to google it: "Is this really a Ponzi scheme?"even if many do without it or you are shown the next unskippable ad on YouTube.

📈 Adobe
$ADBE (+3,25%) - because every "CEO" has to craft their pitch deck and Insta ads somehow.

📈 Zoom
$ZM (+1,17%) - for daily "team calls" where 99 people learn how to pull someone else in so that the next call has 100 people right away.

📈 Herbalife
$HLF (-0,16%) - Oh come on, classics. They live on madness.

📈 Sixt
$SIX2 (-0,31%) - Somewhere you need the rented Porsche for the next Insta story

📈 Shopify $SHOP (+0,04%)
- Because dropshipping is somehow a third cousin of MLM. The difference? Fewer coffee runs, more fake reviews from Bangladesh.

📈 NVIDIA $NVDA (+0,4%)
/ AMD $AMD (+1,56%)
- AI tools need GPUs. And if the "business mentor" automates his entire coaching empire with AI-generated content posts - guess who sells the picks and shovels?

📈 Apple $AAPL (-0,21%) - If you don't make your "business call" via an iPhone 15 Pro Max with AirPods - are you even an entrepreneur? Status symbols are mandatory. Debts? Never mind.

📈 Amazon $AMZN (+0,1%) - For: Books with titles such as "Mindset Millionaire", "Wake up from the Matrix" or "Your first 6-figure launch in 60 days". Plus: Shipping for food supplements, CBD oils and 50-euro "focus boosters".

Conclusion: is humanity going stupid? Possibly.

But your portfolio doesn't have to be. 😏

Invest in stupidity. It has unlimited growth potential.
(Even Einstein already knew that!)

Transparency note:

The research of suitable stocks on the topic was carried out using ChatGPT.

all small cattle... but I like it

$PG (+0,36%) , $MAIN (+3,11%) , $O (+1,62%) , $ABBV (+1,05%) , $AAPL (-0,21%) and $ALV (+0,6%)

US and China pause tariffs for 90 days

The USA and China have agreed on a significant de-escalation in the trade conflict: Most tariffs will be suspended for 90 days. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that both sides want to reduce the tariffs. Tariffs on Chinese imports into the USA will fall from the current 145% to 30%, while China's tariffs on US products will be reduced from 125% to 10%. This agreement applies during the upcoming negotiations and President Trump is already planning a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The positive reaction of the US stock markets to this news was unmistakable, as Wall Street was surprised by the extent of the tariff relief. Large technology companies in particular, such as Amazon $AMZN (+0,1%)Apple $AAPL (-0,21%) and Tesla $TSLA (+2,05%) were able to record significant price gains.

Trump announces dismantling of non-monetary trade barriers

In another positive twist, US President Donald Trump has announced that China is willing to remove non-monetary trade barriers to US imports. This could mean that Beijing plans to ease the numerous regulations and export restrictions that make it difficult for foreign investment. In a joint statement, China also announced that it would suspend or terminate the non-tariff countermeasures against the US that have been in place since April. However, these tariff relaxations do not apply to sectoral tariffs, which are applicable to all US trading partners. News of the temporary agreement caused the S&P 500 to rise by over 3%, while defensive assets such as bonds and gold lost value. The dollar also experienced one of its biggest rallies since the November election. The strong share price gains of large technology companies led to the Nasdaq 100 returning to a bull market.

Sources:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/trump-tariffs-live-updates-us-china-agree-to-slash-tariffs-in-90-day-trade-truce-191201246.html

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-may-speak-xi-140610331.html

Greetings dear community,

after about 6 months of investing I thought I would share my experiences here with newer investors like myself and to get opinions and experiences from the old hands.

My journey with investing started last year in December, I also registered on GetQuin relatively quickly as I had seen an advertisement for it. Like any complete beginner, instead of reading up, I just bought what I saw in a buddy's portfolio:

$MSTR (+0,6%)

$IREN (+8,96%)

$SPGI (+0,81%)

$AAPL (-0,21%)

$XRP (-2,49%)

As you can see in my current overview, these shares are still in my portfolio - the background here is the "bear market" we have been experiencing since the beginning of the year. I didn't want to sell the shares at a loss and thought that the small positions I had invested in were no big deal.

However, the aim here is definitely to sort out thoroughly.

Thanks to the community here, I was able to learn a lot, read a lot of posts and also wrote one or two posts myself. As a result, I was able to build up a lot of knowledge and realized that I needed a solid strategy. 🧠

Quite quickly, I started to set up an ETF savings plan on the $IWDA (+0,44%) This is still running today and is part of my strategy. I have also made one or two individual investments in:

$AMZN (+0,1%)

$AMD (+1,56%)

However, in contrast to my predecessors, I have been much more involved with both companies, and my investment horizon is also far into the future thanks to my young age. What's more, I bought the shares during the price slumps - which clearly paid off again on a day like today. 😎

My future strategy would be a core-satellite strategy, with the All-World as the core and an ETF in the emerging markets or Europe as a satellite. In addition, I would buy individual shares in proven stocks and a $BTC (-0,41%) savings plan, which is also simply left to run, as I also find the topic of crypto as such extremely exciting! 😅

Finally, I would like to thank all the regular "posters" who provide young investors like me with valuable market information, new stocks with exciting prospects and knowledge in areas such as trading or well thought-out strategies.

I can also appeal to beginners and would like to encourage you to post here, ask questions and don't let it get you down - I am also at the beginning of my career and yet I am confident, inquisitive and ready to get further into the subject after my training and really implement my strategy! 🚀

Have a nice evening and good luck in your investment career 📈

The US Federal Reserve leaves key interest rates unchanged + Online company Amazon invests in logistics + Alphabet slumps - Apple tests AI search in its browser + Paypal further expands its market leadership in German e-commerce + Disney benefits from theme parks and streaming

The US Federal Reserve leaves key interest rates unchanged

• but points to increased risks of both higher inflation and rising unemployment.
• According to the FOMC, the economy continues to expand at a solid pace, with the decline in production in the first quarter attributable to record imports.
• It reports that the economy is growing at a solid pace.
• The Fed reports that employment is stable and the labor market remains solid.
• It sees increased risks of higher unemployment and inflation.
• This assessment could have an impact on future monetary policy.
• The latest interest rate decision was taken unanimously.
• It was noted that uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further.
• Investors should pay attention to possible effects on future monetary policy decisions.
• The US Federal Reserve is holding the key interest rate at 4.25 to 4.50 %, which is in line with forecasts.

The online company Amazon $AMZN (+0,1%)invests in logistics

• so that it can deliver to its customers even more frequently on the day they order.
• This was announced by Rocco Bräuniger, Vice President responsible for Amazon's German-speaking regions, among other things.
• "We are working on further expanding same-day delivery and extending order acceptance times," said Bräuninger at Amazon's innovation presentation "Delivering the Future".
• The intention is for customers to be able to order later in the day and still receive their items on the same day.
• Amazon then plans to introduce same-day delivery at 20 new locations in Europe over the next twelve months, including Augsburg, Metz and Bergamo, for groceries and cosmetics, but also for many other everyday items.
• (Handelsblatt)

Alphabet $GOOGL (+1,27%)slump - Apple $AAPL (-0,21%)tests AI search in its browser

• Alphabet's A-share price fell sharply in response to the news that Apple is testing an artificial intelligence (AI)-based search function in its internet browser.
• The shares of Google's parent company were recently trading 5.8 percent lower at USD 153.71.
• Apple's shares also fell sharply in response to the news, losing 2.1 percent to 194.32 dollars.
• The slide of the two heavyweights also caused the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 index to slide into negative territory on Wednesday, having previously posted a moderate gain.
• Apple is "actively" looking into transforming the Safari web browser on its devices into an AI-powered search engine, said Eddy Cue, senior vice president of services at the technology company.
• He made this statement during his testimony in the US Department of Justice trial against Alphabet.
• At the center of the dispute is the agreement between Apple and Google, worth an estimated 20 billion dollars per year, which makes Google the default offering for search queries in Apple's integrated browser.

Paypal $PYPL (+0,75%)further expands its market leadership in German e-commerce

• This was announced by the EHI Institute on Wednesday on the occasion of its Payment Congress in Bonn.
• According to the report, the proportion of online purchases paid for via PayPal rose by 0.8 percentage points to 28.5% compared to 2023.
• Paypal has a strong market position in Germany, particularly thanks to its cooperation with the online auction house Ebay $EBAY (+1,73%)a strong market position.
• Unlike in other European markets, the local banks and savings banks did not succeed in launching their own payment system for paying for online purchases at an early stage.
• "Paypal's market share would be significantly higher if market leader Amazon offered this payment method," states payment expert Horst Rüter from EHI.
• (Börsen-Zeitung)

Disney $DIS (+1,05%)profits from theme parks and streaming

• Thanks to its theme park and streaming business, entertainment giant Disney is defying the uncertainty following Donald Trump's tariff crackdown.
• While many US companies are withdrawing their forecasts for this year, Disney exceeded analysts' expectations with its outlook.
• The share price rose by more than five percent at times in pre-market US trading.
• Contrary to the company's own expectations, the number of subscriptions to the Disney+ streaming service grew by 1.4 million to 126 million within three months.
• The business, which has long been loss-making in recent years, generated an operating profit of 336 million dollars.
• In theme parks and cruises, the operating result rose by nine percent year-on-year to just under 2.5 billion dollars.
• Disney remains optimistic for the rest of the financial year, emphasized CEO Bob Iger.
• Disney now expects adjusted earnings per share to increase by 16 percent to 5.75 dollars for the year to the end of September.
• Analysts had expected an average forecast of 5.44 dollars.
• In the last quarter, Disney sales rose by seven percent year-on-year to 23.6 billion dollars.
• The bottom line was a profit of just under 3.28 billion dollars after a loss of 20 million dollars a year earlier.

Thursday: Stock market dates, economic data, quarterly figures

• ex-dividend of individual stocks
• Vonovia EUR 0.90
• Mercedes-Benz Group EUR 5.30
• GRENKE 0.40 EUR
• Wacker Chemie EUR 2.50
• Hannover Rueck EUR 7.20
• Rational 13.50 EUR
• Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield EUR 1.75
• Renault EUR 2.20
• FUCHS EUR 1.11
• H & M SEK 3.40

• Quarterly figures / company dates USA / Asia
• 06:45 Toyota quarterly figures
• 08:30 Nintendo annual results
• 13:00 Conocophillips quarterly figures
• 14:00 UPS AGM
• 14:30 Ford AGM
• 17:00 Kraft Heinz AGM
• 22:00 Expedia | News Corp | Pinterest | Lyft | Quarterly figures
• 23:30 Alcoa AGM

• Quarterly figures / Company dates Europe
• 06:45 Zurich Insurance | Basler quarterly figures
• 07:00 Anheuser-Busch | Aurubis | Hella | Knorr-Bremse quarterly figures
• 07:00 Heidelberg Materials Trading Update 1Q
• 07:00 Lanxess | Siemens Energy | Ströer | Hamborner Reit | SMA Solar
• 07:00 Wacker Neuson quarterly figures
• 07:30 Gea | Henkel | Infineon | Rheinmetall | Elringklinger | Fielmann
• 07:30 GFT Technologies | SGL Carbon | SAF-Holland quarterly figures
• 07:50 Suss Microtec quarterly figures
• 08:00 Puma | Deutsche Beteiligungs | A.P. Moeller-Maersk Quarterly Figures | Infineon PK
• 09:00 Hella | Henkel Analyst Conference | Ströer Analyst and Press Conference
• 09:30 Deutz AGM | Infineon Analysts' Conference
• 10:00 Sto SE quarterly figures | Allianz | EnBW | MTU Aero Engines | Qiagen
• 10:00 KSB | Uniper AGM | Lanxess | Qiagen PK
• 10:30 Talanx AGM | Siemens Energy Analyst Conference | Henkel PK
• 11:00 Jost Werke AGM | Hamborner Reit Analyst and Press Conference
• 13:00 Zurich Insurance | Lanxess Analyst Conference
• 14:00 Baywa quarterly figures | Basler | Heidelberg Materials | Gea
• 14:00 Rheinmetall Analyst Conference
• 15:00 Elringklinger Earnings Call | Puma | Qiagen Analyst Conference
• 17:00 DocMorris AGM
• 18:00 Enel | Leonardo Quarterly figures

• Economic data

08:00 DE: Trade balance March trade balance calendar and seasonally adjusted FORECAST: n.a. previous: +17.7 bn Euro Exports FORECAST: +1.0% yoy previous: +1.8% yoy Imports FORECAST: +0.5% yoy previous: +0.7% yoy

08:00 DE: Production in the manufacturing sector March seasonally adjusted PROGNOSE: +0.8% yoy previous: -1.3% yoy

09:30 SE: Sveriges Riksbank, outcome of the Monetary Policy Council meeting FORECAST: 2.25% previously: 2.25%

10:00 NO: Norges Bank, outcome of the Monetary Policy Council meeting FORECAST: 4.50% previously: 4.50%

13:00 UK: BoE, outcome and minutes of the Monetary Policy Council meeting Bank Rate PROGNOSE: 4.25% previously: 4.50%

14:30 US: Initial jobless claims (week) Forecast: 230,000 Previous: 241,000

14:30 US: Productivity ex Agriculture (1st release) 1Q annualized PROGNOSE: -0.7% yoy 4th quarter: +1.5% yoy Unit labor costs PROGNOSE: +5.1% yoy 4th quarter: +2.2% yoy

16:00 US: Wholesale inventories 3/25 (final)