February 15, 2021

The rise of rechargeable batteries is now a matter of national security. Nearly 65% of lithium-ion batteries come from China. By comparison, no single country produces more than 20% of global crude oil output. The Wall Street Journal, February 5, 2021

Since the March 2020 market bottom, the most shorted stocks – defined as the top 10% of short interest as a percentage of market cap – have rallied by 245%, outperforming the Russell 3000 index by 147 percentage points. MarketWatch, February 9, 2021

Thanks to the combination of reduced spending during the crisis and incomes that have been augmented by government relief checks, many people have an ample amount of money to spend. Federal Reserve figures show that as of the end of the third quarter households had $2.2 trillion more in cash and cash equivalents than at the end of 2019. The Wall Street Journal, February 5, 2021

“I never gave anybody hell! I told them the truth and they thought it was hell!” President Harry S. Truman

Over the past year, the combined revenue of the five biggest U.S. tech companies grew by a fifth, to $1.1 trillion. Their aggregate profit rose an even faster 24%. And their combined market capitalization soared by half over the past year to a staggering $8 trillion. The Wall Street Journal, February 6, 2021

Over the past several years, Tesla has used the strategy of selling regulatory credits to competing automakers who failed to sell the percentage of zero-emission vehicles that 11 different states require. The $3.3 billion from those sales – $1.6 billion in the last year alone – has kept Tesla in the black. Last year, Tesla’s profits were $721 million, meaning they’d have otherwise posted a loss were it not for the credit sales. CNN, February 1, 2021

“When they call the roll in the Senate, the senators do not know whether to answer ‘present’ or ‘not guilty.’” President Theodore Roosevelt