TOPLEY'S TOP 10

)..

1. July Returns…Semiconductors and DRAM Stocks Correction

..

2. Profit Margins Better in 10 of 11 Sectors

Profit margins. Higher margins are not just a Tech story: 10 out of 11 sectors are experiencing margin expansion.

..

3. History of Micron MU Drawdowns

Jared Dillian Money It’s important to remember that semiconductors are the canonical cyclical sector in the market—and that memory is the most cyclical corner of semiconductors. Take Micron, for example. It earned $8.7 billion in fiscal-year 2022. It lost $5.8 billion in fiscal-year 2023. Just looking at the last decade, it has been like riding the Zipper:

How has that affected the stock? Peak-to-trough drawdowns of 50–90% are routine, not exceptional:

•  Dot-com bust (-90%+)

• 2008 (-90%)

• 2015 (-60%)

• 2018–19 (-60%)

• 2022 (-50%)

..

4. I Have Mentioned Rolling Mini-Bubbles….Summary by WSJ James Mackintosh

..

5. Massive Short Interest in SPCX….But Window Opening for Insider and Early Investor Selling

6. MAG 7 Closing in on New Highs….$72 Print Needed

.

7. Fed Rate Hike In September Chances Fall Below 50%

.

8. Who Controls the World’s Money?

..

9. 300 Legislators Have Served More Than 30 Years in Congress

Barrons By Brian Hamilton  To date, more than 300 legislators have served for more than 30 years in Congress. Some 70% of the current members were career politicians before they made it to Washington. No Founder would have even thought to consider laws around term limits because they couldn’t have fathomed hanging out well beyond their welcome, all the while depending on the government dole for their salary.

The natural question is, why would legislators want to stick around for so long?

It turns out that, since 2004, the top 100 wealth gainers in Congress have averaged a 114% increase in net worth while in office, according to a recent Ballotpedia study. During the same period, the median U.S. household saw its inflation-adjusted net worth decline by nearly 1%. That means that for every $1 of wealth the average American lost, Congress’s top 100 gained $121. Wow. Today, at least 30% of senators are estimated to be worth more than $10 million, despite their taxpayer-funded base salary being just $174,000.

How is this possible?

One obvious explanation is that these politicians are privy to information that average Americans aren’t, yet they are still permitted to own and trade individual stocks. The 2012 Stock Act, which requires members of Congress to report stock trades worth more than $1,000 within a 45-day window, does nothing to curb legislators’ trading.

You would hope that they would want to act in the interest of the country without the appearance of personal gain. However, an investigation conducted by a consortium of news organizations that analyzed nearly 9,000 financial-disclosure reports identified 78 members of Congress who violated the Stock Act.

https://www.barrons.com/articles/want-to-be-a-millionaire-dont-start-a-business-run-for-congress-6a4385c9

..

10. A preventive neurologist shares 2 overlooked dementia risk factors-Business Insider

A preventive neurologist said hearing loss is associated with a higher risk of dementia. 

• A preventive neurologist said vision and hearing loss are risk factors for cognitive decline.

• Some researchers theorize that sensory loss reduces brain activity and stimulation.

• Wearing sunglasses or earplugs at concerts can go a long way in curbing vision and hearing loss.

• How do hearing aids impact dementia risk?

• What tests catch early vision loss?

• How does isolation affect cognition?

If you're trying to reduce your personal risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's, the answer might be right in front of your eyes — or within earshot.

Dr. Kellyann Niotis, a preventive neurologist and assistant professor of neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine, said vision and hearing loss are two risk factors for cognitive decline.

"They're two big ones that people don't often think about as related to their brain," Niotis said at a June salon dinner with Julianne Moore to promote Brain Health Matters, a public health campaign from Lilly to encourage brain health awareness. "So if you are not up to date on your annual screenings, please, please, please do that."

Niotis, who focuses on diseases like Alzheimer's, told Business Insider that she hopes more people will take risk factors like sensory loss more seriously as they age. A 2024 Lancet study found that nearly half of all dementia cases worldwide could potentially be prevented by mitigating risk factors, including vision and hearing loss.

Niotis shared why our eyes and ears are so linked to brain health — and what to watch out for.

Why sensory loss may be connected to cognitive decline

Niotis said researchers are still trying to figure out exactly why hearing and vision loss are tied to neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. As of now, there are some hypotheses.

One is related to brain stimulation. A big part of brain health preservation is challenging your brain, be it through puzzles, learning a new language, or playing an instrument, Niotis said.

Sensory loss can make it harder to activate certain parts of the brain. "There's a thought that as someone loses their sight, they aren't being provided with that sensory stimulation that that region of the brain needs," Niotis said.Another theory is more straightforward: losing your sight or hearing has downstream effects on other brain-healthy habits. "If you can't see well, are you less socially engaged? Are you more socially isolated? Are you less willing to engage in activities, like exercise, that otherwise are keeping your brain active?" Niotis said.

Watch out for halos or other people complaining about your hearing

When it comes to sensory loss, there are a few red flags to watch out for.

For vision loss, conditions like cataracts are common in older adults and reduce visual sharpness. Even so, "if that's significantly impacting your ability to see, it could be putting your brain at risk," Niotis said, whether the loss of vision weakens signals in the brain or changes how you socialize.

You should consider getting an eye examination if you experience signs of glaucoma (a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve), changes in how you perceive colors, seeing a lot of halos (such as when you're driving), and words "jumping" around the page, she said. These are not, on their own, direct symptoms of dementia or cognitive decline, and do not necessarily influence dementia risk. However, untreated, they could become risk factors down the line, Niotis said.

Hearing loss is a little more subtle: "It's often recognized by people around you," Niotis said, so if you're suddenly fielding complaints from friends and family, it might be a sign to get your hearing checked — and not delay it. "Most people I find are not able to appreciate that loss the same way they are able to appreciate vision loss," she said, making it easier to dismiss.

Thankfully, there are some ways to preserve your hearing and vision.

One of the biggest preventablecauses of hearing loss "is completely in our control," Niotis said. "It's exposure to loud noises." She said taking precautions such as wearing earplugs at concerts or proper hearing protection when working loud machinery is very important.

When it comes to vision loss, Niotis said wearing sunglasses and reducing direct sun exposure to the eyes can protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which contributes to cataracts and some other UV-related eye damage.

And while there's no research that links permanent vision loss to screen time, Niotis said it can still be a good idea to take screen breaks. "If you're someone who's staring at a phone or screen all of the time, you're training your eyes to do one particular task, which is to converge and look in front of you," she said, potentially leading to temporary eye strain or eventual nearsightedness.

For that, she recommends taking a break and going for a walk — an already brain-healthy habit.

This article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified physician or healthcare provider.

https://www.businessinsider.com/dementia-risks-people-always-miss-preventive-neurologist

..

Did someone forward this email to you? Get your own:

Disclosure

Indices that may be included herein are unmanaged indices and one cannot directly invest in an index. Index returns do not reflect the impact of any management fees, transaction costs or expenses. The index information included herein is for illustrative purposes only.

Material for market review represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific point in time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results.
Material compiled by Lansing Street Advisors is based on publicly available data at the time of compilation. Lansing Street Advisors makes no warranties or representation of any kind relating to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the data and shall not have liability for any damages of any kind relating to the use such data.

To the extent that content includes references to securities, those references do not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy, sell or hold such security as information is provided for educational purposes only. Articles should not be considered investment advice and the information contain within should not be relied upon in assessing whether or not to invest in any securities or asset classes mentioned. Articles have been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. Securities discussed may not be suitable for all investors. Please keep in mind that a company’s past financial performance, including the performance of its share price, does not guarantee future results.

Lansing Street Advisors is a registered investment adviser with the State of Pennsylvania.