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S&P 500 – Fonte: Bloomberg
VIX – Fonte: Bloomberg
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This is not fiction…
It’s not a conspiracy theory…
It’s a plausible explanation for a mysterious event that actually happened.
On the evening of May 28, 1993, an enormous blast rocked the Australian Outback. It measured 3.9 on the Richter scale and sent shock waves out hundreds of miles. Truck drivers and gold prospectors in the area saw the dark sky light up with a bright flash.
I only heard about the incident last year, when Doug Casey and I met a shadowy figure with deep connections to the US government in a café in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
He and his colleagues within the US military and intelligence community were 100% convinced that this strange event was actually Aum Shinrikyo—a Japanese doomsday cult—testing a nuclear weapon.
If he was right, then it was the first time a non-state actor had ever detonated a nuclear bomb.
It was such an extraordinary claim that, at first, I didn’t even think it possible. No one I knew had ever heard of it. And I’d never seen it in the news, though I later discovered that outlets like The New York Times did cover it decades ago—buried somewhere in the back pages.
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Aum Shinrikyo, which means Supreme Truth, is a religious movement that started in Japan in 1984. They believe in a doomsday prophecy where World War 3 ushers in a nuclear Armageddon. Of course, only their group survives, and they go on to rule the world.
Aum gained global notoriety in 1995 when it attacked the Tokyo subway system with sarin gas, a deadly nerve agent. The attack, which was meant to spark a Japanese civil war, killed 13 people and injured thousands. It was the first chemical weapons attack by a non-state actor.
The Tokyo subway attack surprised Japan and other world governments, and they rushed to learn more about the group.
It turns out Aum was not just a small group of vulnerable people with strange views. The cult had ballooned to over 50,000 converts in at least six countries and acquired over $1 billion in assets.
The US government learned that the cult had recruited at least two Russian nuclear scientists and tried to buy a Russian nuclear warhead.
As investigators unraveled Aum’s international web, they found it had purchased a 500,000-acre ranch at Banjawarn Station, about 400 miles northeast of Perth in remote Western Australia.
They discovered Aum had set up an advanced laboratory there, where it manufactured sarin gas and tested chemical weapons on sheep. There were known uranium deposits in the area, and Aum was mining them. (Uranium is a main ingredient for making atomic weapons.)
But what disturbed and puzzled them the most was that Aum’s ranch was in the exact same area as the mysterious 1993 explosion.
Investigators calculated that the explosion had the force of 2,000 tons of high explosives, or that of a small nuclear device. For perspective, the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima had the force of around 15,000 tons of high explosives.
The bizarre blast happened two years before the Tokyo subway attack. At the time, Aum wasn’t really on anyone’s radar. Most people simply wrote it off as a strange explosion in the middle of nowhere. No one really thought much of it, until they connected the dots years later…
Investigators feared that Aum had somehow acquired and tested a massive weapon—possibly the ultimate weapon. After all, they’d successfully recruited at least two Russian nuclear scientists to their cult. And they’d tried to buy nuclear weapons.
Investigators hoped they could rule out Aum by proving the blast was something else—an earthquake, a mining explosion, or possibly a meteor.
Instead, they found themselves ruling out all the possibilities they had hoped to prove.
It’s highly unlikely the blast was a mining explosion. The detonation was over 170 times more powerful than the biggest mining explosion ever recorded in Australia up until then.
The blast was consistent with a meteor strike… except for one key element: With an explosion of that force, they’d expect to find an enormous crater with a diameter of at least three football fields. They never found a crater.
Earthquakes are rare in the region. And it wouldn’t explain the loud noise or bright flash on a pitch-black night in the Australian Outback.
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Some insiders are certain Aum detonated a nuclear device of some sort. However, the investigators still haven’t decisively proven what happened. The cause of the gigantic blast remains a mystery.
This unusual story has been on my mind lately for good reason. If the group did build a nuclear weapon, it certainly needed uranium. And regular readers know uranium is my #1 investment for the year…
If I were putting my own money into something today, it would be uranium, hands down. It simply has the most explosive upside right now.
Uranium can deliver almost unbelievable returns because of unique supply-and-demand quirks that create colossal bull and bear markets.
Take Paladin Energy, for example. Doug Casey recommended this company during the last uranium bull market, and it leaped from one penny to $10 per share. That’s a 1,000-fold increase.
In other words, a $1,000 investment could have exploded into $1 million.
Even the worst-performing uranium companies delivered 20-to-1 returns during the last bull market. Today, uranium is the most distressed resource market in the world. But the current supply/demand imbalance has a lot in common with the last market cycle. It’s setting the stage for the next boom.
Then you factor in President Trump. He’s strongly pro-nuclear energy. It fits right in with his “America First” platform. Trump’s policies could effectively supercharge the coming uranium bull market.
For all these reasons, I am very bullish on uranium.
That’s why I recommended a “best of breed” uranium company in Crisis Investing. Subscribers are already sitting on a double-digit gain. I think it still has a lot more upside.
In the last uranium bull market, this company’s share price rocketed 3,600%. That’s a 10-bagger almost four times over. I expect it to do at least as well in the coming bull market.
Now is the time to get positioned for these kinds of explosive returns.
Until next time,
Nick Giambruno
Senior Editor, International Man
P.S. At last night’s Legends of Finance Summit, Doug and I discussed some of our most profitable speculations… including Doug’s thoughts on where uranium’s headed next. If you missed it, don’t worry. We’re making a replay available until midnight. Click here to watch it…
Dose de ansiolíticos
Acredito piamente que os profissionais de saúde mental deviam focar a sua atenção no mercado financeiro.
O trabalho nas corretoras, bancos de investimento e gestoras de fundos não encontra paralelismo com qualquer outra atividade conhecida pelo Homem, o que, na minha opinião, tende a gerar uma incidência de determinados transtornos muitíssimo maior do que na população em geral.
Por um lado, a exposição prolongada a um ambiente de trabalho especialmente hostil e inerentemente instável tem, necessariamente, de provocar alterações no funcionamento do organismo humano.
Por outro, indivíduos com determinadas características biológicas tendem a sobressair neste ramo de atuação.
Um dos principais responsáveis por estas alterações de humor é o belo do bónus anual.
Para muitos, esta componente variável do seu salário representa mais de metade do que ganham num ano e, infelizmente, depende e muito do desempenho da sua carteira.
É certo e sabido que os traders, brokers e gestores lutam taco a taco por uma décima de overperformance, mas ninguém lhe explica (a si) como ganhar com isso.
Aproveite a caça ao bónus
A longo prazo, a performance das empresas de pequena capitalização supera significativamente as gigantes da bolsa – em média.
De acordo com a famosa base de dados Ibbotson, propriedade da Morningstar, a margem de ganho das pequenas em relação às maiores desde 1926 é de 2,2 pontos percentuais anualizados.
Portanto, se os gestores quiserem bater o mercado terão de, obrigatoriamente, apostar nas empresas mais pequenas.
No entanto, a ganância pelo bónus tende a impactar a forma como os gestores definem a sua alocação ao longo do ano…
Os académicos rastrearam a variação sazonal nos desempenhos das empresas de pequena capitalização (microcaps) aos incentivos de compensação que levam muitos gestores institucionais a favorecerem as grandes empresas perto do final do ano e as pequenas no início.
Repare no seguinte exemplo:
Considere um gestor cujo desempenho no acumulado do ano está atualmente acima do seu benchmark (normalmente dominado por grandes empresas).
Se ele conseguir manter essa liderança durante o resto do ano irá, provavelmente, encaixar um bónus chorudo.
Para não correr o risco de perder essa margem de liderança, mais perto do final do ano, desloca as participações do portfólio das pequenas empresas para as ações das grandes multinacionais que dominam o benchmark, garantindo assim a vantagem.
Quando janeiro chega, no entanto, o relógio do bónus reinicia, e a sua vontade de assumir riscos será maior do que em qualquer outro momento do ano.
Este apetite por risco traduz-se numa preferência por ações de pequena capitalização na primeira metade do ano.
Esta teoria faz bastante sentido se olharmos para os retornos passados.
Repare como o desempenho relativo das pequenas empresas em relação às big caps, em média, tende a ser superior no início do ano e pior no final.
Pois bem, instigado por esta constatação, o Diogo foi à procura da próxima pequena empresa que pode beneficiar deste fenómeno.
Nós aqui já sabemos qual é.
E dentro de dois dias o leitor também poderá saber. Para isso, basta clicar aqui.
Abraço,
Pedro Gonçalves
:. Passe de mágica
:. Vida de ressacado
:. O problema da escalada das yields
:. Traduzindo em números
:. Ajustado à inflação
00:12 – Passe de mágica
As yields no mercado obrigacionista continuam em alta e, num passe de mágica, atingiram o nível mais alto dos últimos três anos.
O que vem comprovar qu,e em ambiente de bolsa, os movimentos são sempre mais vigorosos do que o sugerido pelo senso comum.
Neste momento, os investidores enfrentam um dilema.
Por um lado, o crescimento mundial sincronizado está de volta.
Por outro, essa mesma retoma económica pode obrigar os principais bancos centrais do mundo a apertarem a política monetária mais cedo do que se pensava anteriormente.
01:22 – Vida de ressacado
Com o mercado viciado em morfina monetária, qualquer indício sobre uma redução de estímulos provoca uma ressaca de proporções alarmantes.
As bolsas asiáticas sofreram um banho de sangue, com o Nikkei a derreter 2,5% – a maior queda diária dos últimos 15 meses.
Por aqui, o cenário também não é animador e as principais praças da região seguem a negociar no vermelho.
Em Wall Street, os futuros apontam para uma abertura em baixa, sinal de que o pior sell-off desde o início de janeiro de 2016 pode não ficar por aqui.
Leitura Recomendada
O investimento que o vai transformar em milionário
Descubra aqui aquelas pequenas ações que hoje estão ridiculamente baratas, mas que carregam consigo um alto potencial de explosão em pouquíssimo tempo, e multiplique o seu dinheiro sem paralelo.
02:03 – O problema da escalada das yields
O que é que isto significa?
Como já discutimos anteriormente, qualquer que seja a razão – e uma economia global mais robusta é uma coisa boa – a escalada das yields é uma situação “problemática”.
Durante vários anos, argumentámos que os efeitos da política monetária não tinham causado um grande impacto na economia “real”.
Com efeito, os grandes beneficiados durante este período, foram os ativos financeiros que atingiram all-time highs.
No entanto, a situação parece estar a mudar…
Leitura Recomendada
Habemus recomendação
Dia 6 de fevereiro vamos indicar-lhe uma recomendação explosiva que vai fazer com que comece o ano a ganhar muito dinheiro. Um investimento bem feito, na hora certa, pode mudar tudo.
03:10 – Traduzindo em números
Aqui está um resumo muito simples do problema:
Suponha que o seu depósito a prazo lhe paga 0% de juros. Agora diga-me: quanto é que um portfólio de ações precisaria render-lhe para o persuadir?
E quanto a uma carteira de títulos do tesouro? E que renda é que exigiria do seu imóvel?
Tem um número na cabeça? (Não há uma resposta correta).
Agora imagine que o seu banco aumenta o juro dos DPs para 5%. Neste caso, o retorno nestes outros ativos mais arriscados precisa ser maior ou menor para tentá-lo a investir?
Há uma resposta correta a esta pergunta e é, claro, precisa ser maior. Bem maior…
04:09 – Ajustado à inflação
Sendo assim, existem duas formas para o mercado ajustar.
Ou o preço dos ativos financeiros, simplesmente, cai pela metade – ninguém gostaria deste desfecho…
Ou – este é caminho menos revoltoso – o preço dos ativos permanece estático, mas o retorno duplica…
Claro que para isso acontecer, a inflação terá de disparar para níveis que não vemos há vários anos.
Suspeito inclusive que este é o objetivo final das autoridades monetárias.
A queda dos preços dos ativos provocaria um rombo no balanço dos bancos e assustaria os investidores, o que naturalmente teria um impacto negativo na economia.
Muito melhor (pelo menos, por enquanto) será deixar a inflação subir rapidamente e diminuir o preço dos ativos em termos “reais”, mas não em valores nominais.
Leitura Recomendada
A sua casa devia dar-lhe lucro
Tenha acesso ao guia orientador para conseguir o maior lucro possível logo no momento da compra de um imóvel. Conheça aqui a técnica que lhe garante ganhos extraordinários neste setor.
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| “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
Americans can be justifiably proud of their founding fathers’ insistence on a separation of Church and State. And, yet, surprisingly, very few Americans seem to understand what their founding fathers meant by this concept. Conservative politicians take pride is saying that the US is, primarily, a Christian nation and that their Christian forefathers fought King George in order to have the freedom to practice Christianity as they saw fit. Liberal politicians tend to take an opposing view—that separation of Church and State means that the concept of God has no place in government. In fact, some go so far as to say that landmarks, such as a plaque stating that George Washington attended a specific church, should be removed, as it compromises the separation of Church and State. Unfortunately, both these groups have got it wrong. So, let’s take a step back and have a look at what caused Thomas Jefferson to repeatedly insist that the separation be implemented in the US Constitution.
Mister Jefferson attended the College of William & Mary, where he received the university customary education, but went on to study law privately under George Wythe in Williamsburg, Virginia. Mister Wythe was not only his teacher, but his mentor, a man in his latter years who not only imparted knowledge to the young Jefferson, but wisdom. He frequented the Raleigh Tavern with his pupil, but additionally brought him to banquets at the mansion of Governor Fauquier, in an effort to expand his outlook. I believe that it’s safe to say that, when Mister Jefferson completed his education at age thirty-four, he had both the energy and imagination of youth and the wisdom of the elders at his command. The former gave him his drive and the latter provided him with the farsightedness that guided the writing of the American Constitution and the future direction of the new nation. George Wythe lived conveniently next door to the Governor. (His home is still there today, as is his small study where he taught the future president.) On the other side of his home was Bruton Parish Church. In the 18th Century, one could not be elected to office unless he was a member of the Church of England. As Attorney General, Mister Wythe tolerated this, but taught his pupil that, as a free man, he should not be required to be an Anglican. To add insult to injury, Mister Jefferson was not a Christian, but a Deist, as were several others of the founding fathers. He did believe in his own form of a God and even referred to him in the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence, but did not ascribe to him the power of miracles and omnipotence, as described in the Bible. In addition, he regarded Jesus as an admirable human being, but did not regard him as anything more. (In later years, he would create his own Bible, by removing much of what he considered to be latter-day additions to the King James Bible, leaving little more than the words of Jesus.) In spite of his beliefs, Mister Jefferson was required to be a (paid-up) member of the Anglican Church in order to sit in the House of Burgesses, and he chafed at this requirement. However, he was a deep believer in the concept of God as a being with both consciousness and conscience, who he believed took no direct part in the affairs of man, but did create all men as equals and therefore entitled them to “certain unalienable Rights.” But he saw the Church differently. He regarded it as a political organization, controlled by the King, intended to dictate morals and acceptable behaviour.
Mister Jefferson was entirely comfortable with the concept of a moral God as a principle upon which to base a government. However, he distrusted the inclusion of the Church. Comedian George Carlin once said, “I’m completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.” Had Mister Jefferson been in the audience, I believe he would have nodded his approval. Today, politicians tend to treat God and Church as being one and the same. In the perception of America’s founding fathers, they were entirely different entities. One was a creator, the other was a controller and, at times, a usurper. Not coincidentally, it was the latter description that they ascribed to governments. The Constitution was written not only to outline what their new government should be, but in what ways it should be limited to keep it from being a controller and a usurper. In past history, much good has been done in the name of the Church, but, indeed, whenever it has become a political power centre, it has abused this position. This is evidenced by the Crusades, the Medicis, the Spanish Inquisition, and more. Today, we see this same problem manifesting itself, particularly with the destruction of Europe by religious zealots. Individual spirituality lies at the very core of what makes a person moral. However, a strong personal moral fibre, and an adherence to a religious organization which dictates blind obeisance to itself are, in fact, polar opposites. The former offers a moral compass to the individual; the latter, especially when connected to a government, trounces mankind’s natural morality and increases the potential for oppression by that government. As in so many other things, America’s founding fathers had the right idea with the separation of Church and State. The phrase still exists today, but its original intent has been largely lost. Should its true meaning be revived, we can be fairly certain that it won’t be done by the political class. Regards,
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Nick Rokke (NR): T, you crushed it last year. Bitcoin was up nearly 2,000% in 2017 and Ethereum was up even more—nearly 10,000%. Recently, you told me there’s something brewing in the crypto market that can make 2018 even better.
Teeka Tiwari (TT): Yes, 2017 was a great year for bitcoin and the entire crypto market. But 2018 is gearing up to be an even more transformative year.
Here’s why…
One of the major trends I told you about last year was the tidal wave of institutional money headed into bitcoin. And that’s already started to happen.
Last month, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE) launched bitcoin futures and options products. Massive institutional money has flowed into bitcoin since then.
For example, bitcoin’s price soared 25% the first week futures were traded.
But that’s just an appetizer…
The CME and CBOE just paves the way for what I think will be an even bigger event. And that’s a launch of a new bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).
And that will be huge. An ETF will make it as easy to buy bitcoin as it is to buy a stock. With just one mouse click, you’ll own bitcoin.
[Editor’s Note: As we saw this week, there will be price swings along the way. Learn about the strategy Teeka uses to play the crypto boom safely here.]
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NR: Do you really think a new ETF will bring more people into the crypto market?
TT: More people will absolutely buy bitcoin if there is a one-click ETF.
Think of it like this…
You’re 100 pounds overweight and the doctor tells you that you need to lose that weight. And he says, “We’ve got a plan. You’re going to have to restrict calories, walk more, and lift some weights. And you won’t be able to eat those greasy bacon cheeseburgers and fries anymore. But the good news… you’ll be in great shape in a year.”
How many people are going to do that? Not many.
That’s what it’s like when you ask people to invest in cryptos. Sure, they know bitcoin is going up in value… and it’s a good idea to buy it. But they don’t know how to invest.
Or if they do, they don’t want to set up a new account with an exchange and give the exchange their bank info.
And then they have to worry about how to safely store their bitcoin… or about accidentally sending their bitcoin to the wrong address and losing it forever.
It’s a pain to buy bitcoin now… and even harder to buy other cryptos.
That’s why many people aren’t buying… In fact, one poll found that even though 88% of them have heard about bitcoin, only 2% own it.
That’s because it’s too much “work” for most people to buy. And that’s why people don’t get into shape either… It’s too hard.
NR: How will an ETF change all of that?
TT: Now, imagine that same doctor told you he had a pill you needed to only take once. And if you took the pill, you could lose all the weight you want and be in great shape. You’d wake up tomorrow in perfect health.
Everyone would take that “skinny” pill.
And that’s what’ll happen when people can buy bitcoin with a click of the mouse. It’ll be so easy that everyone will do it.
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NR: Will a bitcoin ETF boost other cryptocurrencies, too?
TT: Look, what’s good for bitcoin is good for all cryptos. Bitcoin is like a “gateway drug.” Once you buy some bitcoin, it sucks you into the crypto world. And you’re going to want to buy more.
So, all these newcomers to bitcoin are also going to eventually want to buy other cryptos. And they will demand other products… like a crypto index fund.
Let me give you an example…
Investors buy the SPDR Trust S&P 500 ETF (SPY) to get exposure to the entire stock market. Crypto investors are going to want something similar. They’re going to want an ETF that gives them exposure to the entire crypto market. And that will drive prices of cryptos higher.
NR: That’s exciting stuff. In December, you said bitcoin would reach $25,000 by the end of 2018. With the recent run-up to $20,000, do you want to revise your price target?
TT: No. I don’t want to revise that yet. But I will say this: As soon as an ETF begins publicly trading, I will revise that target.
Once we get an ETF, bitcoin can easily go to $100,000 per coin. Here’s why…
It’s going to be so easy to buy bitcoin that all the money on the sidelines will come in.
It’s going to become a portion of just about everyone’s asset allocation. But here’s the thing… there just aren’t enough bitcoins to go around.
About 16.7 million bitcoins have been mined so far. But five million or so have been lost for good because people lost their private key. That leaves a total of about 11.7 million bitcoins.
Now, there are 35 million millionaires in the world. Most of these guys are going to want a bitcoin in their portfolio. But there is a problem… There are three times as many millionaires as there are bitcoins. So, they all can’t have one.
Long story short… everyone is going to try to squeeze into this market… And the price will skyrocket once it becomes easy to purchase.
NR: Sounds like 2018 is going to be another great year for Palm Beach Letter subscribers. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us today, T.
Editor’s Note: Teeka has been helping subscribers turn tiny grubstakes into millions of dollars—sometimes in less than six months—with his Bitcoin Millionaire Master Plan. And the best thing is you don’t need that much money to start—only as little as $75.
The Master Plan is a complete, step-by-step multimedia guide to becoming the next crypto millionaire. Order your copy right here…
Nos últimos dias recebemos uma verdadeira enxurrada de perguntas sobre a queda da Bitcoin.
Teria estourado a bolha da criptomoeda?
A quem pensa assim, peço que preste atenção aos gráficos seguintes:
Como pode constatar, a Bitcoin teve sempre uma quebra no início dos últimos 4 anos!
Por si só, essa teoria já desqualifica por completo o argumento da “bolha”.
Se neste início de 2018 a bolha estourou, o que dizer de janeiro de 2015?
Aliás, então a bolha já não tinha estourado no primeiro mês de 2016?
Ou no período homólogo de 2017?
Veja com os seus próprios olhos: em todos estes anos o movimento foi semelhante ao atual.
Uma série de fatores técnicos (e não materiais ou fundamentais) explicam o movimento dos últimos dias, que vão desde…
a) A proximidade das comemorações do Ano Novo chinês (este mercado é muito pulverizado entre Ocidente e Oriente e os investidores geralmente não mantêm posições de alta volatilidade em períodos de paralisação local).
b) Vencimento recente dos contratos futuros de Bitcoin, o que agrega mais volatilidade a este mercado nos dias que antecedem o vencimento.
Resumindo:
O leitor pode nunca mais ter outra oportunidade de comprar a moeda digital nesses preços.
A nossa posição oficial, válida para todos os casos é buy on the weakness.
A queda recente é uma oportunidade rara de compra da moeda digital.
Por isso recomendamos que a compre rapidamente.
Um abraço,
Equipa Empiricus
Justin: Todd, I’m not used to seeing “cannabis” and “Army officer” in the same sentence. So, can you tell me how you became interested in the plant?
Todd: I became interested in 2011. I was in Paris at the time, and I was asked to serve as a special advisor for General John Allen. He was the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) back then.
ISAF was a NATO-led security mission. It’s the largest military coalition ever assembled. At the time, it was 51 nations.
Its main purpose was training the Afghan National Security Forces and assisting Afghanistan in rebuilding key government institutions. It was also engaged in the war with the Taliban insurgency.
I was helping manage the General’s relationship with the Coalition through bilateral engagement and normal security cooperation functions.
One evening, our special staff was asked to come up with creative ways to engage with the Afghans using the domestic resources they had so that they could create an industry without relying on outside assistance.
And I thought, “Geez. The Afghans don’t have many resources.”
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They had minerals, but the Chinese had purchased the rights to them long ago, and it would take nearly a decade to build the infrastructure to mine them effectively.
They had heroin, too, but I certainly didn’t think that could be the basis for an industry.
And they had cannabis. A lot of cannabis that they grew was smuggled outside of the country and sold on the black market for huge profits to fund terrorist operations.
So, I thought, “why don’t we transition them to a hemp industry?” It has 25,000 different uses such as food, fuel, fiber, and medicine. And humans have been using it for 8,000 years. We have essentially evolved with this plant.
Justin: How’d that suggestion go over with your supervisors?
Todd: It was not well-received. I don’t believe my concept was ever even briefed to the General. I was kind of laughed out of the room, to be honest. They called me “Major Cheech & Chong” and things like that.
But I learned so much about the plant by studying it, including its medical potential.
And I thought, “there are some military applications here.”
So, I continued to read, study, and talk to everyone I could about the plant. I learned so much that I became a master at talking to generals, other officers, and ambassadors about marijuana.
Justin: So, do they still call you Major Cheech & Chong?
Todd: I still get a giggle or pot pun when I talk about it. But I’m no longer laughed out of the room. So, yes, I’ve convinced a lot of people that this is a very interesting proposition and might be a way to address reducing suicides from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and chronic pain; all significant issues that often result from our service.
Justin: How did you change people’s minds?
Todd: I just became so passionate and well-studied about the plant, the roots of its prohibition, and its potential to help people.
So, now when speaking with generals and other senior leaders I tell them, “Sir, this is serious, and I think it could save soldiers’ lives.”
I always point them to the federal government’s patent on cannabidiol as a neuro-protectant, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. This is U.S. Patent 6630507.
Justin: Why’s that patent so important?
Todd: These days, many of our soldiers encounter improvised explosive devices (IED) on the battlefield. An IED strike can be devastating to multiple vehicles and soldiers in an instant.
And, if an IED goes off near you, there’s a good chance you’ll experience a TBI. TBI is a very serious concussion possibly leading to permanent or temporary impairment of cognitive, physical, and psychosocial function. We find that soldiers who have experienced a TBI are at a higher risk for PTSD and suicide.
Justin: How does an IED give TBI?
Todd: When an IED goes off near you, there’s a massive blast wave. The air from the blast creates a wall of pressure that hits a soldier’s hard skull and rattles the soft brain around inside of it, and a dangerous chemical process begins inside the skull.
This can lead to a stroke, which is what usually kills a TBI victim.
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Justin: How does the military currently treat TBI?
Todd: Today, there’s very little done to treat it. And, aside from improvements made to some vehicles, there’s really no protocol for preventing this sort of injury.
I want to change that with my project, The Athena Protocol.
I want to use formulations of non-psychoactive cannabinoids (especially cannabidiol) and a few added elements as a daily supplement to essentially “armor a soldier’s brain,” and help protect the brain’s neuroreceptors. Studies suggest that this approach could also increase the elasticity of the neurons, preventing them from calcification and potentially reducing the instance of PTSD among our soldier and veteran population.
Justin: How do you plan to prevent these sorts of things?
Todd: Well, we do this in two phases. The first is the prep phase. This happens “left of the boom,” as we say in the military. This means this is the preparation done prior to an IED strike. This includes the supplementation of cannabinoids which help “armor the brain” in preparation for a traumatic event.
Hopefully no one ever gets “right of the boom,” or experiences an IED strike. But, if they do, I would propose administering an immediate supplemental dose of non-psychoactive cannabinoids and other elements very, very rapidly.
Justin: What made you want to focus on TBI?
Todd: I became interested after I lost a platoon leader of mine. His name was Captain Andrew Houghton.
Andy was a fellow West Point graduate. He was class of 2001, and he was like a little brother to me.
In 2004, he was struck in the head with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) while deployed in Iraq. The RPG didn’t explode. But it did massive damage to his head.
The battlefield medics, which are so good today, performed a soldier-to-soldier blood transfusion on-site in his vehicle. They stabilized him in-country and transported him to the Army hospital in Germany.
There, his brain continued to swell.
The rocket did so much damage that they had to remove a large portion of his brain to release the pressure. He was then sent to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where I was present when they pinned a Purple Heart on him. He passed away the next day.
If I can prevent something like that from happening again, I will be very satisfied and feel that I will have done my duty.
Justin: I’m terribly sorry to hear about your loss, Todd.
But it’s inspiring that you’re trying to prevent this sort of thing from happening to other soldiers.
That said, how can you be so confident that The Athena Protocol will work? After all, no one’s ever done anything like this before.
Todd: So, a portion of that is the federal patent I was telling you about. This study says cannabidiol is an effective neuroprotectant and anti-inflammatory.
More recent studies have also shown that victims of car accidents who have THC (an active ingredient in marijuana) have a higher percentage of survivability in TBI incidents.
Plus, we know that cannabinoids pass the blood barrier much more rapidly than most pharmaceuticals.
So, we’d be able to administer and see anti-inflammatory effects very rapidly.
But, you are right. Of course, this theory must be tested. The unfortunate thing is that we are prevented from testing this in the United States due to cannabis’ Schedule I status on the federal government’s list of Controlled Substances. I would propose to circumvent this by studying this outside of the U.S. or gaining special permission to do so in the U.S.
Justin: Would The Athena Protocol only be used to treat TBI injuries suffered in combat? Or are there applications beyond the military?
Todd: Absolutely. Soldiers aren’t the only ones who suffer TBI injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.5 million people go to U.S. emergency rooms every year for TBI. And about 300,000 of those people die from their injuries.
This includes everyone from car crash victims to people who slip and fall.
So, this kind of treatment could really be used everywhere. And the sooner first responders and hospitals can administer this, the better.
Justin: And how’s the project coming along?
Todd: Right now, we’re at the research and development (R&D) level, but we have submitted for a provisional patent for the entire protocol and sub-patents for each formulation and method of administration. Specifically, we’re working on jamming as much cannabidiol into a single drop of water as possible. And we’ve already gotten some incredibly high levels of concentration. So, it’s coming along very nicely.
Justin: Got it. You’re doing some incredible work, Todd. But I have to ask you one last thing before I let you go… Where’d the name, The Athena Protocol, come from?
Todd: The name, and I’m not kidding, came to me in the middle of the night. I shot out of bed and wrote it down.
Athena is the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Good Counsel, and War. She also wears a helmet. And Athena’s helmet adorns the West Point crest.
Justin: Wow. It sure seems like you picked the perfect name.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. And best of luck with everything.
Todd: My pleasure, Justin.
[To learn more about Todd’s project, visit the Harvest 360 website or contact him directly at todd.scattini@harvest360.co.]
Nick Giambruno’s Note: Regardless of what you think of the plant, there’s no denying we’re at the start of the biggest marijuana mania of our lifetimes. On January 1, California started selling recreational marijuana… and Canada’s set to follow this July.
And until midnight (ET) on Monday, you can still find out how to get in on the ground floor of this boom right here.
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| What the hell do I wear to this thing?
Do I wear my suit? Or should I buy a tie-dye shirt? Recently, I was asking myself these questions while staring at an empty suitcase. My flight was taking off in just a few hours. I was headed to Oakland, California, to attend the 4th Annual Cannabis Business Summit and Expo. That’s right. I flew over 2,500 miles to learn about the marijuana industry. Why? Simple—the legal marijuana business is booming. And it’s presenting the opportunity of a lifetime. In 2016, the industry grew 34%. That’s over 10 times the growth of the U.S. economy the same year. Marijuana millionaires are now being minted across the country. But you don’t have to work in the industry to make a fortune off this trend. Everyday investors can cash in on this boom, too. I’ll show you how to do that at the end of today’s essay.
• But let me first tell you about my recent field trip… The morning after landing in Oakland, I put on my suit (I decided to play it safe), grabbed a stack of business cards, and took an Uber across town. I arrived at the convention center around 9 a.m. The place was packed to the brim. I saw other men in suits… a lady with purple hair… and several guys with dreadlocks. It was an eclectic bunch, to say the least. But make no mistake… • This conference was serious business… The first guy I met worked for an HVAC company based in California. His business had already set up HVAC systems in four marijuana-growing operations. But his boss wanted to do many more deals like this. So, like me, he went to Oakland to learn as much about the industry as possible. After chatting for a bit, we exchanged business cards. I made my way to the convention floor next. There, I met a man from Las Vegas selling marijuana-infused teas and coffees. Later, I spoke with a salesman for a security systems provider. His company was selling everything from infrared cameras to robots that patrol large marijuana farms. There were also companies selling industrial-grade lights, irrigation systems, and organic soils. There were analytics providers, software firms, and distributors. There were even lawyers and accountants offering their services to the industry. In short, there were all sorts of people and companies at this convention. But they all had one thing in common… • Everyone was trying to strike it rich in marijuana… Many of them will, too. Again, that’s because the marijuana industry is red-hot. If you’ve been reading International Man, you already know this. I’ve been covering the opportunity in marijuana stocks for months. It’s already a $7 billion industry. By 2021, the industry is projected to be worth nearly $23 billion. In other words, it’s on pace to more than triple in size over the next three years. That’s a staggering growth rate. But even that might be lowballing the industry’s potential. In fact, one “potrepreneur” at the conference told me he thinks the marijuana industry will soon be worth $100 billion. That’s a bold call. But this guy knew his stuff. He studied finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was an analyst for McKinsey & Company. He worked on mergers and acquisitions for Deutsche Bank in London. And most recently, he served as the VP of corporate strategy for a major U.S. real estate company. In other words, the guy was no slouch. More importantly, he could work in just about any industry. And yet, he wanted to conquer the marijuana market. This industry is no longer just for stoners. The “smart money” wants a piece of the action, too.
• Yet, most retail investors still want nothing to do with this red-hot market… That’s because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. I’ve said that the U.S. can’t win this War on Drugs. It should have never entered this conflict in the first place. Casey Research founder Doug Casey agrees, saying this war itself is criminal, completely insane, and totally counterproductive. Right now, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug. They consider it more dangerous than cocaine or methamphetamine. To make matters worse, Jeff Sessions, Trump’s attorney general, infamously said that marijuana was “only slightly less awful” than heroin. He also asked Congress to let him prosecute medical marijuana providers. And more recently, he went after states’ rights. • This is why a lot of people think Trump could soon shut down the industry… But the chances of that happening are actually slim to none. You see, Trump has much bigger problems than the marijuana industry right now. For starters, the U.S. appears to be on the brink of nuclear war with North Korea. Plus, there’s an opioid epidemic that’s devastating communities across the country. These are actual problems, unlike an industry that’s created hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue. • Most importantly, Trump couldn’t kill the industry even if he tried… But don’t take my word for it. Take it from Troy Dayton, CEO of Arcview Market Research: While the uncertainty created by the mixed signals coming out of the Administration may cause a temporary dip in some valuations of cannabis companies and some more risk-averse institutional investors and multinational companies may continue to stay on the sidelines, it won’t impact the growth of the market much at all. No matter what the administration does, states will continue to issue cannabis licenses to a long line of applicants and licensed cannabis outlets will continue to have long lines of consumers ready to purchase this product from regulated establishments. Arcview is one of the country’s leading cannabis research companies. According to their research, the legal marijuana market should grow 27% per year over the next three years, even if Trump goes after the industry. That would make legal marijuana the fastest-growing major U.S. consumer industry since the broadband internet market boomed in the early 2000s. In short, the marijuana industry is going to boom, no matter what Trump does. • So, don’t let politics keep you from investing in marijuana… That said, you have to understand that it’s not easy to invest in marijuana stocks. There’s no blue-chip marijuana company yet. Plus, most U.S. marijuana stocks trade over the counter. They’re “penny stocks.” This makes them riskier than big stocks that trade on the New York Stock Exchange. So, if you decide to speculate on marijuana stocks, here are three ways to stack the odds in your favor… Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Don’t buy one or two pot stocks. Instead, spread your money across several. Here’s a complete list of marijuana stocks to help you begin your research. Don’t get greedy. Remember, marijuana stocks are highly speculative. So don’t bet the ranch on them. Only bet money that you can afford to lose. Have an exit strategy. Take profits when you get them. I also encourage you to take a “Casey Free Ride” on any pot stock that doubles. A Casey Free Ride is when you recover your initial investment (take profits) on a stock that doubles for the first time and ride whatever upside is left, 100% risk-free. It’s essentially like playing with “house money.” These three strategies will allow you to speculate on pot stocks without exposing you to big losses. Regards, |
00:12 – Sentido único
Na semana passada, discutimos o ano recorde verificado no principal índice norte-americano.
Não só os mercados alcançaram o mais longo bull market da história, como também atingiram a série mais extensa de sessões sem correções de 3% ou mais.
Ou seja, pouca volatilidade e sempre no mesmo sentido (para cima).
A exuberância que abraçou as bolsas no final do ano, quando os gestores de fundos aumentaram a sua exposição às ações americanas, derramou para este ano, levando o S&P a atingir novos recordes na passada sexta-feira.
01:09 – Quando o preço está caro
Embora seja óbvio que as ações americanas estejam sobrevalorizadas, também me parece que ainda não atingimos o estado de euforia normalmente associado às grandes bolhas do passado.
Isso está a mudar…
Por ora, podemos argumentar que a sobrevalorização é justificada (taxas de juros baixas, QE, reforma fiscal, etc.), mas não podemos negar que, em relação à sua média histórica, o mercado de ações está efetivamente caro.
Porém, como já escrevi aqui várias vezes, o preço sozinho não é um motivo suficiente para uma bolha rebentar…
É preciso ver casos de “excesso de entusiasmo”.
E convenhamos que isso é muito mais difícil de mensurar.
O valuation pode ser facilmente medido através de rácios financeiros, mas o sentimento é muito mais subjetivo.
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02:08 – Tenha cuidado
O fator-chave para a formação de uma bolha é a aceleração – quando os mercados sobem muito num curto período de tempo.
Em bom português, se o mercado arrancar uma subida de mais de 30% este ano, será um sinal de euforia preocupante…
Portanto, fique atento.
Existe uma grande probabilidade de o mercado disparar num movimento exagerado e que poderá ser seguido por uma correção também ela muito forte.
Esse talvez seja o grande risco de 2018: o exagero.
03:00 – A palavra do ano
O que isto significa para si: deixe-se estar nos mercados, por enquanto…
E, por favor, não se preocupe sobre como tirar proveito deste “exagero”.
Se isso acontecer, praticamente tudo o que possui irá beneficiar-se.
O que deve fazer: é proteger a sua carteira com seguros (ouro e opções fora do dinheiro).
Não estamos a torcer por uma catástrofe. Mas se acontecer, não queremos ser apanhados com as calças na mão.
04:01 – Mercado europeu
Hoje, para não variar, as principais bolsas europeias seguem em alta, depois de terem sido divulgados dados económicos positivos na zona Euro.
O crescimento na área da moeda única está na sua melhor fase da última década.
Isso, claro, convida os investidores internacionais que desejam uma exposição à recuperação económica na região a comprarem ativos europeus.
Exatamente como falámos aqui.