Posted December 17, 2020
By Scott Stewart
Stimulus Frenzy
Welcome to Rude Awakening for Thursday, December 17, 2020.
This morning, markets opened strong, and the major indices are all still showing strength as the trading day is getting started.
Lots of activity in todays marketplace, with lots of anticipation and expectation over the stimulus deal powering us into the weekend.
Its looking like there will be an agreement anytime now.
Strong Markets Power 4 Stocks
With markets moving higher, there are four different stocks I want to show you today, all reporting earnings this evening after the closing bell, or before the opening bell tomorrow morning.
Each of these should be added to your watchlist:
- Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI)
- Winnebago Industries, Inc. (WGO)
- BlackBerry Limited (BB)
- FedEx Corporation (FDX)
Scott StewartEditor, Rude Awakening
The Great AI Alibi
Posted September 15, 2026
By Byron King
For years, Silicon Valley told investors there was no price too high for artificial intelligence. Spend the trillion. Build the data centers. Buy the chips. Drain the grid. Now, suddenly, the same crowd wants to slow down — for humanity’s sake, naturally. Funny how existential caution arrived just as the bills came due.
A Tribute to Washington
Posted September 14, 2026
By Sean Ring
Rome collected tribute from its protectorates. Washington prefers LNG contracts, tariffs, and factories. Different empire, same arrangement.
The Bypass Bullseye
Posted September 11, 2026
By Sean Ring
Saudi Arabia built the East-West Pipeline to escape the Strait of Hormuz. But once Hormuz closed, the bypass became indispensable. And anything indispensable eventually becomes a target.
Marked to Market, Marked to Myth
Posted September 10, 2026
By Sean Ring
Pete Hegseth and Scott Bessent are both fighting battles that are going badly. But only one man has the luxury of arguing about the score. The Pentagon runs on politics and narrative. The Treasury runs on prices. And prices are becoming very inconvenient for Bessent.
The Blue Collar Bull
Posted September 09, 2026
By Sean Ring
For decades, the surest trade in the labor market was long college degrees and short manual work. That trade is reversing. And like most crowded trades, the people caught on the wrong side are discovering that yesterday’s prestige offers no protection.
The Sea Keeps Honest Books
Posted September 08, 2026
By Byron King
The media saw bad meals aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The sea saw something else entirely: too many missions, too few ships, and 35 years of neglected American naval power.