“Honey, I think it’s time I retire,” you said, thinking it would be received as the good news you believed it would be. “What are you going to do all day?” she replied. And so, the conversations about Your Retirement Life begin. Allow me to intervene if you will. These are not easy conversations. They’re […]

“Honey, I Think It’s Time I Retire”
E.J. Smith

In 1929, Dow Jones spun out utilities from its main index and created the Dow Jones Utilities Average Index. The original components of the average were: American & Foreign Power American Gas & Electric Co. American Power & Light Co. American Telephone & Telegraph American Water Works & Electric Co. Brooklyn Union Gas Columbia Gas […]

The Evolution of the Dow Jones Utilities Average Index
Dick Young

In the first five months of 2026, utility-scale solar generation in California’s CAISO grid exceeded natural gas for the first time, rising 21% compared with 2024, while natural gas generation fell 60%. Solar supplied more electricity than gas on 82% of days, reflecting a rapid shift in the state’s power mix, reports the US Energy […]

Solar and Storage Boom Reshapes California’s Electricity System
Dick Young

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Oil Market Report (June 2026) highlights a global oil market transitioning from tight supply conditions toward a potential surplus later in the decade, driven by recovering Middle East output, shifting demand patterns, and expanding non-OPEC supply. In the short term, the report notes that oil markets remain relatively tight as […]

IEA Warns Oil Market Heading Toward Future Surplus
Dick Young

The United States is seeking to reunify Libya by brokering a power-sharing agreement between the rival governments in the east and west. The plan, led by Massad Boulos, aims to create a unified government, consolidate state institutions, and attract foreign investment, particularly in the oil sector, according to the Financial Times. The proposal would reportedly […]

US Pursues Power-Sharing Agreement to Unlock Libya’s Oil Potential
Young Research

Speaking ahead of the G7 summit, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen outlined priorities, including global economic imbalances, Ukraine, the Middle East, energy security, and artificial intelligence. She warned that Europe’s record €360 billion trade deficit with China is unsustainable and called for stronger domestic manufacturing, diversified supply chains, and coordinated action […]

G7 Agenda Centers on Ukraine, Middle East Stability, and Global Trade
Young Research

You know states are taking sides in a war over taxes. Many red states are racing to lower taxes as far as possible, while blue states seem set in a competition to raise them the highest. Well, Rhode Island has implemented a major new tax on millionaires, placing it in the top tier of progressive-taxation […]

“Pay A Little More”
E.J. Smith

In 2001, I wrote about Ben Graham and his Margin of Safety: Creating Wealth Through the Power of Compound Growth Ben Graham, 1894-1976… Warren Buffett has referred to Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor as “by far the best book on investing ever written.” John Train, a former super Forbes columnist, wrote, “Graham ranks as this […]

Ben Graham: Margin of Safety
Dick Young

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that US import prices rose 1.9% in May 2026, following a 2.0% increase in April, driven by higher fuel and nonfuel import costs. Export prices increased 1.3%, marking their sixth consecutive monthly gain. Key points: Import prices were up 6.7% year-over-year, the largest annual increase since 2022. Fuel […]

US Import Prices Jump 1.9% in May as Energy Costs Surge
Dick Young

Bloomberg reports that Qatar is preparing to quickly ramp up liquefied natural gas (LNG) production once the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens, with plans to restore about 50% of capacity within one month and roughly 80% within two months. The rapid recovery plan reflects QatarEnergy’s efforts to stabilize exports after months of disruption caused by […]

Qatar Plans Fast LNG Production Restart After Hormuz Reopens
Dick Young

The UK government is considering easing its electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate by allowing more hybrid vehicles to be sold through 2030. Under the proposal, fully electric cars could account for 50% of new vehicle sales by the end of the decade, down from the current 80% target, with hybrids making up the rest, the […]

Britain May Cut 2030 EV Sales Requirement to 50%
Young Research

The US Department of Energy announced a $1.6 billion loan for a Michigan energy project to upgrade aging infrastructure and lower energy costs for residents. The funding will support improvements to electric or natural gas systems—depending on the utility involved—by modernizing equipment, reducing maintenance issues, and improving overall grid reliability. According to the DOE, the […]

US Energy Department Funds Major Grid Upgrade to Lower Bills
Young Research

Risk, it means different things to different people. If you value your family. If you value keeping your family safe and properly sheltered, then the word risk isn’t something you take lightly. And yet when asked about money and investing objectively or for one’s objectives, it’s often phrased as something like: “I want capital appreciation […]

Risk
E.J. Smith

The United States and Iran announced an interim peace deal after nearly four months of conflict, according to the WSJ. Mediated by Pakistan, the agreement is expected to be formally signed later this week and includes an end to military operations and steps to ease trade and shipping restrictions. The deal also begins negotiations over […]

US and Iran Move Toward Long-Term Peace Accord
Dick Young

USA Rare Earth has finalized agreements with the US Department of Commerce that provide access to up to $1.6 billion in funding, including $277 million in federal incentives and $1.3 billion in CHIPS Act loan capacity. The funding will support the company’s strategy to build a fully integrated U.S. rare-earth supply chain spanning mining, processing, […]

USA Rare Earth Advances America’s Mine-to-Magnet Strategy
Young Research

A planned shipment of 250,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel from a Florida company to Cuba—expected to be the largest US fuel delivery to the island since the early 1960s—was effectively halted after the US expanded sanctions against Cuba’s state oil company, CUPET. The new restrictions created uncertainty about whether the fuel could legally be […]

Largest US Fuel Delivery to Cuba in Decades Halted
Dick Young

Fox Corporation has agreed to buy Roku in a $22 billion deal to expand into streaming and digital advertising, as reported by the Financial Times. The merger would combine Fox’s news and sports content with Roku’s large streaming platform, which reaches over 100 million households. Fox plans to keep Roku operating as an open platform […]

Big Acquisition Reshapes the Future of Streaming
Young Research

You can see in the chart below the dramatic fall of coal as America’s primary source of fuel for power generation. After the Obama administration hammered coal with new regulations, and new natural gas sources were found in shale plays across America, many coal plants were no longer economically feasible. The other big movers on […]

America’s Energy Future
E.J. Smith

Europe is set to receive rare shipments of Omani and UAE crude after Chinese refiners cut purchases, freeing up Middle Eastern barrels that typically flow to Asia, reports Bloomberg. The shift is redirecting cargoes toward Europe, where refiners are taking advantage of the increased availability. The change highlights how weaker Chinese demand is reshaping global […]

Europe Gets Unusual Oman and UAE Oil Shipments
Dick Young

Foreign direct investment in the United States climbed to $232.2 billion in 2025, a 49.5% increase from 2024 and the strongest level in years. Most of the investment came through acquisitions of existing US companies, with manufacturing attracting the largest share of capital, reports the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Updates to 2024 Expenditures for New Foreign […]

US Foreign Investment Surges 50% in 2025
Dick Young