What we’re reading (1/2)
“Global Stocks’ Great Year Was About More Than The Dollar” (Wall Street Journal). “Dollar worries definitely dominated the headlines in 2025 with “de-dollarization” entering the mainstream lexicon. Worries over the U.S. fiscal path and its political volatility helped power not just foreign stocks, but also gold and crypto. But the dollar’s slide hardly explained everything about non-U.S. stocks’ performance. Global equity strategists at Goldman Sachs, who had recommended global diversification for investors in 2025, broke down the individual performance of several major national indexes by four factors: earnings growth, valuation multiple, dividends and currency adjustments.”
“107% Tariffs On Italian Pasta No Longer Set To Take Effect” (CNN Business). “Most products from the European Union are already subject to tariffs of at least 15%. The pasta-specific tariffs, initially proposed in October at 92%, would have subject Italian pasta to a total rate of 107%. The newly announced rates would put the levies between 24% and 29%.”
“Bridgewater, D.E. Shaw Among Top Hedge Fund Gainers Of 2025” (Bloomberg). “Bridgewater Associates’ flagship money pool posted record gains, while D.E. Shaw & Co.’s strategies soared as much as 28% to rank among the biggest hedge fund winners of 2025 when tariff-fueled market uncertainty presented a fertile hunting ground for traders. Bridgewater’s Pure Alpha II macro fund returned 34% last year, its best ever, while the All Weather strategy rose 20%, a person with knowledge of the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. D.E. Shaw’s flagship multistrategy Composite hedge fund gained 18.5% and Oculus made an estimated 28.2%.”
“Self-Driving Cars Aren’t Nearly A Solved Problem” (Yarrow Bouchard). “Contrary to popular belief, Waymos aren't actually fully autonomous, and the problem is harder than it may seem.”
“US On Verge Of Losing Measles Elimination Status As Outbreak Surges In South Carolina” (The Mirror). “The United States is on the verge of losing its measles elimination status as cases surge amid an ongoing outbreak in South Carolina, where hundreds are in quarantine.”
