Aside from last week’s up and down joy ride in the market, things seem to be the same generally – the market wants to behave. All the major indices are hanging around their record levels, the VIX is in the up 12 zone, the US dollar has steadied in the mid-90 area, the euro is rising slowly, gold is still flirting with $1200, and oil has stalled in its recent jump up. All this tells me the market is relaxed and looking for a cue. Yup … It is time for a cup of coffee.
- Astronauts on the International Space Station fired up their new espresso machine for the first time this weekend. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (of the European Space Agency) announced the new microgravity brew in style with a “Star Trek” themed-photo on Twitter Sunday.
Truly, it would take an Italian to get an espresso machine on the Space Station, but don’t be surprised if Starbucks makes an appearance there soon with its Carmel Chai Double-Half Capp-Latte espresso drink.
- In a first for a major restaurant chain, Chipotle Mexican Grill on Monday will begin preparing only food that is free of genetically engineered ingredients.
Like coffee in space, I smell a trend. Consumers are afraid of GMO products and the big food folks are jumping on the bandwagon. General Mills announced non-GMO Cheerios last year, and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream is on the list, along with Arrowhead Mills, and some select food products sold in Walmart and Safeway to name just a few. Chipotle is the first restaurant chain but not the last. Soon, others will be announcing their commitment to non-GMO food.
- Regardless of their origins, cravings can be extraordinarily intrusive. Experiments have shown that they make it harder to perform cognitive tasks, suggesting that they are hogging some limited amount of mental bandwidth.
Who hasn’t had food cravings? Well, now we are beginning to understand that it can hog bandwidth. Perhaps Britain, a country projected to run out of bandwidth in the near future, should look at the study.
Moving to another potential trend, something has to give in the way healthcare is delivered for sure in the US. It is expensive and not-so-good, and for some, it is deadly.
- The notion that a hospital remains the safest place for old patients dies hard. Many families still believe their aging relatives belong in a hospital when they’re ailing. But 20-plus years of research have documented the risks of hospitalization for older adults, particularly those frail or ill enough to need nursing home care.
Yes, studies are finding hospitals can make health issues worse for some, and the sheer cost of hospital care is breaking the healthcare bank, so …
- Under pressure to reduce costs while improving quality, a handful of hospital systems have embarked on an unusual experiment: They are taking the house call to the extreme, offering hospital-level treatment at home to patients like Mr. Fernandez who in the past would have been routinely placed in a hospital room. And as awareness spreads of the dangers that hospitalization may pose, particularly to older adults, patients are enthusiastically seizing the opportunity.
From an investment/trading perspective, it is time to watch for companies that are fitting into a trend – non-GMO food and home-healthcare to name just two trends developing. Oh! And keep your eye on Starbucks, as making espresso in space might just be a stunt to get attention.
Trade in the day; invest in your life …
