Landlords & Loungers

The Fed gave us a quarter-point cut yesterday, and the hangover is still being sorted out. Powell promised more easing is “on the table,” but also repeated the magic words: data dependent. Translation: don’t get too comfortable. Markets liked it well enough this morning, with the S&P and Nasdaq pushing toward record highs.

Then came the day’s fireworks: Intel ripped higher — up more than 20% — after Nvidia said it’s dropping $5B into a joint chip venture. That deal sent a jolt through semis and gave the rally fresh legs. Nvidia wobbled on China worries earlier in the week, and responded by locking in domestic supply and bolstering political capital in one quick move.

Elsewhere, Nomura upped its forecast: two more cuts this year, one in October, one in December. Gold eased as the dollar firmed, but risk appetite stayed strong. Even the Russell 2000 caught a bid, suggesting breadth might be improving. And David Tepper summed up the mood perfectly: he’s “miserable” about valuations but still riding the Fed’s wave. Miserable or not, investors seem happy to keep dancing as long as the music plays.

“Apple used to really bring out products that would blow people’s minds.” Those are Elon Musk’s words. 

Today, Apple’s strategy looks less like innovation, and more like repetition. But a new smartphone company is stepping up to deliver the mind-blowing moments we've been missing.

Turning smartphones from an expense into an income stream, Mode Mobile has already helped users earn and save $325M+ and achieved a staggering 32,481% revenue growth rate over three years. Uber did it to taxis, Airbnb did it to hotels…And now, Mode Mobile is doing it to the $500 billion smartphone industry.

Now, with their Nasdaq ticker $MODE secured, investors still have a chance to get in before a potential IPO.

⏳Share price changing soon - invest now.

Disclosures

Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur.

The Deloitte rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.

In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of the issuer and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. Mode Mobile has filed a Form C with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its offering, a copy of which may be obtained here: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1748441/000164117225025402/ex99.pdf

Wolf Richter at Wolf Street spots a big shift hiding in plain sight. The six biggest single-family rental landlords (names like Invitation Homes and American Homes 4 Rent) once hoarded nearly half a million houses. Now they’ve stopped buying scattered homes, started unloading older stock, and are plowing billions into new “build-to-rent” subdivisions.

It’s a regime change for housing. The math on buying individual homes no longer works at today’s prices, so Wall Street is acting like a developer instead. Meanwhile, mom-and-pop landlords still hold 11 million homes, but face rising costs and flat rents. For investors, the signal is clear: the easy money from scooping up single homes is done. The real opportunity may be in builders, managers, and service firms riding the boom in purpose-built rental communities.

On Trillions, Eric Balchunas and Joel Weber dive into one of Bloomberg’s most surprising Big Take reports: young investors chasing 8–10% yields instead of career ladders. Journalist Vildana Hajric shows how funds like $JEPI and other dividend- and option-income ETFs have become the go-to for a new generation. Some Zoomers are even aiming to quit their jobs in their 20s and live off payouts… a FIRE strategy built on dividends instead of salaries.

It’s contrarian to the core. Traditional wisdom says, “Build human capital, chase growth.” But pandemic burnout and market whiplash left many young investors craving steady cash flow now, even if it caps long-term upside. Balchunas and Weber note that assets in income ETFs are ballooning, with some Gen Z voices flatly saying they’d rather make $40k in dividends than $80k from work. The hosts give credit for creativity while warning: many of these funds juice yield by selling options, risking capital erosion if markets turn.

The takeaway is clear: when 22-year-olds prefer clipping coupons to climbing the corporate ladder, the market ecosystem is evolving in real time.