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May 19th, 2021

OLIVER CHARLES - The New Yak Times - Business And Financial News Using Memes

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It's May 19th, 2021.

Dear Readers,

Happy Wednesday, or as I like to call it, "humpday". This weekend we had a team offsite at Yosemite National Park.

The Valley's grandeur was undoubtedly breathtaking, but I must admit I was more impressed by the amount of money the park brings in each year. If my calculations are correct, it's something like $175 million in entrance fees alone - more on that in my update.

Let's get into it!

This week's top stories include:

No more masks
While supplies last
Are aliens already here?
What's up with inflation?
Oliver Charles update

Get the vax and ditch the mask

Does that rhyme? I hope so cause it took me about an hour to come up with.

The CDC announced that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors. Many celebrate this as the end of the pandemic, while others are still anxious about returning to normal life.

Talking Points:

Fully vaccinated people can now resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing. They can also travel domestically without worry.

About half of US states still have some sort of mask mandate in place. However, many now have plans to reverse the policies.

Walmart, Costco, CVS, Target, Starbucks, and Home Depot are among the largest companies now allowing customers to shop mask-free.

Companies and their policies >>

That's how most suppliers are feeling...

The global economy is currently experiencing an unprecedented phenomenon. It's breaking under the pressure of a rapid increase in demand from consumers emerging from the pandemic. Companies of all shapes and sizes are struggling to acquire all sorts of resources.

There is one exception to the supply shortages, and it's yak wool. It turns out that not only is it resistant to odors, it's also resistant to global supply shortages. Who knows how long that will last, so it's best to get your sweater now.

Talking Points:

Companies are buying more material than they need to survive the breakneck speed at which demand for goods is recovering.

Adding to the scarcity is a growing list of catastrophes, like a boat stuck in the Suez Canal, a hacked pipeline in the US, a freeze in Texas, and the COVID crisis in countries like India and Brazil.

A list of all US product shortages >>

Are we about to meet aliens?

As a kid, I always imagined there would be this worldwide breaking news story that aliens have contacted us. The world would finally come together, knowing that there is something larger than our planet. We'd send Tom Hanks and Beyoncé out as our ambassadors to offer peace.

Well, it turns out that might be right around the corner. This week's 60 Minutes was about the U.S. government's grudging acknowledgment of unidentified aerial phenomena—UAP—more commonly known as UFOs. These inexplicable aircrafts have been spotted literally every single day by US pilots.

Talking Points:

The 60-minute interview was with two former Navy pilots, Cmdr. Dave Fravor and Lt. Cmdr. Alex Dietrich, who said they witnessed something "unsettling and unexplainable" while flying over the Pacific Ocean in November 2004.

The Pentagon has walked back decades of public denial about the existence of mysterious sightings in the sky. After, videos were leaked to the New York Times in 2017.

Congress has taken a renewed interest in the videos expressing concern that the advanced technologies demonstrated in these videos could be a threat to national security.

The Pentagon will release the report sometime next month.

Watch the 60-minute segment >>

Are things more expensive?

Last week the Consumer Price Index (CPI) released its April numbers on inflation. The general consensus was that inflation would be right about 3.6%. However, it turned out to be 4.2%, the biggest jump in over a decade. The Fed chalked this up to a transitionary number as we come out of lockdown and resume normal life.

Talking Points:

The CPI, which measures the cost of consumer goods as well as energy and housing costs, rose 4.2% from a year earlier.

The inflation increase was the sharpest increase since 2008.

Used car and truck prices, which are seen as a key inflation indicators, surged 21%, including a 10% increase in April, 2021 alone.

Federal Reserve officials see the current rise as temporary and not likely to influence policy. They are saying the pandemic unnaturally slowed inflation, and now we are catching up.

The expectation is that inflation settles down later this year around 2%. That's, at least, the Central Bank's target inflation number.

The Consumer Price Index >>

What is Yosemite's valuation?

As I said earlier, we spent the weekend at a company offsite in Yosemite National Parl. After waiting in line for 2 hours to get into the park, I couldn't help but wonder how much the those friendly rangers are raking in.

So I performed a quick back of the napkin discounted cash flow, and if my math's correct, the park is worth roughly $5.8 trillion. More the twice the value of Apple.

Just imagine if you had invested in Yosemite instead of Bitcoin?

That's my update for the week. I hope you've enjoyed this week's installment of The New Yak Times.

Until next time, keep building 🐝.

Best, Tobias
CMO @ Oliver Charles
Connect with me on Linkedin

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Sent from my iPhone

Thanks for reading, please share. Seriously.

If you found this email funny, we'd appreciate it if you forwarded it to a friend or colleague. If you did not find it funny, we'd appreciate it if you forwarded it to an enemy or colleague.

Meme credit is due to the following accounts. If I missed someone, let me know!

@finmemeassociates
@whitecollarhumor
@oliver.charles.clothing

Finally, please send us memes!

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