View this post on the web at [link removed]

Hello Capitalists,
Here is everything you should be watching today:
Melania opens the NYSE and records are broken immediately
S&P 500 breaks 7,000 for the first time in history
Gold smashes $5300 an ounce for the first time in history
JP Morgan to match funds for employees “Trump Accounts”
Starbucks sees uptick in sales for the first time in two years
Mamdani wants $12 Billion from New York’s “Rich”
Today’s markets + assets:
✅ DOW: 49009.59 (⬆️ 0.01%)
🔴 S&P: 6972.79 (⬇️ 0.09%)
✅ NASDAQ: 23850.08 (⬆️ 0.14%)
⚠️✅CBOE VIX Volatility Index: 16.73 (⬆️ 2.32%)
✅ Gold: $5282.30(⬆️ 3.93%)
🔴 Silver:$112.17 (⬇️ 5.87%)
✅ Bitcoin: $87,472 (⬇️ 0.53%)
The Capitalist is a reader-supported publication Reject Corporate Left-Wing Journalism
Melania rings NYSE bell for “Melania” documentary premiere
First Lady Melania Trump rang the New York Stock Exchange opening bell [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ]Wednesday to promote her self-titled documentary, “Melania,” which offers an intimate look at the 20 days leading to President Trump’s 2025 inauguration and premieres Thursday at the Trump-Kennedy Center before a global theatrical release.
Symbolic Bell Ringing : Melania, in a sleek black dress, pressed the button amid cheers from traders and received a custom engraved commemorative plate from NYSE President Lynn Martin—a first for the exchange.
Documentary Production Details : Directed by Brett Ratner and co-produced by Melania, the Amazon MGM Studios film stems from a $40 million licensing deal, featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of inauguration preparations and White House transition moments.
Premiere and Release Plans : The red carpet premiere occurs Thursday night at the renamed Trump-Kennedy Center in Washington, with simultaneous screenings in 20 venues; it hits theaters worldwide on January 30, 2026.
Cultural Impact Emphasis : Melania highlighted storytelling’s power in her remarks, stating cultural influence rivals economic power and films foster emotional connections, positioning her project as part of a great American tradition.
Sponsored by Cash App [ [link removed] ]
Unlock Cash App’s highest savings interest offer of up to 3.25%
Customers can qualify for Cash App Green by spending $500 in Qualifying Purchases using your Cash App Card or Cash App Pay per month, or by depositing $300 of Qualifying Deposits per month. Eligibility restrictions apply to some benefits. See Terms and Conditions for more information. [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ]
To earn the highest interest rate on your Cash App savings balance, you need to (a) have a Cash App Card, or sponsor one or more sponsored accounts, and qualify for Cash App Green or (b) have a sponsored account with sponsor approval. Customers can qualify for Cash App Green by spending $500 in Qualifying Purchases using your Cash App Card or Cash App Pay per month, or by depositing $300 in Qualifying Deposits per month. See terms and conditions for more information on how to qualify.
If you are signed up to earn interest, Cash App will pass through a portion of the interest paid on your savings balance held in an account for the benefit of Cash App customers at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. Exceptions may apply. Savings yield rate is subject to change.
S&P 500 smashes through the 7000 barrier for the first time ever
The S&P 500 surged above 7,000 for the first time in history [ [link removed] ] on Wednesday, climbing 0.3% at the open amid unrelenting AI optimism fueled by ASML’s record chip orders, as Wall Street gears up for the Federal Reserve’s rate decision and pivotal earnings from Microsoft, Meta, and Tesla.
AI Demand Surges Strongly: ASML reported record €13.2 billion in Q4 orders far above expectations, signaling sustained AI infrastructure growth and boosting chip stocks like Nvidia, Intel, and Micron.
Fed Decision Looms Large: The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold rates at 3.5%-3.75%, with focus shifting to Chair Powell’s comments for hints on potential 2026 rate cuts.
Big Tech Earnings Await: Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Tesla report after the close, with investors scrutinizing AI spending, robotaxi progress, and cloud growth amid high expectations.
Chip Sector Leads Gains: Intel jumped nearly 9%, Micron nearly 4%, and Nvidia added 2% on positive AI signals including China’s approval of massive Nvidia GPU imports.
Gold hits record $5300 per oz
Gold surged to an [ [link removed] ]all-time high above $5,300 [ [link removed] ] an ounce on Wednesday as President Trump’s downplaying of a plunging US dollar fueled a massive safe-haven rush. The precious metal’s 22% year-to-date gain reflects escalating geopolitical risks, dollar weakness to near four-year lows, and investor flight from bonds and currencies amid policy uncertainty.
Dollar Plunge Accelerates Rally: Trump’s comments dismissing dollar concerns drove the currency to its weakest level in nearly four years, boosting gold by making it cheaper for global buyers and sparking rapid retail investment inflows.
Geopolitical Risks Mount: Threats of tariffs on allies like South Korea and Canada, plus potential actions in Greenland and Venezuela, heightened global tensions and triggered a flight to precious metals as safe havens.
Fed Dovish Shift Bets Grow: Traders anticipate a less independent Federal Reserve with possible aggressive rate cuts, favoring non-yielding assets like gold; analysts see further upside barring short-term corrections.
Silver Joins Explosive Gains: The white metal surged nearly 60% year-to-date, approaching prior records near $117 an ounce, amid broader precious metals volatility and strong investment demand.
JPMorgan doubles down on Trump accounts with bold match
JPMorgan Chase announced Wednesday it will match the U.S. government’s $1,000 seed contribution to “Trump accounts” [ [link removed] ] for eligible employees’ children, joining a growing list of firms backing the pilot program aimed at boosting early lifetime savings for kids born from 2025 to 2028.
Employee Family Boost : The bank will provide a matching $1,000 to tax-advantaged savings accounts for children of its more than 190,000 U.S. employees, enhancing family financial security.
Program Origins Spotlight : Named “Trump accounts,” the initiative—conceived partly by hedge fund manager Brad Gerstner—targets newborns through 2028 with Treasury-funded starters to encourage long-term investing.
Celebrity and Billionaire Backing : Supporters include Michael and Susan Dell plus rap artist Nicki Minaj, who pledged $150,000–$300,000 to fund accounts for her fans, broadening the program’s reach.
CEO Commitment Emphasized : Jamie Dimon highlighted JPMorgan’s ongoing dedication to employee well-being worldwide, framing the match as a step toward early financial planning and wealth-building for families.
Starbucks US Sales surge ends two-year drought
Starbucks reported its first positive US comparable store sales growth in two years [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ]during fiscal Q1 ended Dec. 28, with a 4% rise driven by higher traffic and ticket size, as CEO Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” turnaround strategy gains momentum and beats expectations for the key market.
US Turnaround Accelerates : North America same-store sales climbed 4%, exceeding forecasts of 2%, marking the first positive growth since fiscal Q1 2024 with 3% transaction increase and 1% average ticket boost.
Global Momentum Builds : Worldwide comparable sales rose 4% for the second straight quarter, surpassing estimates of 2%, highlighting broad recovery progress.
China Delivers Strong Gains : Same-store sales in China jumped 7% above expectations, fueled by 5% foot traffic growth and 2% higher ticket size amid recent stake sale to Boyu Capital.
Mixed Bottom Line : Adjusted EPS of $0.56 missed analyst targets of $0.59 due to turnaround costs and coffee price pressures, though revenue hit $9.9 billion beating estimates and stock rose over 7%.
Mamdani demands millionaire tax hike to cover $12 Billion black hole
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called Wednesday for higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations [ [link removed] ] to close a staggering $12 billion-plus budget deficit he blamed on prior fiscal mismanagement, dismissing business fears of capital flight while vowing transparency and savings in the nearly $116 billion FY 2026 budget.
Millionaire Surcharge Proposed: A flat 2% tax targets individuals earning over $1 million annually to generate revenue for the city’s shortfall.
Corporate Rate Increase Urged: Raising the city’s corporate tax to 11.5% aims to match New Jersey’s level and boost funds amid the crisis.
Deficit Scale Highlighted: The projected $12.6 billion gap over two years exceeds Great Recession levels due to alleged mismanagement by predecessors.
Savings Measures Touted: Mamdani criticized wasteful spending like a $600,000 unusable AI chatbot as part of broader efficiency efforts to complement tax hikes.
The Capitalist is a reader-supported publication Reject Corporate Left Wing Journalism
Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See Terms & Conditions. Eligibility restrictions apply to some benefits. See Terms and Conditions for more information.

Unsubscribe [link removed]?